Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP OF CHAPTER
Manly & St Helena Island
POP 4220
Just a few kilometres south of the mouth of the Brisbane River, seaside
Manly
has a busy
marina that makes a good base for trips out onto Moreton Bay. Bunched-up at the base of
a hillside, the town itself is an affluent, self-contained delight, with plenty of places to eat
(seafood rules) and sunny seaside lawns along the Esplanade.
Manly is also the gateway to little
St Helena Island
, about 6km from the Brisbane River
mouth. A grim high-security prison from 1867 till 1932, St Helena still has the remains of
several prison buildings, plus parts of Queensland's first tramway, built in 1884. The old
trams were pulled by horses, but these days a tractor drags the coaches along as part of the
island tour.
Sights & Activities
St Helena Island
( 1300 438 787;
www.sthelenaisland.com.au
; William Gunn Jetty, Wyvernleigh Cl, Manly; day tour adult/child/fam-
ily $74/42/189, night tour $95/50/250; 5hr day tours 9.15am Wed & 10am Sun, 3hr night tours 7pm Sat)
To visit
St Helena Island, take a trip from Manly Harbour on the Cat-O'-Nine-Tails boat. The five-
hour day tour includes a tramway ride and a 'dramatised tour' of the prison, complete
with floggings if you so desire. A spooky three-hour ghost tour departs on Saturday even-
ing.
RUIN, HISTORIC SITE
Jan Powers Farmers Market
(
www.janpowersfarmersmarkets.com.au
;
Esplanade, btwn Cambridge & Cardigan Pdes, Manly; 6am-noon 3rd Sat
of the month)
Get along to this great farmers market (an offshoot of the Brisbane market of
the same name), down by the shore at Manly. Expect loads of fresh produce, cakes,
breads, olive oil, seafood, meats, honey, jam…
MARKET
Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
(RQYS; 07-3396 8666;
www.rqys.com.au
;
578 Esplanade, Manly)
The estimable Royal Queensland
Yacht Squadron, south of the town centre, runs yacht races every Wednesday afternoon,
and many of the skippers are happy to take visitors on board for the ride (for free!). Sign
SAILING
