A Sydney Harbour Walk - Spit Bridge to Manly

After 2, 000, 000 days of rain, the Sydney-ers came out on Monday for the first day of full sunshine.

I had big plans for the day--an ambitious 10K walk from Spit Bridge to Manly. I thought I had prepared adequately, a baggie of cut up apple, a hat, my new "Walking Sydney" book (I left the Coastal Walks book at home...to my later regret).

I took a bus from our house to Spit Bridge, which is probably the easiest bus ride to anywhere you can take because you literally look out the window until you get to a bridge...and then you get off --> HURRAY!

Spit Bridge is nothing much to look at (it's actually pretty ugly):

The walk starts under the bridge in a little parkette. Almost immediately, you are plunged into a quiet rainforest, which is actually only 5 minutes from the busy roadway and about 500 feet away from private residences. It was so quiet and jungle-like-- I was in HEAVEN!

Like a lot of Sydney's harbour walks, there are bits of beaches and little bays full of boats all along the way...which is what harbours are all about I guess.

However, my favourite parts were always the jungle trails. I LOVE LOVE LOVE ROMPING THROUGH THE JUNGLE! It's not only a great workout (hopping stone to stone, avoiding puddles, leaping, etc.), but the air is densely green-smelling and refreshing.

YES THAT'S A WATERFALL OMG.

Some bright algae growth on the rock walls.

There are 2 detours along this route to go inland if tides are high enough to wash out the trail. My guidebook didn't tell me anything about this, but it is very easy to get back on the right track. Just follow the "MSW" signs - Manly Spit Walk. In fact, this is one of the BEST marked city trails I've been on (Ok, but I haven't really been on so many).

I took a little detour off the main route to Manly to see Grotto Point. My book didn't say very much about Grotto Point, except indicate a lighthouse at the very end of the walk. The map it provided was essentially useless, GPS on my phone was useless, so I was left to my own devices. Luckily, some kind hikers had hand-written "GROTTO PT" on one of the many blue guideposts.

I could definitely see why the government doesn't want you to go this way.

IT IS MUDDY, SLIPPERY, DOWNHILL AND VERY DIFFICULT AFTER THE RAIN. All I can say is that my shoes did NOT do well:

Plus, you can't actually explore the lighthouse area because of unstable cliff edges.

By the time I climbed back up to the main trail, I was REALLY hungry. I was only about 4km into this 10K walk, so I devoured my apple, drank some water and tried to ignore my stomach.

Luckily, there were the Grotto Point Engravings to entertain me. These are Aboriginal engravings into rock.

Fish?

Boomerangs!

After all that climbing, the trail finally leveled off. For all my hard, muddy work this view was an AMAZING reward:

However, I still had more than 5K to go, so I snapped a pic, tightened my muddy laces, and set off.

The bush trail eventually ended at a tiny secluded beach, where I emerged from the trees looking like a jungle queen and possibly scaring the little kiddies and their parents sun bathing. But then again, maybe these Australians are used to it, and that's why they just ignored me.

The trail continued as a paved walk-way all the way to Manly.

By the way, did you know that Manly beach is home to the Little Penguin?

I was RAVENOUS by the time I got to Manly. I ordered a mint-orange juice and a veggie pita sandwich. I was so hungry I devoured it within seconds. My feet were muddy and cold, so I boarded the first bus home and went headfirst into a hot shower. My feet stank SO BAD after 3 hours in wet and muddy shoes that I had to scrub my feet like 5 times to get the mud out.

All my walking books have called this walk one of the "best" urban walks in Sydney. In my humble opinion, YES YES YES YES YES! Most of the walk is in pure jungle, which is my absolute favourite, with short breaks into beach/residential areas. It is separated from the pollution of main roadways, and extremely popular with walkers, runners, hikers, families and tourists. It is clearly marked, well maintained, and easy to follow.

The only thing I would do differently is bring a snack, like a granola bar, and a change of socks for wet feet (or purchase some waterproof hiking boots, but those are $$$. Ain't nobody got time for that).

Go get your MSW hike on. It is AWESOME.

How I'm managing to (sort of) not run

Autumn in Sydney packs some serious beauty. The eucalyptus is starting to turn reddish, and the morning and nights are chilly, but midday is still sunny and gorgeous.

I successfully took a week off running to help my knee heal, and it seemed to help a lot. Combined with a lot of yoga, I felt pretty good by Tuesday, so I went for a short run.

I took it really, REALLY slow...

It felt so good to romp among the trees, along the water, and under the sun.

I was meaning to go for another (longer) run today, but my knee has been acting up again, so it will have to be postponed. Worse of all, it's GORGEOUS outside, and I have tons of energy. Maybe I'll do pushups until my arms fall off instead.

In other news, Steven's co-workers gave him some books for me to look at.

I haven't really studied the walks yet, but there are lots of popular ones that are in my "Sydney Harbour Walks" book, too.

I really want to do a long, 4-hour-ish walk, but it may have to wait until late May or June as I'll probably be busy with work.

Until then, I'll be closely monitoring my knee before I hit the pavement again.

Kangaroo hunting

Steven and I are staying at a private home here in Byron Bay. The host family has an apartment attached to their house with it's own entrance, kitchen and bathroom.

Not only is it AWESOMESAUCE, but the family is awesomesauce as well.

We chatted late afternoon yesterday about how Steven and I haven't ever seen a wallaby, roo, or really anything yet.

So the family offered to take us for a little drive into roo country (a big park, really).

"Is that a tree stump in the distance?"

"No, it's moving!"

"It's a kangaroo!"

They never let us got close enough to feed them or anything (after all, this wasn't a zoo. We literally walked around a park). This one here stood in the sunlight all James Bond-like staring at the Canadians approach.

They hopped away once we got too close. It was hilarious! But also marvelous! It's so cool that these animals HOP to get away from things that could possibly hurt them. WONDERFUL IDEA, EVOLUTION!

There it is! That's a roo!

After our Roo Sightings, we walked over to the local golf club and had dinner at The Deck, a nice little eatery.

It was curry night, so we both had a nice curry with rice, yoghurt sauce, crispy chip-like things, and NOT HOMEMADE NA'AN! Oh, sister, I miss you (and your GAH-mazing baking skills) so much.

I ordered chips with aoili (French Fries with flavoured mayo, for all you Canadians) on the side because I'm a Chip-a-holic and gosh-golly-gee these were AMAZING. Are the potatoes here yummier or something?! Mmmm!

Today, we did a big beautiful hike that I'll post about later! The photos are so amazing you'll have to hold onto your socks. Or maybe take them off completely. Or whatever you're into with socks. I accept you. Cool.

Piriformis pain in the A$$!

My right butt cheek is getting a lot of attention these days.

I woke up the other day with a pretty severe piriformis pain, coming up from my hip and into my lower back. While lying flat, I could feel the tension singing through my hip, like a bee buzzing in my ear.

IT'S ANNOYING! AND IT HURTS!

So I tried all the stretches I know for the piriformis, and nothing worked!

Then, at the yoga studio, I asked some crazy lady to put her knee in my bum. She put me on a foam roller instead.

And it was good.

It was very good.

The next day, I woke up with much less pain. Already it felt like it was getting better.

So, I tried to replicate it at home with a yoga block.

*grunt* *shuffle* *grunt* *shimmy* *grunt*

"AGGHHHH I GOT IT I FOUND IT I FOUUUNDDD ITT UUGGGHHH"

Two-Two got worried.


She decided that I needed a donut to make my piriformis feel better.

Take a good look at this bad boy. Because I ate two.

Two.

Two-Two wanted a romp before dinner, so she lead the way.

When we got home, I spent some more time digging the edge of my yoga block into my hip.

All this self-treatment is starting to create some weird bruises on my bum.

So, to make me feel better, the strawberry-jam-loving boy took me for Soon Tofu. If you've never had Soon Tofu, here's what it looks like.

Like all Korean food, it starts with appetizers.

Then, you get a steamy pot of melty tofu in a luscious soup filled with green veggies.

The rice comes in a stone pot (see below).

Then, your server pours water into the hot stone pot to make a rice porridge to consume after the tofu. I never finish this part.

I find it bland compared to the yumminess of the previous parts of the meal.

And now I'm eating cereal and watching home reno shows. And possibly definitely digging a yoga block into my hip.