Manly
Very much my favourite place. I came here almost every day, a spectacular ferry ride from Circular Quay (Coat-hanger bridge & Opera House) and then the short walk up the "Corso" - the causeway connecting the ferry port inside the harbour with the actual resort on the ocean - to this fantastic beach.
I also watched a game of 1st Grade cricket at the well-appointed Manly Oval, just off the Corso.
Manly is the most southerly of the northern beaches, ignoring the small and secluded Shelly Beach, where the sand is indeed shelly, and a bit tough on the feet. [Manly was so-named because the early settlers thought the native Australians in the area looked fierce and manly,]
Original public domain image from Flickr