Sydney, Australia - Bondi to Coogee Beach Walk - February 12

This is the end of a segment and the start of the next one. From Los Angeles to Sydney we have travelled 7,334 Nautical Miles.

This is our second trip to Australia and like last time we got permission to do another “over-land” trip. Last time we spent quite a bit of time in Sydney doing the Harbour Bridge Climb, Botanical gardens, Sydney Opera House, walking tour of the Rocks. Went to Featherdale Animal park and Blue Mountains, took a few ferries to get around and then flew to Ayers Rock where we rented a car and spent time visiting Ayers Rock and the Olgas. We did the Sounds of Silence dinner under the stars. (awesome!) Then we flew to Cairns to spend the night before the ship arrived in port where we got on and quickly dropped our things and went on a ship’s tour to the GBR. So, we did quite a few of the iconic things to see and do here on our first visit.

This time we did the Bondi to Coogee beach walk. From their website: “The walk covers about 6 bays and is stunning, sometimes along by rock pools and sometimes the path is up high, but at every corner there is another stunning view. There is the occasional cafe along the route and public toilets. The vegetation is lovely and there are seats along the route to take in the vistas.”

 sail in at sunrise

The ship docked as far away from the tourist area as it could be. They provided a free shuttle which got us a bit closer, but we still had quite a walk with our carryon luggage to get to the train to the airport. I got some photos of the Bridge and the Opera House and there were a lot of Chinese New Year floats still around.

 Sydney Opera House

 park

 at the transportation center

We made it and got more local cash from the ATM and took the train for the ride to the airport. We found the luggage storage place and dropped our bags and found the bus to take us to Bondi Beach. Actually, it took 2 buses to get there. It was a hot and sunny day! We grabbed some lunch and ate on a bench before heading off on the walk.

 waiting for our train

 another ship docked by the Harbour Bridge

 our train to the airport

 Lunch!

What a beautiful beach! It was a Sunday so it was crowded with locals and tourists alike. There are six different sections of the Bondi to Coogee walk. Each part offers a different experience and views.

The Bondi to Tamarama walk is the host to the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. Alas, it was not that time of year, but the scenery was still breathtaking.

 Bondi Icebergs to Tamarama Beach

 Hmmmmm......

 The path dropped to a concrete waterfront walking track between rock overhangs and waves and crosses a gully with sweeping views of North and South Bondi. The path sweeps around a cove and a small inlet called Mackenzies Bay to climb around the next headland to emerge near Tamarama SLSC clubhouse.

Tamarama to Bronte: The walk continued below the distinct building of the Tamarama Surf Club headquarters and we saw the semi circular shaped Tamarama Beach. The beach is enclosed by cliffs, and backed by Tamarama park which continues across the road into steep sided Tamarama Park.

We climbed the steps to the footpath to Tamarama Beach towards Bronte Beach which had great views of the Pacific Ocean. We watched surfers catching waves at McKenzies Point at Tamarama Beach on our way to Bronte.

The Bronte to Clovelly walk featured the Waverley Cemetery and a cliff top board walk. It’s one of the most scenic burial ground in the world. Talk about an eternal resting place with a view!

Bronte Beach and Bronte Park spread out ahead. We continued towards the southern end of the beach at Bronte rock pool and climbed up the steps and footpath to the parking area across the road from the Bronte Road cafe strip. We followed the walk up through a steep cutting until we reached Calga reserve. The cliffs above Bronte Beach offer great views.  

 Clovelly Bowling Club

Clovelly to Coogee: We saw the Clovelly Bowling Club and continued to walk along the coast on top of the cliffs. The Bondi to Coogee walk led to Clovelly Beach at the mouth of a narrow bay between two rocky ridges. We saw  Gordon’s bay, a picturesque and protected aquatic reserve. The walk continued along a leafy timber walkway towards Coogee. It was a satisfying walk and we were treated to spectacular views. It did cloud up a bit as the day wore on, so that took the edge off the hot sun.

We rewarded ourselves with gelato when we got to Coogee. Yum!

 waiting for the bus

 

our plane

We took 1 bus to get to the train to the airport to fly to Cairns. It’s hard to go there and not snorkel the GBR so we decided to spend more time there to see the rainforest. Our flight was over an hour late taking off as they were having a shortage of air traffic controllers. We both slept a bit on the plane. We grabbed a taxi for the short ride to our hotel.

We checked into the Pullman Cairns International which is close to where we will pick up the ship 4 days later. http://www.pullmancairnsinternational.com.au/

The hotel was quite nice and we would stay there again. (we stayed in a “weird place” last time) Plus, it’s walking distance to the port. We unpacked and got ready for our early morning to visit the Rainforest & Kuranda by rail and cable car.