MSW and the talking toilet……..

Sydney Harbor from ferry

The ferry to Manly presented some new views of the harbor bridge and opera house, those two iconic images of Sydney.  The 30 minute ride to this Sydney suburb gave nice perspective of Sydney from the water; after all it is a port city.  Manly is a beach town on the Tasman Sea and has a long broad beach. In the summer it is filled with swimmers, but today there were only a few brave souls. While the air was pleasant to cool, I am sure the water was cold, although I did not test it. Still sitting on a bench, basking in the sunshine was a welcome respite after completing the 3 hour Manly Scenic Walk (MSW) from “The Spit” bridge back to the town of Manly. After some discussion with the tourist information center on hiking paths in the area, I took the local bus out to “The Spit” and walked the trail back to Manly. It was an excellent choice. For the most part, the MSW hugs the shoreline with occasional forays into the bush at Sydney Harbor National Park. The trail is pretty well marked with intermittent informative signs along the way. The MSW was breathtaking. At some points you walked down along the beach taking in the surf, sand and harbors, and at others you were high on the cliffs with magnificent vistas. The pure natural beauty is stunning.  Once again the day was gorgeous, full of sunshine and fresh air, although it did drizzle a little rain for a few minutes towards the end of my walk, it did not dampen my experience. It was a perfect ending to my time in Sydney.

Manly Beach

"Sandy Bay" on the MSW

Awesome View - MSW

There was one amusing episode along the MSW that made me chuckle. I love these unexpected surprises. Staying well hydrated usually means that at some point you have to use the bathroom. When nature called I stopped at one of the beaches to use the facilities. The sign read, “Push the button to use the toilet”, so I pushed it. The door slide open and a voice welcomed me to the automated toilet. It told me how to use the toilet. No, not the physical act, but how the facility itself functioned. It then informed that the door would automatically open in 10 minutes and proceeded to play some elevator-like muzak to make my visit more pleasant. It then cleans itself after you exit. I wish I had one of these at home.

Pissoir

The photo at right is not the automated toilet, but a "pissoir" in Sydney. It is an open air, cast iron urinal built in the 1880's. It still works!

Next stop Melbourne!

norb