A family & Foodies Guide to the Northern Beaches - Sydney
Note: this post was originally created in June 2021 during the height of a third Sydney Covid lockdown. We have since adapted some parts of this guide to be useful now that life is back to normal.
We are spoilt for choice here on the Sydney Northern Beaches with gorgeous beaches, parks, walking trails, playgrounds so if the weather is right there’s no excuse to stay indoors.
Here’s some ideas of things to do outdoors on the beaches
Forty Baskets Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Visit your local playground and try some new ones!
The Sydney Northern Beaches has over 250 playgrounds so you are bound to find new ones near you!
Our favourite playgrounds to name a few:
Collaroy Beach - Large playground with lots to do, café and beach nearby. Our review & pics here.
Collaroy Beach Playground - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Collaroy Beach Playground - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Michaela Howie Dee Why - Small playground does the trick with beach and food places nearby with our favourite An Viet Dee Why, kids love Pho Beef Soup! Our review & pics here.
Michaela Howie Playground - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Manly Lagoon Reserve - Great little bike & scooter trail and beach nearby, perfect for a picnic or a snack if allowed. Our review & pics here.
Manly Lagoon Reserve Playground - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Manly Lagoon Reserve - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
North Harbour Reserve - Great playground with small scooter track, large reserve for ball play, café nearby and nearby walks. Our review & pics here.
North Harbour Reserve Playground - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Tania Park Balgowlah Heights - Great playground with nearby reserve to run around. Our review & pics here.
Tania Park Balgowlah Heights Playground - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
For more reviews & pics of playgrounds, head to our dedicated page.
Go on scenic walks
Clontarf, Castle Rock to Tania Park Walk - Start at Clontarf Reserve, make your way along the beach when the tide is out up the stairs and through to Castle Rock, up Balgowlah Heights to Tania Park and back.
Clontarf end with track access nearby - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Trail near Castle Rock Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Castle Rock Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Fairlight to Manly Walk - An easy and enjoyable walk and pooches can tag along too. Start around Balgowlah and walk along passing a number of little beaches like Delwood Beach, Fairlight Beach and finish up at Manly Cove Beach. So many gorgeous spots.
Dirty Haul Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Fairlight Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Delwood Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Fairlight Walk - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Manly Cove Beach Area - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Long Reef Coastal Walk
Park at Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club and start the trail all the way around Long Reef Golf Course and then walk back on Long Reef Beach back to the surf club. A gorgeous spot with sculptures along the walk, tessellated tiles near the cliffs and kids will love making rock piles on the beach too. Try to go at low tide so there’s more sand to walk on and be mindful as the tessellated tiles can be slippery at times. Our review & pics here.
Long Reef Walk around Long Reef Golf Course - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Long Reef Tessellated Tiles close to cliff - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Long Reef Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
North Balgowlah to Manly Dam Walk - Start at North Balgowlah and walk all the way to Manly Damn and back. A great scenic route along the bush, see water dragons, wildlife and waterfalls.
North Balgowlah start of the walk - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Waterfall near Manly Dam - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Manly Dam - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
North Harbour Reserve, Forty Baskets up to Tania Park Walk - Start at North Harbour Reserve or park at Forty Baskets, follow the beach and the little track next to the water along the bush and be prepared for lots of steps up to the lookout and finish up at Tania Park oval and playground.
Forty Baskets Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Forty Baskets Beach start of the walk - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Queenscliff to Shelly Beach Walk - Start at Queenscliff Beach, North Steyne, South Steyne towards Shelly Beach which is always a favourite and nice to see the Fairy Bower Pool on the way too.
Queenscliff Beach end - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Manly Beach close to Shelly Beach end - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Fairy Bower Pool
Tire the kids along the Narrabeen Lagoon Walk - This long walk is a bit much for little ones’ legs but with some snacks & playgrounds stop-overs it is possible. This walk includes three playgrounds Wheeler Park, Berry Reserve and Bilarong Reserve and places for a coffee or juice along the way. Take the scooters, bikes, prams or walk/run after the kids like we tend to do!
Berry Reserve Playground with nearby Tramshed Café - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Track before Bilarong Reserve. You can use your scooter on most tracks except for the bush tracks - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Bilarong Reserve Playgrounds - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Narrabeen Lagoon Walk - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Take our little scooter trail around North Curl Curl
Grab the scooters, start at John Fisher Park and make your way to North Curl Curl beach and make your way back to Curl Curl Community Centre’s skateboard & scooter park, netball courts and back.
Harbord Road end, start of John Fisher Park - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
North Curl Curl Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Curl Curl Community Centre Skateboard Ramp - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Walk barefoot on the beach
Ok so the water is freezing but you can still walk along the beach, look at the horizon, build sandcastles, draw lines in the sand, let the kids run, discover, walk barefoot on the sand to build their muscles and breathe that fresh sea air. And if you’re lucky you’ll find sea slugs at Fairlight Beach like we did today!
Our favourite beaches to walk along:
Dee Why to Long Reef
Dee Why Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Fairlight
Fairlight Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Freshwater
Freshwater Beach - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
South Curl Curl to North Curl Curl
South Curl Curl Beach end - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Grab a footy, soccer ball and head to an oval or sports field
Passmore Reserve in Manly Vale is a great spot, it has a large oval which is great for a run around, kick a footy as well as a nice trail around which is ideal for a scoot, bike ride or walk and there’s a great playground there too!
Other great reserves are Harbour Reserve and Tania Park Reserve.
Passmore Reserve Manly Vale - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Passmore Reserve Manly Vale Playground - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
Teach your little ones how to ride their bike
We like heading to local Manly West School but there are other schools which are open with fake grass to scoot, ride on and play at. Another area which is great for learning how to ride a bike is the Netball courts in Curl Curl area used by many families to master skateboarding, rollerskating etc.
Manly West Public School - Photo Credit: @busycitykids
We hope you enjoyed this guide as much as we enjoyed making it x
For more reviews and ideas, head to our blog.
And if you need some ideas for keeping the kids busy at home instead, head to our Top ideas to keep the kids busy at home blog post.