Travel to Sydney

The Bondi to Coogee Walk extends for about 6-kilometers from Bondi South to Coogee in Sydneys eastern suburbs. It takes about 2-hours from Bondi to Coogee, that is just a steady pace walking, at a reasonable pace without too many stops. Most people, like to just draw that out a little bit. There are a stack of places that you can stop, places for a swim, for a coffee, for drinks, something to eat along the way, so if you prefer you can draw it out and take up to half a day or longer if you like.

I prefer to make the walk twice, say if you started at Bondi, walk all the way to Coogee, stop there for lunch or a quiet drink in one of the restaurants or cafes there, then turn around and walk back in the afternoon. This can make a very pleasant habit. The Bondi to Coogee Walk is very easygoing, and, you don not need too many intensive preparations. The walk is well sign posted, its pathways all the way, so you can not really get lost. There are plenty of places to stop for food and drink along the way. The going is pretty straightforward, there is some uphill and there is some downhill, but nothing too strenuous for your average person of reasonable fitness.

What are you likely to see if you travel the Bondi to Coogee Walk? Well, if you start at Bondi, you will walk past the Bondi Icebergs, and pass to the south up onto Mackenzies Point. This is a point that looks over to the North, so you can see North and South Bondi, to the south you can look all the way down to Maroubra Beach in the distance. There are some pretty spectacular views, and if you have a look around up there at Mackenzies Point, there are actually some old aboriginal carvings of a whale. It takes some looking around or asking around, but these are amongst the first Aboriginal carvings that were reported in Australia.

If you keep walking south and you enter a gradual downhill, and the very beach first that you will come down to is called Tamarama. This beach is also known as Glamarama because of the large abundance of movie stars and the rich and famous that like to hang around there. This is a very small beach, used mostly by locals, and the well to do. Tamarama has a little bit of surf there and at times it can be a little bit rough and dangerous. Tamarama is a patrolled beach in a nice spot.

If you keep walking south past Tamarama, you are up a gentle rise, over the crest and down into a beautiful beach called Bronte Beach. This is my favorite of the beaches that you will likely encounter on the Bondi to Coogee Walk. Bronte is a very picturesque beach. It is nowhere near as big as Bondi, but its got a very large grassed area immediately behind it on the promenade. It has a particularly large surf, but again, it is well patrolled and if you swim between the flags, you should not have too many problems. Bronte Beach has a large cafe strip as well, there are some great cafes up there along the southern side. It is a great spot to stop for breakfast or coffee, if you are that way inclined.

Once you finish through Bronte, you will keep walking south and you will notice only the side that the rock has been carved away to make way for the road. The walls are 15 to 20 feet high on either side. That is where the trams used to be back at the turn of the century. That rock was moved away so the tram line could run to Bronte Beach. Waverley Cemetery has got to be the cemetery on the most expensive real estate in Sydney. It is a really dramatic coastline, and the views are amazing, so just looking along the ocean you will see this very large cemetery over quite a few acres, on your right hand side. Waverley cemetery is home to a lot very famous Australian People like Henry Lawson, a famous Australian Poet, Victor Trumper, who played a fair bit of Cricket and was batsman of some renown, Lawrence Hargrave, Henry Kendall, and many others have found their final resting places at Waverley Cemetery.

Past Waverley Cemetery is Clovelly, which is a small but very sheltered beach. There is not much to surf there at all, so if you are into much more of a calm paddle then Clovelly is the spot to stop for you. Stop for a bit of swim there, there is also an ocean pool as well, where you can get in and have a look. After you cross the car park at Clovelly, you will walk up some reasonably steep stairs and from the top of the stairs, you walk down and into Gordons Bay. Gordons Bay is an interesting place. There is not really a spot for swimming, there is no beach, but it is a very popular snorkeling and scuba diving area.

There is an underwater nature trail, so if you like Scuba diving, Gordons Bay is actually a really good, convenient local spot in Sydney. You follow a chain around there, and it is a very good dive. The dive is fairly shallow and divers probably would not get much more than 12-meters in depth. This means from your average tank you will get around an hour on the bottom. Finally if you walk down to Gordons Bay and crest you will come down into Coogee and Coogee Beach. This is a great spot, which you will approach from the north, down into Coogee Beach. There are lots of cafes, lots of restaurants, lots of hotels, good places to stop for a beer, something to eat and everything else you could desire. From Coogee you can turn around and walk back if you like, or you can get a Bus 353 back to Bondi Beach. If you really want to do what the locals do, then get amongst the Coogee to Bondi Walk because it is a great walk and a great way to showcase some of the eastern beaches of Sydney.

Australians say that people tend to fall into one of either two camps, Melbourne or Sydney. The rivalry between the two cities is legendary, so much so that when it came to choosing a capital of Australia in 1908, the non-descript Canberra was chosen, slap bang in the middle, rather than pitting these two lovely places against one another. Melbournites think Sydney-siders are shallow and vain. Sydney-siders think Melbournites are a bit snobby and constantly dressing in black. But if you go on holiday to Sydney and take some time to suck in that glorious atmosphere, you’ll realize that its people are having way too much of a good time to bother themselves with petty rivalries and back-biting, but then this is coming from someone who’s passionate about Sydney and everything it has to offer. Here is my pick of the very best bits!

RESTAURANTS

Restaurants in Sydney operate on a whole new level. Fresh, enterprising and uplifting, the food is a real cultural mix, some say the best in the world due to the large number of gastronomically talented immigrants the city has welcomed over the years. People often talk of 'fusion' food in Sydney restaurants - a mix of Western and Asian cooking – an exciting way to eat. Lots of restaurants in Sydney serve delicious fresh seafood, and you can buy cheap sushi all over Sydney. If you are into fish then check out the Sydney Fish Markets, near Darling Harbour - you can pick out great seafood and they will cook it for you on the spot. If you’re feeling nostalgic, then head to Doyles for the tastiest imaginable fish and chips.

CAFES

Lots of the bookshops in Sydney have cafes – they were doing this long before we caught on to it in the UK. The lattes are unrivaled and everyone has a leisurely breakfast out on Sunday mornings. A popular snack is toasted banana bread drizzled in butter along with a coffee or a fresh fruit smoothie. All over Sydney there are many places serving tea and scones. Surprisingly this is called a 'Devonshire Tea’ and they tend to stop serving them at 4pm. For some great Italian cafes and culture try the suburb of Balmain, home to many famous drinking establishments.

WALKS

One of the bonuses of the location of this city – surrounding the beautiful Sydney Harbour – is that you can experience the most awe-inspiring views from many different standpoints, and the best way to do this is on foot. The views you will grow to love the most will probably include the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and, perhaps unexpectedly, the brightly lit skyscrapers which rise brazenly in a central cluster from Sydney city centre to form a dramatic backdrop to Sydney’s natural and man-made wonders. There is a great choice of sea walks including the Manly to Spit walk and Bronte to Bondi beach.

DAY TRIPS

If you’re up for a real adventure try the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb – a guided climb to 134 metres above Sydney Harbour at your chosen time of day. For a jungle experience take the 30-minute trip to the Australian bush at Kuringai National Park. A day trip to the spectacular Blue Mountains is also a favourite, with the Three Sisters - a famous sandstone rock formation - and some of the most beautiful scenery in Australia. Or for those with a penchant for good wine should visit the Hunter Valley, 2 hours north of Sydney for vineyard tours, wine tasting and cellar door sales.

MUSEUMS/ART

Although going inside to enjoy yourself on your Sydney holiday may seem unthinkable, heavy rain occurs occasionally and on these days the marvelous museums and art galleries of Sydney come into their own. Visit the dinosaurs at the Sydney Museum, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay, where, due to sponsorship, all the exhibitions are now free. Both galleries have great cafes and top quality restaurants. The National Maritime Museum and the Powerhouse Museum, near Darling Harbour will also provide a fascinating respite.

SHOPPING

Try Mosman in North Sydney for posh shopping, or alternatively the Queen Victoria Building in the city centre, which is full of little boutiques and cafes with an English style cafe at the very top. Oxford Street has the best strip of shops for alternative culture and evening cafes and is on the route for Sydney’s fabulous Mardi Gras parade, which takes place in March.

BEACHES

If you’re anything like most Sydney holiday makers you’ll be spending a lot of time on its heavenly beaches. Most of these have beach cafes known as ‘kiosks’. Make sure you try a few as they’re all very different. Bondi Beach is great for Aussie beach culture, and where the Brits tend to congregate. If you’re looking for a beach with personality then take the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, a super-trendy beach reminiscent of Venice Beach in Los Angeles. Both Manly and Bondi Beach are great for surfing, whilst Balmoral is a non-surf beach for the North Shore residents and expats, with safe, calm water for kids to paddle and an area for swimming surrounded by a board walk and shark net. Hire a surfboard and wet suit at Manly or Bondi Beach and you can even book a few surf lessons. The beautiful Northern Beaches are a set of beaches encompassing the stretch between Manly and Palm Beach. One of my favourites is the onomatopoeic Curl Curl Beach with its excellent surf.

KIDS

Two superb venues for childish fun are Luna Park, a theme park with an iconic giant clown face at the entrance, and the enormous Taronga Zoo, home to 2,600 animals. Taronga must be the zoo with the best view in the world, with vistas overlooking the whole of Sydney Harbour. You can get there by bus or ferry as it has its very own ferry stop. For another great kid’s day out take the monorail, bus, ferry or car to Darling Harbour - the area may seem a bit kitsch, but has one of the best aquariums in the world, a lovely spot for ‘Finding Nemo'! Children will also love Darling Harbour’s Imax Theatre for 3D films on the big screen. At the art gallery of New South Wales there are often kids classes, free tours and magic shows, especially on Sunday mornings.

LITTLE GEMS

A little electric train will take you on a mini-adventure through the exotic Sydney Botanic Gardens, and you can take in some high culture with opera and other concerts in the park. Next door the Sydney Opera House hosts classical music as well as some of pop’s big names. Lots of great buskers hang out around Circular Quay – good fun if you are waiting for a ferry. To try a real 1920's style cinema, check out the Cremorne Orpheum (after Orpheus), an old-style picture house on Military Road.

SPORT

Surfing and other water sports feel as natural as breathing in Sydney – many Sydney-siders even go for a sneaky surf in their lunch hour from work. Swimmers should visit the Olympic Park and take a dip at the North Sydney Olympic pool, or visit one of the Sydney Harbour baths or beaches, such as Red Leaf or Nielsen Park.Outside the water you can catch a game of rugby or Australian rules football at Telstra Stadium, and if you’re into road running why not try the City to Surf marathon, a 14k race which takes place in mid-August.

HOTELS

And finally, if you are visiting Sydney on holiday, there is no shortage of accommodation. From beach-side B&Bs and chic inner city guest houses to the finest 5-star hotels overlooking Sydney Harbour Bridge, there is a place for all tastes.

So there you are. If Sydney was any closer I expect we all would have fallen in love with the place and emigrated long ago. Once you do go on holiday to Sydney, either on its own, or as part of a longer holiday in Australia, you’ll be furious that nobody persuaded you to go there before. Well, there’s no excuse now – time to go ahead and book those flights!