The weather made a complete turnaround, and Friday was beautiful.  A ferry ride from Circular Quay offered great views of the Harbour and deposited us at Manly Wharf on the other side.  We gawked enviously at the waterfront homes along the bay as we began the 9 kilometer Manly Scenic Walk.  We passed picturesque Fairlight and Forty Basket Beaches and on into the national park.  The pathway became more rugged and natural, and we enjoyed feeling like we were far from the city.  There were some lovely lookouts from Dobroyd Head, and we even tried to hunt for an elusive geocache near the abandoned 1930s sea shanties around Crater Cove.  Further along we passed Castle Rock Beach, the Grotto Point Lighthouse and some cool aboriginal rock carvings nearby.  The walk ends at the Spit Bridge, and we rested our feet on the bus back to Manly Wharf for our return ferry ride.

Later on, we met Donny’s friend Lee, her husband Ben and their son, Reece.  They live in a suburb southwest of the city, so we were able to see where the Olympics had been held, and get a glimpse of yet another face of the city.  We had a wonderful, tasty dinner in Parramatta, and got to meet the rest of the family briefly back at their house.  It was a true pleasure to meet these guys at last, and we really appreciated their hospitality!

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