After many months of procrastination, I’ve finally completed the Manly to Spit Bridge hike. I was looking forward to this one incredibly, but I’d been procrastinating on it because it’s a 3-4 hour hike…. EACH WAY. I originally wanted to do the full hike round trip, but ended up doing just one way. Here are the best tips I’ve picked up from this experience. 
Manly to Spit Bridge Hike
Pro tip 1: Start at Spit Bridge and go toward Manly. This way, you’ll start out all fueled up, hydrated, and ready. Spit Bridge is located on the highway, not really close to any restaurants or shops. I’d recommend starting there, so that you can end the hike at Manly beach and wharf, where you’ll have endless options for food, lots of beautiful beach, and plenty of places to regain your energy. 
I started at Manly, which is a beautiful beach that you may want to spend some time at. The walk is full of lookouts and wildlife at the beginning.
Pro tip 2: Bring plenty of water and definitely bring snacks. There are limited water refill stations (I spotted 2 in 4 hours) and you will definitely be hungry halfway in. We stopped a few times to catch our breath, hydrate, and make some friends. 
The walk is mostly forested trails, and some parts go through residential areas. Wear layers, bring a backpack, and don’t forget your camera because there are some insane views.
Look for the famous ocean pools that are scattered around the path (and throughout the beaches of Sydney).
If you forgot to bring snacks (like I did), and have a really low tolerance for having low blood sugar (like I do), stop off at the little cafe at Clontarf beach for some refreshments! There aren’t loads of options, so I ended up with fries and a bottle of orange juice. There is no photo of this because I had 0 patience and scarfed it down to regain energy asap. But here is a photo of the beautiful Clontarf beach:
The Manly to Spit Bridge walk was one of my favorites so far – but next time I’d make sure to be a bit more prepared with snacks.
Are you going to Sydney (or dreaming about it)? Check out some of my favorite vegan places to eat in Sydney, a guide to the working holiday visa in Australia, or some of my favorite hikes in Sydney!