This time eight of us went to Manly. Not the usual 9km stroll from The Spit, nor the 11km ferry ride from Circular Quay, but the long way round. We started in North Turramurra, walking the Darri Track to St Ives, then across into the Garigal National Park, and down alongside Middle Harbour Creek.
After lunch at Davidson Park we went under Roseville Bridge, paused briefly on Flat Rock Beach, made our laborious way around Bantry Bay, sat on the very thin rock sliver that is Natural Bridge, went up and down a few hills, and stopped again for a water refill break at Seaforth Oval. By now the short breaks were becoming more frequent, the blister-prone among us were developing their usual blisters, and those with mutinous tendencies were starting their mutinous mutterings.
Nobody had to be flogged or shot in the end though, and we proudly marched past the Spit, along the beach at Clontarf, and into the streets of Manly - all pretty well before the dark set in. Our precautionary head torches had not been needed for once. We'd done the course in under 13 hours. Our junk food splurges before leaping aboard the Manly ferry were well deserved.
We'll do it all again next year.
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