Manly Beach and the Botanic Gardens

After hearing so much about how lovely Manly Beach was and that there was a scenic walk I decided to go. I hop the train down to Circular Quay, where the Opera House and the boats are, and catch the Manly ferry. $12 something round trip, PB&J sandwich in my bag, money saver and master adventurer today! I hit Manly wharf running, stopping by the information center to get a map of the 9k walk. I certainly wasn't going to be doing the whole thing, but the circular part looked ok. The walk starts out on a strip type walk, right up to the sand and along the beach towards the hill. It was great weather and I had on my fancy walking shoes (and shorts, which I kept feeling like were too short...as I didn't really see anyone else wearing shorts....oh well).

I hike up these stairs, and then its not apparent which way I'm meant to go. All the people who were walking my direction seemed to disappear. As I walk a little farther, there's a dirt trail that looks like the way I'm supposed to go. Its an easier climb for someone so out of shape, but just enough to get my heart going. Good work B. I see one Asian girl on the way up and she tells me, watch out for the lizards. I see a small, normal looking lizard shortly after and think to myself, 'she must be the skittish type' and think nothing more of it. I see a couple more people on the way up, and then nothing until I get to a road...nobody's driving by. Across it, though, is a sign pointing me to the visitor center of North Head, the main reason I headed this way, for the views. I take it, not seeing anyone again, and come out on this large lawn behind a building. Luckily, I see the visitor center and head towards it. A nice older couple greet me and I tell her, I just came out of that trail back there...didn't really see anyone on the way up, is that normal? She smiles and says, 'oh, the FOREIGNERS usually come up that way.' Hmmmm. How is that possible when I didn't see another way up?! Oh well. Felt a little stupid after that.

On the way down I went past a lookout around a huge rock that I had passed up on the way up the trail. As I'm leaving, a dude there says, watch out for the lizards. WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP SAYING WATCH OUT FOR THE LIZARDS?! I think to myself. I start to leave and run into a MASSIVE LIZARD. :) HAHA. Oooooh, those lizards. Its about the size of an iguana, actually called a goana, and scares the bejesus out of me. Looked a little angry too. Like when I walked by it was going to do a flying leap onto my face and claw out my eyes. Guess I'M the skittish type now. Long story short, if that's possible, I went back down and enjoyed the beach for an hour or so before leaving back to Sydney.

Also went to the Botanic (botanical? sp?) gardens the other day. They have a bat problem, an infestation, and they're killing the trees and stuff so its kind of a big deal. They're SO loud when they screech at each other as they fight while hanging next to one another. The Gardens were free, score for me, so I tooled around there for a while, checking things out. Very nice.

Next plan is the Blue Mountains for three nights, then WWOOFing up the coast, with hopefully my first stop at a donkey sanctuary. Will try and keep you lovelies updated as much as possible, but internet access is probably limited.