Cabbage Tree Bay

If you walk along from Manly's long stretch of ocean-side surf and sand along the rocks, past the perfect rockpools and ocean swimming pool, you get to the clear waters of Cabbage Tree Bay. The sea floor is rockier than Manly's but that's what makes it so perfect for snorkelers and the kinds of critters snorkelers like to see on their underwater investigations. Little sharks like dusky whalers and wobbegongs are regulars in these waters along with gropers, batfish and personal favourite, stingray, but crabs and starfish and those anemones that retract their sticky tentacles after you poke them are all over the rocks if you don't feel like getting too wet. You're not allowed to remove anything from the water, this is a reserve, but that's why the life is so varied. There's a diving school and surfers, a kiosk and a posh restaurant, and it feels a long way away from Manly even though it's not.