Skip to main content

Manly Scenic Walkway Part 3: Grotto Point Lighthouse

Spit to Manly Walk is one of the most popular bush and coastal walks near Sydney. It is also known as Manly Scenic Walkway and is one of the most beautiful walks offering different views of the North and Middle Heads, passing by various kinds of beaches and parks. 

Grotto Point Lighthouse

Grotto Point Lighthouse is an optional destination along the Spit to Manly walk. As the Castle Rock Track ends, the track branches into three directions, the track going south is called the Lighthouse Track and it goes to the lighthouse. It is a moderately difficult track requiring to climb up and down small and big rocks. The bushes are also thicker here and the path is not as clear as the rest of the Manly to Spit Walk. I suggest following the GPS or maps on your phone closely to make sure you are on the right track.

Here is a closer look at the Lighthouse Track.


Rocks along the path

Bush that can scratch your arms and legs

While walking along this track, I heard a lot of things crawling through the bushes. I think they are eastern water dragons.

The lighthouse is quite small and can only be seen through the trees when already near. We thought we were going the wrong way for quite a while.

The lighthouse through the trees

The lighthouse is fenced but can be accessed from the right side.

Grotto Point Lighthouse from the back


Grotto Point Lighthouse 

This lookout offers amazing views of the water too.

View from the lighthouse

We then traced back our steps to get back to the main track. Where the Castle Rock Track ends is where the Grotto Point Track starts.

Here are the rest of our Spit to Manly Walk:
Here is a Google Maps of the track we took:



Here is a short video of this walk:


Here is a video of our walk from Spit Bridge to Dobroyd Head. My gopro ran out of space and I was not able to record the walk until Manly.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Concord Foreshore Trail

Concord Foreshore Trail is a 6km tree trail from Rhodes to Concord West. It passes through the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway, around Concord Repatriation General Hospital and around Yaralla House. This trail is one of the quietest tracks I have taken so far having seen only a few people along the trail. This can be relaxing but can also be a bit uncomfortable.  There is construction work at the hospital which forced me to go around residential streets to find the access back to the trail. Without this detour the trail would only be 5km. To get to the starting point of this trail I took the train to Rhodes. From the train station, cross the roads to Brays Bay Reserve. Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway Concord Foreshore Trail starts at Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway. It is a very well maintained concrete and wooden track. There are also audio guides playing along the walkway. Brays Bay Reserve At the end of this walkway, the trail loops around the Concord Repatriation General Hospital. Around
Post a Comment
Read more

Hermitage Foreshore Walk

Hermitage Foreshore Walk is a 2km coastal walk along Hermitage Reserve. I started the walk at the Bayview Hill Rd end of Hermitage Foreshore Walk. From the city, I took Bus 324 to "New South Head near Vaucluse" stop. After a short but steep downhill walk along Bayview Hill Rd, I was surprised to see the start of the track right beside a modern townhouse apartment! The whole track is clearly marked with signs and the pathway is mostly made of wood. There are several stairs made of stone on this track, but not too many. I passed by a lot of walkers and a few joggers. The track is part of Sydney Harbour National Park so dogs are not allowed. Most of the track has amazing views of the city skyline and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Queen's beach is a small sandy beach. I did not see anyone swimming here. Hermit Point seems to be a good spot for fishing and Hermit Beach is another small sandy beach. There are amazing views of the city skyline from here. It was still Spring but look at
1 comment
Read more

Centennial Park: Busbys Pond and Duck Pond Loop

Busbys Pond and Duck Pond loop is a 4km loop around Centennial Park.  It has asphalt pathway for walkers and joggers. Cars and bikes share the road around the park. Dogs are allowed on leash along the walking paths and allowed to roam on the grass. There are also dedicated paths for horses around the park.  I took the tram from the city to Moore Park. Buses also go here from the city. From the tram/bus stop, walk along Lang Rd to get to the start of the loop. It was raining on that day. I was wondering why it's called a duck pond, and lo and behold, there are ducks crossing the street! It's amusing to see cars waiting for the ducks to cross the road. There are nice views of water and greenery around the Centennial Park. I will surely be back when the weather is nicer here at Centennial Park. Here is a Google Maps of the track I took: Google Maps of Busbys Pond and Duck Pond Loop Here is a short video of a part of the loop:
Post a Comment
Read more