Today we've booked a trip with English emigre Annie Bennett who runs her own private yacht charter company. We set sail on her rather splendid 32ft sailing yacht for a day exploring Sydney's many harbour areas. Annie is based in Clontarf, a tiny sheltered harbour about a ten minute cab ride from Manly.

The easiest way to reach Manly is by high speed catamaran. The Manly Flyer operates a commuter service between Sydney Harbour and Manly Marina. The journey takes exactly the time advertised - 18 minutes. By catching the 7:30 am boat, on a perfect morning, we have magnificent views of the morning sun bathing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as we head out of Sydney Harbour. This is the picture-perfect postcard view of The city.


Manly is delightful, a spit of land with a perfect surfer's beach on one side and a harbour and marina on the other. Because we're early there is time to wander down The Corso, the main shopping street. A rather lovely Italian deli provides us with salads, cold meats and nibbles for lunch. We also have time for a leisurely breakfast there and they serve a delicious egg and bacon ciabbata and coffee.

We hop into a cab for the short drive to Clontarf. By 10:00 am we were aboard Annie's boat and getting everything ready.


What an absolutely perfect day - the sun has shone all day long. There has been just enough cloud about to keep the temperature down to manageable, so we haven't burnt! We have spent the whole day on board, sometimes under sail and sometimes using the engine. It is easier to get close to shore under power whenever we want to take a closer look at some of the waterside properties that no ordinary person will ever afford. Some of the waterside properties here change hands for anything from AUD$30m upwards and there are some pretty serious houses out here.

Each of the many harbours has its own character. For lunch we moor in one delightful sheltered bay just beyond the harbour bridge. By the middle of the afternoon the whole area is full of different craft. At least three of the local sailing clubs hold regattas and races every Wednesday; the tourist jet boats and water taxis race everywhere like mad annoying insects; ferries and high-speed catamarans and sightseeing boats all ply their trade in Sydney's harbours. It's just a fantastic sight on the water and the views of the ever-changing skylines are fabulous as we sail from one area to another. By 5:00pm we've sailed into just about every corner around the city and it's time to head back to Clontarf. Next time we will have to spend more time aboard and sail to perhaps Bondi to the south or Palm Beach to the north. There is plenty still to see, but we simply have no more time.


Brilliant day!!

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