A nice early start is the best way to head across these beaches. This trip began at Little Manly Cove, greeted by cockatoos and a whole family of brush turkeys out and about on the grass. Cheeky cockatoos were trying to find a way into the cookie jars at Ripples, the cafe by the sand, and early swimmers were already wading in the netted enclosure. Sunshine was splashing across the beach and the locals were strolling down for their morning dip, the way they do here every day of the year.
A short distance on is Collins Beach, reached by a sensational stroll through a pocket of forest, with peeks of turquoise through the trees on the way down. It is a protected habitat area, and it feels like one. A masked lapwing, the bird most of us call a plover, met me on the sand with her two chicks, and the sky above the beach was lit up by playful cockatoos free falling out of the canopy, their wings lit by the sun, holding mid flight conversations. In the far left corner a freshwater cascade trickles onto the sand, and the cockatoos were bathing there, watching the swirl of the water swish through and leave.
A cockatoo bathing at the freshwater cascade, Collins Beach. Video: Nicole McMahon.
Heading back up the same entrance there is a fantastic stairwell cut from sandstone, leading you onto a rock shelf that invites you to dive in and feel enveloped in the sea. A very special spot, filled with many nature adventures. A sign at the entrance mentions snakes, there are no facilities at all, and that is the whole point of it. Nothing to leave behind but footprints.
Water over the sandstone shelf at Collins Beach. Video: Nicole McMahon.
Store Beach was also on the adventure card. This one can only be reached by water, so I had the pleasure of seeing it from a distance: a small curve of pale sand tucked into Spring Cove, the quiet inlet between Collins Beach and North Head, shared with the little penguins that still nest along this shore.
Last on the journey was Quarantine Beach, another stunning place. Car park up the top, then a lovely stroll through the beautiful grounds of the old Quarantine Station down to the shoreline, with a bus organised for the way back up if the legs have had enough. Echidnas are known to wander this headland, so keep an eye on the undergrowth. That pathway down was a real treat, birdlife everywhere and friendly people along the way. At the cafe by the water people were softly catching up over a coffee at the water's edge, a few were dipping in and out, children were playing, and little boats were being readied for a day out on the harbour, a row of bright kayaks lined up on the sand beside them. A sauna was set up on the sand for the people braving the cooler water, with herbal tea for the warm up afterwards. It is a perfect place for families: calm shallow water, a beach to potter on, boats to watch, history tours by day and lantern lit tours after dark, and the bus for small legs on the way back up. Loads of history inside North Head's sheltered arm, where ships once waited and swimmers now drift. And it is a great place to stay: the old quarantine buildings are now the Q Station hotel, and many families were settling in for the night as the day visitors headed home. Everyone I spoke to on the day was so happy to be staying there. A perfect break away, they said, with plenty of nature for the whole family to enjoy, and the water's edge a short stroll from the door.
Little boats and kayaks readied for the day at Quarantine Beach. Video: Nicole McMahon.
At the end of the visit I could not resist and jumped in. Such inviting water, such a relaxing atmosphere. It felt like such a blessing that places like this are part of our beautiful world, and that they are all within a morning of the Manly ferry.
Quarantine Beach from the sand. Video: Nicole McMahon.
Connection in nature, and adventures we remember.
Good to know
- Little Manly Cove: netted swimming, a kiosk, a grassy reserve and a ten minute stroll from the wharf. Far calmer than the ocean beach.
- Collins Beach: a shady bush track in behind the old police college, calm water, no facilities, a snakes sign at the gate. Tread lightly, this is penguin country too.
- Store Beach: water access only, kayak in from Manly and give the penguin colony its space, especially in nesting season.
- Quarantine Beach: through the Q Station grounds inside Sydney Harbour National Park, a cafe at the water, a bus up the hill, history tours by day and lantern lit tours after dark, and rooms in the old quarantine buildings if you want to stay.
Each place has its own page
Little Manly Cove, Collins Beach, Store Beach, Quarantine Beach.
An Earth to Sea News original. Words: Nicole McMahon. Photographs: Oliver Strewe.
