October 7, 2007


Bondi – Coogee Coastal Adventure

I believe that the best way to see and experience a city is to take your time and walk as many places as you can. Sydney’s gorgeous harbour location, perfect weather, and unpredictable layout make it a fabulous city for walking. One of Sydney’s most stunning and famous walks is the coastal stroll from North Bondi to Coogee. You’ll pass soft-sanded beaches with plenty of swimming opportunities, witness inspiring panoramic views and have loads of chances to stop for coffee or fresh juice.

Bondi is Australia’s most famous beach and is well known for its great sand and its surf. It is a modern and trendy coastal resort. Bondi has a number of cafes and restaurants which look out over the beach and makes a great place to stay and visit. The beach is backed by attractive parkland, where you can relax, play games or take a walk. It is also a popular place amongst rollerbladers, skaters and cyclists. There is a fantastic promenade backing the beach, which continues along the coast, around the headland.



The world famous Bondi Beach



Art exhibit at Bondi. Looks like Guantanamo



Looking north towards Bondi


At the southern headland there is a fabulous coastal walk which takes you past a number of smaller coves until you reach Coogee, which is well worth it. The views are fantastic and is relaxing and very enjoyable. If the walk becomes too strenuous one can rest or swim at one of the many beaches and baths along the way. Heading south from Bondi, the first beach you will happen upon is Tamarama Beach.

Looking south towards Tamarama and Bronte

Tamarama Beach is a small beach between two prominent headlands, with a sand filled valley to the back, surrounded by pleasant parkland and picnic areas. Tamarama is an extremely narrow beach and deceptive for its size. Tamarama Beach is often referred to as Glamarama (or Glamourama), owing to the alleged abundance of glamorous people who sunbathe, on what must be one of the smallest strips of sand in the state. Tamarama Surf Club is located on the northern side, perched up on the headland where it overlooks the entire beach.

Tamarama Beach

Because of its deep water, small size and easterly aspect, Tamarama is dangerous for most swimmers even in a moderate ocean swell. When swimming at Tamarama beach the directions of the surf life savers should not be ignored. Tamarama is considered the most dangerous patrolled beach in New South Wales, with more rescues per thousand bathers than any other of Sydney's beaches, by the Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club.

Lifesaver watching over the surfers

A small swell can produce rip currents of up to 2 metres a second (which is about the speed of the current 50m men's world record). One or two rip currents are always present, making the entire surf zone virtually all rip. When the swell really rolls in, an offshore rock shelf shapes a stunning 12 to 15 foot wave that draws committed board-riders, photographers and onlookers, taking in the grand spectacle from the cliffs above.

Surfers at Tamarama

Below Tamarama you’ll find family friendly Bronte and its pretty bowl-shaped park with picnic tables, bargeque pits and pleasant swimming pool. Lively cafes provide plenty of hustle and bustle with a casual atmoshpere.

Looking north towards Bronte and Tamarama

Bronte Beach and seaside bath

Proceeding south from Bronte you will come across the Waverly Cemetery on your way to Clovelly. Waverly Cemetery was established in 1877 is one of Australia's best known cemetries due to its picturesque location along the coastline cliffs.

Waverly Cemetery

Waverly Cemetery

Waverly Cemetery

Adjacent to the Waverly Cemetery is the Clovelly Bowling Club. Looks fun.

Bowling club

Continuing to the south you will come upon Clovelly. The shallow protected lagoon of Clovelly is a small haven for families. Swimming is excellent, both from the beach and in the waterside pool and there’s a large concrete area for sun worshipping. Cafes offer refreshments, and offshore waters host an abundance of marine life that attracts both snorkellers and divers.

Clovelly Beach

At the end of the walk you will find Coogee. Coogee Beach is relatively protected through its formation as a bay. The surrounding coastline is mostly cliffs, decreasing in height down to the beach in the western part of the bay. The bay is sheltered from the roughest seas by Wedding Cake Island, a rocky reef about 800m off the southern headland. There is an annual swimming event around the island each November.

In larger surf, there are often rip currents at both the northern end and at the southern ends, and also quite frequently in the centre of the beach. These are simply the places where the incoming water escapes most naturally. It is claimed by some locals that the rip in the centre of the beach is partly caused by the remaining foundations of the old entertainment pier.
At the northern end of the beach are stairs leading from Dolphin Point down to the old Giles baths. This is now an open rock pool carved out of the surrounding rocks. A short walk further to the north is Gordons Bay, which is a popular location for snorkeling. At the southern end is the Ross Jones Memorial Pool just below the Coogee Surf Life Saving Club. Also at the southern end are two small reefs the inner and the outer. Further south is a coastal walk that goes past the women's baths and Wylies baths.

All along there are many scenic lookouts where you can pause for a picture and take in the scenery. All of the following pictures were taken along the walk at various lookouts.