What we’re about
Howdy. MJ here. I'm a Chicago fella now +21yrs in Sydneytown living in the CBD (Central Business District)... NOBODY knows Sydney better than I do, cause she's my girl / my lover... Cool bars. Amazing hikes. Great places to eat. Yup. I know it and love it all.
Let's share it together... Perhaps your style is:
*I like long walks on the beach... "*NO. That's so cliche on Bumble."
*I want to hike 30kms on rugged terrain... "*Nah. Too much."
*I want to do a pub crawl... "*F that. I'm too old."
Or?
"I fancy time in Mother Nature exploring beautiful hikes / walks in Sydney while meeting cool people. I want to check out some new bars and hydrate myself with a wine, beer or cocktail at the finale."
If the final statement suits your style??? Welcome to the group. Let's have some fun.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Manly to Balmoral Beach. 40Max. Hike SYD HARBOUR v5 + Drinks, Lunch @ The Buena!Manly Wharf, Manly
The “Spit to Manly Hike” is… So. Damn. Beautiful. And? We’re adding Chinaman’s Beach - one of the sleeper Sydney beaches, and perhaps it’s the best. Let’s do it all and finish at Balmoral Beach to hydrate.
[DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR OUR "Hike to a Sydney Harbour Yacht Event!!!!" You can do that HERE]
Here we go with:
a) SATURDAY: Hiking All of Sydney Harbour v4, WATSON’S BAY TO COOGEE BEACH, 16KMS. Sign up HERE.
B) SUNDAY: v5: Manly Beach to Balmoral Beach with Chinaman’s Beach along the way…. a beach you must visit.HIKING SYDNEY HARBOUR.
If you're following along, our "Hike ALL of Sydney Harbour Series” is:
Hike 1, Dee Why Beach to Manly Wharf 16kms (21 June, sign up HERE)
Hike 2, Manly Wharf to Balmoral Beach 13kms
Hike 3, Balmoral Beach to Sydney CBD 15kms
Hike 4, Sydney Opera House to Watson's Bay 17kms (Done)
Hike 5, Watson's Bay to Coogee Beach 16kms (sign up HERE)
Hike 6, Cronulla Beach to Captain Cook's Landing Spot 14kms (Done)TODAY’S HIKE.
Manly Wharf to Spit Bridge. So much to see… West Manly Cove Beach, Manly Pavilion, Forty Baskets Beach, Reef Beach which spills into a diverse bush walk in National Park. Harbour views. Secluded Beaches. Wildlife. Mansions on the water to Clontarf and Spit Bridge. Crossing Spit Bridge we’ll enjoy a solid rest at Chinaman’s Beach – you’re in for a real treat. After Chinaman’s, we’ll neighbourhood / bush walk down to Balmoral Beach – another delightful Sydney spot.THE TRANSPORT.
a) 920am Manly Fast Ferry leaves Circular Quay from Wharf 2. But check the boards just in case. It arrives 940am, and we’ll head off from Hugo’s Manly (great restaurant / they will be closed / good place to meet) there at 945am.
b) From Balmoral Beach it's a 5min bus ride up to The Buena - a superb Mosman pub with great rooftop seating. 2pm Reservation made for 40!THE OTHER STUFF.
a) Don’t be late. We leave on time / 5mins after. Or consult the map and catch up!
b) The cost. The hike is $10. Cash or PayID.
c) Honour your RSVP. No shows… well, not on at all. It's anti-social. You’ll be nudged out of the group.
d) Fitness matters. There will be ups. Downs. 19kms. Nothing super technical / challenging, so our pace should be pretty good.
e) I put my credit card down for a reservation… The Buena in Mosman is lovely.
f) Bring mates, dates, etc...See you for a beautiful hike, beers, and laughs. MJ
- 10kms Hike / Wildlife Photo of Year / Fish Mkts / Sydney's Best Burger / Drinks!Customs House, Sydney
Let's get some culture into ya (and me), shall we? WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR is on!!!
And let's add what we do best: Hike. Drink... and destroy Sydney's Best American Smash Burger from "Eat at Rob's" in Rozelle. Shall we then carry on to one of Balmain's great pubs? The London? Dick's? Dry Dock? Perhaps. Here we go:
THE HIKE.
Glorious Sydney Harbour. We meet at the steps of Customs House, an architectural gem. And you know where we go from there - Circular Quay, The Rocks, and perfect views of Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge. Around Walsh Bay and Pier 1, a beautiful hotel... to the other wharves, Barangaroo Headland, then past uniquely designed Crown Sydney. We'll pass King St Wharf's bars / restaurants, then head over Pyrmont Bridge for a 955am arrival (10am opening) 1hr break to check out the Wildlife Photography of the Year - I LOOOOVE this exhibit - 100 images taken from 60,000 entries and 117 countries. Make sure to buy your tickets HERE (just get the $25 "EXHIBITIONS ONLY" pass). If you're not keen on the exhibition, please join us for the hike starting at 11am at National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour.100 photos, 1 hour of viewing. From there we'll head down lovely Pyrmont through Sydney Fish Markets then passing the new Sydney Fish Markets (very cool architecture) then around Blackwattle Bay - it's a lovely walk. The water. The dogs. The parkland. Post-Bay, we head into quaint Rozelle for drinks / late-lunch at the Sackville Hotel - a great pub. Let's find a spot to park there. Feel free to eat, or walk 50metres (I will) to Eat at Rob's. Not only is this one of the best USA smash burgers in Sydney it's also one of the cheapest.
NOTE: IF WE GET 25 OR MORE HIKERS. PAY CASH. I'LL DO A LOTTO AND TREAT SOMEBODY'S SINGLE CHEESEBURGER.
From there? Who knows. Balmain is arguably the best neighbourhood / winter pub spot in Sydney, so we might carry on if the energy of the day calls for it...
Join me as I tick off my "I really should get to a museum once a year" box! What a great day of calories out / calories in. Culture. And our amazing Sydney Harbour and pubs!!!
THE DETAILS.
a) Please honour your RSVP. Don't be late. We leave at 9:05am sharp.
b) $10 Cash (if you want in burger lotto) or PayID (no burger lotto) for the hike.
c) 10kms flat walk. Let's move at a pretty good pace for some exericse while chatting / enjoying some laughs.
d) Drinks / food optional. Order whatever you fancy on the day.
e) Transport. Everybody knows Circular Quay to start. In Balmain there are heaps of buses to Town Hall, or there are ferry options to Barangaroo / CQuay / Western route.
f) Rain or shine. We've been soooo lucky with great weather - this is an event where it doesn't matter. Fun no matter what Mother Nature throws at us.
g) Bring mates, dates, etc...See you soon. MJ
- Sydney's Best Sunday Roast! 8kms Hike: Centennial & A Secret Park / Surry Hills!Edgecliff Train Station, Sydney
This is the perfect Sunday Session for a CHRISTMAS IN JULY Roast. Forrester's Hotel in Surry Hills is the perfect pub, and according to Time Out Magazine their "Winter Yorkie" is a perfect (one of the best) Sunday meals.
[DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR OUR "Hike to a Sydney Harbour Yacht Event!!!!" You can do that HERE]
THE HIKE (30 MAX Hikers).
We meet just past the gates by the magazine stand at Edgecliff Station, then out the ass end of the station down this cool stairwell towards ... it's a lovely walk / secret trail to this hidden park in Paddington you've probably never seen (Trumper Park). We'll have a 5min rest stop by the lake (I took one of my favourite pics of Giuseppe Labrador there - R.I.P. to my best pal). It's such a peaceful spot. I used to break COVID rules and have tinder dates back there too!From there we'll exit into Woollhara, one of the prettiest suburbs in Sydney... window shopping all the antique / fashion shops / Simon Johnson's amazing cheese shop. Queen Street is something to see. After crossing Oxford St, we'll walk a loop of Centennial Park - a quiet, beautiful part of Sydney. We'll see horse riding, dogs, folks exercising, picnics, and more... if you've never been, this is a must see.
Not far away, we'll move into Slurry Surry Hills... up the coolest street filled with restaurants and cafes: Crown Street. Once we hit the centre of Surry Hills, we make a left on Foveaux Street, and bang - Forrester's Hotel is right there for Noon Sunday Session Start. It really is the perfect neighbourhood pub for a winter meal.
I'm getting a beer, and I'm ordering "The Winter Yorkie" (pic), but of course - order what you fancy!
THE OTHER STUFF.
a) Don’t be late.
b) The cost. The hike is $10. Cash or PayID.
c) Honour Your RSVP. No shows when I put my credit card down for a lunch reservation? You’ll be nudged out of the group.
d) Fitness. 8.5kms hike. Nothing super technical / challenging so be able to walk at a 4-4.5kms per hour pace.
e) Transport. Edgecliff Station (easy), and Forrester's is close to Central Station.This is a really cool mix of secret (and known) parks, lux (and slick / hip) neighbourhoods, and of course a delicious Sunday meal!
See you then. MJ
