Great surf, and more room on the sand

Talk of the town: There's a huge rivalry between eastern and northern beaches folk. Pick a side.

Word to the wise: Every northern Sydney beach has an ocean pool for lap swimming, though the one at Queenscliff (North Manly) is a little on the small side.

Perched on a peninsula 13 kms north of the Harbour Bridge, Manly is the party hub of Sydney's northern beaches. Like Bondi, Manly Beach, which is easily accessible via a scenic ferry trip from Circular Quay, can get pretty busy at weekends, but it's a beautiful spot, with adjoining Shelly Beach providing respite from northerly summer winds.

Those who prefer a quieter scene (and great surf) would be wise to hop north to Freshwater, Curl Curl, Dee Why, Narrabeen, Warriewood and Avalon. At Sydney's most northern tip (a 90-minute drive from the CBD) lies Palm Beach, a glorious stretch of sand housing some of Sydney's most exclusive real estate. Parking is generally easier on the northern beaches, and there's less of a "scene" - while you'll see posing muscle men and highly-primped women on the eastern beaches, they'd be out of place here.

Buses to the northern beaches leave from Wynyard; ferries from Circular Quay.