On a weekend away that was otherwise designated to eating and drinking, I was extremely excited to walk the Bondi to Coogee trail. Approximately 6 km long and estimated to take about 2 – 3 hours (depending on the length of stops made) we went prepared. Although it probably doesn’t matter which direction you do it in, it seemed easier logistically to catch the bus/train to Bondi Junction and then a further bus onto Bondi Beach.
There are a few good brunching spots out in Bondi (we opted for Brown Sugar, but another option that is supposed to be good is Icebergs and if the day is warm you might opt for something cooler at Gelato Messina instead) which is a great way to energise before the walk. The beach is sprawling and had rolling blue waves with golden sand – I can see why the beach is packed during summer. (Despite being sunny, it was only spring when we were there and extremely windy – leaving the beach relatively deserted.)
The first leg is from Bondi to Tamarama. It’s only about 1.2 km and the first part is along the beach. Make sure you stop near Icebergs to appreciate the sensational panoramic view, and to take in the wonder that is Sydney’s very own world famous ocean-side pool. It was fascinating to watch people attempt to swim lengths; they’d succeed until a massive wave would come and throw everyone massively off course.
Next up is Tamarama to Bronte and then onto Clovelly. The track gets more and more rugged, and (thankfully) the people get more and more sparse. We were fortunate enough to be there at the same time as the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition; essentially a series of open air sculptures lining the walk way. There were some that seemed incredibly clever and others that felt entirely abstract and beyond any comprehendible meaning. We were actually lucky to see them when we did; massive winds and waves caused serious destruction the following week. The last leg of the walk is supposed to be a boardwalk, but other recent bad weather had caused it to be closed to the public. The current alternative route is through a very extensive graveyard, which had incredible panoramic views (making it a prime piece of real estate and therefore an interesting place for a graveyard!).
The current weather condition meant that the final leg from Covelly to Coogee was incredibly gnarly and exposed. The wind was blowing sea spray all over the path and creating some pretty monstrous waves. The wind strength probably didn’t help, but we were all feeling pretty tired by the end of it and were looking forward to climbing back onto the bus for the ride home.
If you are in Sydney for even just a few days I would definitely suggest you add this to your itinerary. It need only take half a day and Bondi beach is probably one of the most beautiful spots Sydney has to offer. All you need to remember is a pair of comfortable shoes, some sunblock (even through the wind we still managed to get burnt) and some money for transport and snacks. Have fun!