Bondi to Coogee Beach Walk

One of the most famous beaches in the World, with an award winning program binged by people around the world including me. The laid back vibes, the all day surf, and the famous Australian weather its a winning day out. Bondi Beach is becoming busier by the year with over 1.5 million visitors every year

However with Bondi comes a whole area you can explore along the coast and oh what a beautiful coast it is! From suprising rock formations and dramatic cliffs, to some just as beautiful beaches which may become your new favourite, with the last one being Coogee Beach.

What to pack;

• Sunglasses – The sun is bright, and eye squinting means I get a headache
• Suncream (factor 50 for me) – needed throughout the day
• Towel – Beaches all the way, too much temptation not to take a dip
• Lunch – Best to start earlier in the morning due to heat, but lunch is always a good idea, if not breakfast?
• Water – stay hydrated theres isn’t a lot of shade along the route
• Money for that all important Coggee Icecream
• Camera – you will hit yourself if you don’t, the views are stunning
• Book – not a necessity but I carry one everywhere

The Bondi Beach

I arrived from the Alexandria area of Sydney on the …. BUS, it was a straight bus to Bondi which isn’t the easiest beach to get too, which actually makes it more appealing. The beach is 1 kilometre long with rock pools, natural pools and a members only swimming pool built right on the ocean side. Built up with boutique shops, restaurants and plenty of surf shops.

Bondi is also a beach full of hazards, with waves, sharks, surfers and strong currents it welcomes Lifeguards and a little programme documenting these brave people on Bondi Rescue. Which makes it a very high profile destination for a lot of tourists coming to Sydney.

As you begin the walk along the clear sign posted path, the first landmark is the Bondi Beach Swimming Pool, built off the sandstone rock and for a fee people can visit and relax during the day away from the sand and the crowds. As you walk past you come to a lot of natural rock formations caused from wind erosion on the sandstone, pretty cool extras for a walk I thought would just be about the Beach and Views.

Marks Park is the area where all the cliff formations can be found, which is on the way to Tamarama Beach which you will see once you curve into McKenzie Bay. Stunning views of the next few beaches I was about to wind in and out of looking over the sandstone cliffs.

Bronte Beach was the next destination, going along the cliff with graffiti, road art on the pathways with loads of information and facts about this walk. Volleyball being played, surfers taking over the waves deep into the ocean, and families spread all over the beautiful clean beach. Bronte Park is a beautiful little rest for lunch too, enjoy the sunshine if like me you are not to keen on the sand. At this point I was soo hot, it was mid day and the sun had burnt through all the clouds, I had stupidly not brought my swimsuit due to it forcast to be cloudy all day (note to self always have your bikini in Aus). So I dipped my feet in and paddled along the shore.

After this the next leg was quite suprising, a huge heritage listed cementary on the edge of the cliff Waverley Cementary, its beautiful, with loads of intact Victorian and Edwardian monuments, going literally upto the edge of the cliff. What a view to have with some even saying it is one of the most beautiful in the world for its views and graves.

Once you walk up a small set of stars to reach the high cliffs, there are beautiful views and some much needed wind. This then gradually takes you through Burrows Park into Clovelly Beach which has a perfect sheltered narrow bay, with a natural rock pool for the kids to have a swim in safety. I walked along the narrow path, which then became, very steep upward pathway until I arrived within Gordons Bay, is a very small beach, with cliff side houses overlooking the water. There are huge rocks surrounding the bay, where people at times were jumping off, and others where they were relaxing and reading a book on them. Boats were on the beach, ready at any point to be put into the ocean for their next adventure. This part of the path though was actually my favourite it was less built up and more like a small little country path with hardly any people on it. What I found out from a local also doing the walk is there is a 40 metre marine walk under the water sign posted with information on – That’s so cool!

After one last push and walk through Dunningham Reserve, where i relaxed on the grass overlooking Coogee Beach which was finally in site! I feel like this may not be the more well known of the two (the other being Bondi beach), but it has a great atmosphere with space on the beach, a clean and buzzing promenade all the way along the main beach front. It has a laid back atmosphere with shops, cafés and to attract a lot of different people here throughout the day.

Coogee Pavillion was built in the 20th century, and has recently been updated to its full glory with a huge ground floor café and restaurant, with an option for a very deserved takeaway gelato after the Coastal walk. In the evenings you will be spoilt for choice with the cocktails in the bar above with windows and balconies looking out onto the beach.

It was a lovely day, only thing was doing it on my own, would of been lovely to have someone along the walk with me, but everyone I spoke to was friendly, so relaxed, and even at one point offered to walk the whole way with me (it was a dog :)).