A sheltered strip of bay foreshore between the rock walls, at the quiet end of the Manly boat harbour, where dogs swim in flat water with the Moreton Bay islands on the horizon. It is the pick of the three council foreshore sites for a dog that actually wants to get wet, because the entry is gradual and the water stays calm even when the bay is choppy.
📅 Open all year. The bay is warm enough for swimming from about October to May; in winter the water drops but the walking is at its best, with dry, mild days and no humidity.
Rules: Off-leash only inside the marked area between the rock walls at the end of Davenport Drive, with the lead back on for the rest of the esplanade and the harbour. Watch the tide: at low water the swimming turns to mudflat, and the exposed flats are shorebird feeding grounds, so keep the dog moving and out of roosting flocks.
