When it comes to enjoying the journey just as much as the destination, you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to spend a few hours or a whole weekend than Sydney’s bustling beachside suburb of Manly.

It’s often said the Manly Ferry is the Harbour City’s best and cheapest tourist attraction. For less than $9.00, it’s about a half-hour journey over from Circular Quay – passing by the Coathanger, Opera House and some of the city’s most expensive waterfront homes (and their owners in sailboats) along the way.

The ferry’s original operators, The Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company used to proclaim, once you arrived and stepped off the iconic green and cream vessels, that it really was a case of “seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care!”

Whether you’re visiting Manly with a large group or on your lonesome, a stint at the beach – previously named Australia’s best – is a must Stretching from Queenscliff in the North, named in honour of Queen Victoria, to Shelly Beach in the south, three  kilometres of surf, sand, rockpools and rows of Norfolk pines await.

For more than 130 years, groms and gold medallists alike have been coming from all over the world to ride these world-famous waves. If you’re in need of a lesson, Manly Surf School is Sydney’s largest surfing academy and offers classes for all abilities, starting at 90 minutes.

If you fancy a spot of scuba, the folks from Dive Centre Manly and EcoTreasuers are expert guides to take you on an underwater adventure through the rocky reefs of Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, home to more than 150 species of fish.

Back on terra firma, Manly Corso is, quite literally, the centre of town. Following a path trodden by the Guringai people for millennia, English-born developer Henry Gilbert Smith laid the modern-day foundations of The Corso in 1855 – and, he put a pub at both ends! If you’re looking to quench your thirst, one of those original watering holes, The Steyne, still stands tall today at the beach-end of The  Corso. There are also more than 200 other bars and boutiques scattered along the promenade.

When it comes to food, Manly is a veritable cornucopia. From the fancy pants – check out Queen Chow, Manly Pavillion, Sake and my late grandma’s favourite The Pantry (or, as she called it, “that lovely restaurant on the beach above the toilet blocks”), to family favourties like Fratelli Fresh, El Camino and Kazzi Street Greek, there really is something for everyone. If it’s beer and burgers you’re after, you can’t go past gastropub 4 Pines, run by the local brewers of the same name.

But, if you’re happy to risk a bite while you eat, nothing beats fish ‘n’  chips with the seagulls on the sand. To be honest, the location most visitors choose!