Manly

We have spent some time in Manly over the last few years. Living in the country means a lack of services we needed to assist Miss 13 who has Down Syndrome. So we were referred to Royal Far West - a fantastic service that assists country kids access services such as Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Paediatricians etc. About every 6 months over about 6 years we stayed onsite for a week to attend a multitude of appointments.

In the times between appointments, while the kids attended the onsite school, I got to wander around, discovering a lot of things about Manly that I didn't know before! Growing up on the North West outskirts of Sydney we often went to Manly to escape the sumer heat. It usually involved a walk down the Corso, an ice cream and sometimes fish and chips. Of course things have changed since my childhood days!

The Corso runs from the Harbour side of Manly, where the ferries from Circular Quay arrive, to the Ocean. On the wharf there are a range of restaurants & food outlets

Lining the Corso are a range of shops, from supermarkets & surf shops to touristy shops and the best newsagent around. But the main attraction for most people at Manly is the beach. Where the ferries come in there is stretch of beach perfect for kids to play. Manly Sea Life Sanctuary is a short walk away - I haven't been for a long time, but my kids said the penguin exhibit was really good. At the opposite end of the Corso is the ocean beach. It can get quite busy here in summer & is well patrolled by life savers.

Although the Corso is the main centre of activity for visitors, I've found a few gems in the streets surrounding the Corso. Infinity Sourdough Bakery is in a laneway behind the Corso (go through the arcade next to Smiggle & turn left). Their gluten free chocolate brownie is one of our favourites. They have a few gluten free choices, and all the rest looks very yummy! They do light breakfasts and the coffee is really good.

Fika Swedish Kitchen has great coffee, & an interesting range of food. I've had breakfast here and appreciated being offered avocado when I asked for no bread. We've been to In Situ a number of times and the food is always good. They do a fresh mint & honey tea which I love. Bean Rush does great coffee, but the last time I went there didn't have any gluten free food options.

There are plenty of restaurants as well as cafes in this part of Manly. Our favourite fish and chip shop is Mongers in Rialto Square (go down the alleyway between a pharmacy & Hungry Jacks). It's not a cheap choice for fish & chips but nowhere really is these days. Mex & Co is on the ocean front and according to my 12 year old son does the best Mexican food. We've had great steaks & ribs at Manly Grill which is also on the ocean front. Next door is bluewater cafe where I've enjoyed lunch on a few occasions.

And if you need dessert there are a range of different ice cream shops. Ben & Jerry's is on the ocean front (right across from Royal Far West). My favourite is Movenpick, while the kids prefer Royal Copenhagen - both in the Corso. The last time we were there a Yoghurtland had opened up much to Miss 8's delight!

I'm not much into clothes shopping - well other than op shops - so many of the shops in this part of Manly don't interest me at all. There are a range of surf shops, clothing outlets and a number of 'cheap' shops along the Corso.

Desire Books would have to be my favourite shop - not suprising when you know how much I love books & reading. It has an eclectic collection of second hand books. There is usually a typewriter of some description also on display towards the back of the shop.

There is another secondhand bookshop - Andy's Book Echange - where I have purchased a few books. It's a tiny store & I feel like I'm going to knock piles of books over whenever I go in there but it has a good range of newer books. Humphreys Newsagent is a fantastic newsagency with a huge range of stationery, toys, magazines, & books.

I've found 3 ops shops in walking distance from the Corso in Manly. The Salvos shop is next to the Post Office, Lifeline is close by while the Vinnies shop is a bit further away. I found my current favourite winter brown suede jacket at the Vinnies a few years ago.

Miss 13 has been discharged so we will no longer be regularly visiting Manly. I will miss having the time to just wander around seeing what I can find but we will definitely be going back to visit when we can.