Seas, Skies, Cliffs + Kid: Our Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk

A 6-km walk under the midday sun probably isn’t top of mind when you think of what to do with kids during a trip. However, there’s a good chance not only will said kid love it, he still won’t be done talking about it a full month after — that is, if you’ve taken him on the beach-cliffs-waves heaven that is the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk.
♥

(Or, in our case, the Coogee to Bondi walk.)

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Coogee Beach

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Although it’s more commonly known as the Bondi to Coogee walk, we decided to take the advice of Sydney Coast Walks and start at Coogee Beach to save the famous Bondi Beach for last.

Coogee made the perfect first impression. Beautiful. Peaceful. We could have stayed here all day.
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(It’s worth noting, however, that we were here on a Friday in June — ie, an Australian winter weekday — so that could account for the absence of crowds.)

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Coogee Beach to Gordon’s Bay

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As is said elsewhere, the route is really simple:

• If you’re heading south from Bondi to Coogee, keep the ocean to your left.
• If you’re heading north — as we were — from Coogee to Bondi, keep the ocean to your right.

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Gordon’s Bay to Clovelly Beach

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The walk just seemed to get better and better as we went forward. The unfenced section just before Clovelly Beach was one of my favorites. There were many nooks between the rocks where you could just sit and look at the sea — read a book, have a chat, think…or not think. If I lived in Sydney I think I would spend most of my free time ’round these parts.

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Clovelly Beach to Bronte Beach

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The picturesque boardwalk that skirted Waverley Cemetery was battered by recent storms and ruled not quite safe temporarily. We had to take a minor detour among the headstones and it was at this point that H started to tire a little. He was revived, however, by the spectacle of surfers riding Bronte beach’s big waves.

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Tamarama Beach

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No one seems able to mention Tamarama Beach without adding that it’s nicknamed “Glamarama” because it’s a favorite of local celebrities. Except for a couple of surfers, however, Tamarama was deserted when we walked past. The views from its surrounding cliffs make you feel like everything’s all right with the world.

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Bondi Beach

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Finally we negotiated the last few curves of the coast, past rocks gorgeously hued and shaped…

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…past a man trying his luck…

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…and finally, the famous Bondi Beach.

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The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk was my favorite part of our Sydney trip.

And I would definitely encourage everyone to do it. Whichever direction you choose to walk it should be fine, though I think we did well to go from Coogee to Bondi, as the cliffs and waves at the Bronte-to-Bondi leg were a spectacular end-of-walk treat. It’s definitely doable with children and seniors! Just take your time. Rest if you need to. There are tons of benches along the way and of course you can always take a dip on the beach. Bring snacks and water. Take as many pictures as you want. And most importantly: enjoy the walk!

And I think to myself: what a wonderful world!

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