No visit to Australia is completed without a stopover in Manly/Sydney…at least for me.
This time we were not lucky with the weather – it rained every day apart from the day we had booked (almost 5months before) a dive.
Shore Dive @ Manly Beach
The Shore Dive was at Shelly beach, the day was sunny, and the visibility was pretty good. To be honest with you we were really surprised of what you can see close to shore. Please be aware that if you happen in Sydney during summer you should book the dive far ahead. We happened to be in Sydney during winter and therefore during the low season. If you happen to stay a bit longer and you are a diver I do recommend checking the website or stopping by because the Dive center does organize very interesting Diving Holidays such as the Montague Island Narooma where you can dive with sealions, the Minke whale expedition, the South West Rock Sharks where you can see grey nurse sharks and more.
Surfing @ Manly Beach
I had so many plans on what to do but as said before the days were rainy and cloudy and therefore I decided to postpone everything to the next time I will be in Manly.
To be honest with you we could have done at least one thing we planned: surfing. I am not really keen to get wet on a cloudy day despite you do get wet anyway while surfing…maybe I am a bit strange but anyway it was a bit cold as well and therefore we preferred to avoid it. If you wish to try to surf, there is a surf school located in Manly – if you already can surf and you just need to hire the equipment you will find many shops that rent everything you need for it.
Having already spoken about the sightseeing of Sydney and surroundings on my “10 Days Down Under” article this time I would like to talk a bit of some dining places we went to.
Dining in Sydney & Manly
These dining places were all chosen (apart from the one in Manly beach which I choose) by my boyfriend who to be honest with you had a way too long list for such a short time.
The Rocks Café
My boyfriend wanted to try croc burgers and kangaroo burgers therefore we opted for The Rocks Café which obviously is at The Rocks and therefore close to Circular Quay, Sydney Harbor and the Opera House which is a perfect place to stop by while wondering around this beautiful area of Sydney. We had a croc burger and a kangaroo burger that we shared. What I personally appreciated a lot was that both meats were grilled and that even though there were loads of other things in the burger you got a good taste of both meats. Obviously, the burgers come along with the fries and even though some people say that the portions are a bit small I reckon it was enough. Please be aware that there is a surcharge on weekends and public holiday which by the way is also mentioned on the menu. Another thing I have read is that some people complained about the bill – during all my trips to Sydney I haven´t been dining out a lot therefore I can´t really compare. Anyway, we liked it and I reckon that it is worth a visit.
Bare grill on Bourke
The second place he had chosen was Bare grill on Bourke. The place itself in my opinion is nothing special but the burgers…they have a huge variety of burgers which can all be topped with raclette. With 19 burgers in the menu I reckon that everybody will be able to find something to eat. Beside the burgers you can find 8 sides, (which vary from fries, jalapeno poppers, wedges, croquettes and much more) smoked ribs, fried chicken wings, salads, steaks and souvlaki. Please have a look at the size of the burger my boyfriend went for and the raclette….
Manly Grill Seafood and Steakhouse
I had chosen the Manly Grill Seafood and Steakhouse which lies in the beachfront of Manly and close to the Corso. Here you can either decide to dine outside or inside. We opted for the grilled kangaroo fillet served medium rare (medium rare is a must because being without fat the meat can easily become dry and tough if overcooked and very chewy if undercooked) and the croc & roo which consists in grilled kangaroo fillet topped with crocodile tail fillets. We personally enjoyed both dishes. Please be aware that there is a surcharge on Sundays and public holidays
As said at the beginning of this article the list of dining places was very long but unfortunately time flies – we will update you on our next stopover.
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