Where to Go - Mainland : Manly
With their bayside location and mix of cafés, galleries and places to stay, Wynnum and Manly are popular destinations for day trippers from Brisbane.
Manly Harbour is Brisbane's boating mecca, and home to 1,500 craft and five yacht and boat clubs including the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. The Harbour's nautical atmosphere is mirrored in the adjacent village precinct, where many of the original buildings have been restored and blended with current styles. Manly has long been a favourite Bayside area for Brisbane locals and the character of its early streetscape has been revived with an interesting mix of craft shops, an art gallery, coffee houses, restaurants, eateries and accommodation.
The foreshore parklands along the Esplanade stretch for over five kilometres and are a great place to stop for a picnic. The parklands have a pedestrian footpath, cycling track, wading pool, play equipment, picnic areas and barbeque facilities. The Manly Markets are held along the foreshore parkland every Sunday, and are a perfect way to spend a day.
There are plenty of places to spend the night in the Wynnum/Manly area, from budget backpacker-style accommodation to motels, self-contained units and rental properties. The bayside suburbs of Wynnum and Manly are the perfect starting point to explore Moreton Bay - whether you want to visit one of the islands or simply wish to spend the day relaxing on deck, there is every opportunity to get out on the water with a number of tours operating from out of Manly.
Manly is the gateway to historic St Helena Island, formerly Queensland's first prison settlement, and now declared a National Park, it is a haven for nearly 100 different species of sea-birds. As a former colonial prison, the island has a fascinating past and is rich in historic ruins. The best way to see the island is to jump aboard a dramatised day or night cruise, departing Manly regularly for St Helena Island. The tour includes an atmospheric re-enactment of convict life on the island, a train ride through the national park and a tour of the ruins. Redlands Tourism can check availability, arrange and book your tour for you, please call (07) 3821 0057 or go to the bookings page..
Another way to get out on the water is to spend a day on board a variety of racing and cruising yachts available, or if you are looking for an environmental alternative, Manly's wetlands and foreshores are internationally recognised as home to over 43 species of wading birds including the Eastern Curlew. Mangroves grow in many areas on the fringes of Moreton Bay, helping to stabilise the coastline. For historical sites of interest in Wynnum and Manly, see the History and heritage section.