A walking tour of Wormhole, also known as Queenscliff Tunnel, Manly Tunnel or Freshwater Tunnel is a tunnel carved out through the cliff between Queenscliff Beach and Freshwater Beach.
The story goes that the tunnel was completed in the early 1900s, possibly by fishermen, to allow easy access between Freshwater Beach and Queenscliff Beach. The tunnel itself is approximately 20-30 meters in length and opens out to expansive ocean views at either end.
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From the Queenscliff ocean pool it is only a few minutes walk to the tunnel over the rocks. While the walk over the rocks is not overly difficult, you will need to take your time. Small children can come along for this part of the journey too, you will just need to help them up and down the larger rocks. As you approach the end of the rock ledge the tunnel suddenly becomes apart, it is so well hidden from the view of the majority of the beach and pool area.
After making your way through the tunnel and witnessing views of the ocean open up in front of you, you will notice large fallen boulders block the remainder of the path to Freshwater Beach. Of course these boulders being here was not always the case, originally the path was clear, but this is what happens when you have erosion and rock fall over the period of almost 100 years. It is still possible to climb over these and complete the journey to Freshwater Beach, however these boulders are quite significant, so anyone with even slightly impaired mobility is going to really struggle to make it along this section.
Wormhole – Other Adventures Nearby
Make a full day adventure by linking this walk up with others walks at the Manly end. As an example you could first go along the absolutely epic Spit Bridge to Manly Coastal Walk and also take in the Secret Huts of Crater Cove along the way. After finishing the Spit to Manly walk at the Manly Ferry area you could have lunch by the water at Manly Beach and then stroll along Manly Beach until it turns into Queenscliff Beach and check out the Wormhole. A big day, but one that you will truly remember.
Wormhole – Getting There
Queenscliff Beach is the most northern part of the stretch of sand of Manly Beach, making this an easy area to access via public transport. If you are bringing a car then there are plenty of paid parking options around the Queenscliff Surf Club and beachfront area. Free street parking is also available a short distance away, but like any beach suburb, the availability of free parking can be extremely limited at times, particularly in the summer peak months and sunny weekends.
View our big list of walks, to check out our other adventure options.
Gear used:
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- Awesome value camera mount kits: https://amzn.to/2LFJF34
