A Coastal Walk to Remember...

We left Sydney for Bondi Beach, a place on our must see list and one that is widely recognized as one of Australia's most famous beaches and a symbol of the country's beach culture.

To get there, we boarded the very economical public bus ($2.52 USD roundtrip for the two of us).

This local has some historical significance, too. In the mid-1800s it became a favorite for family outings and picnics. It is also home to the Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club, the oldest rescue organization in the world and an Australian cultural icon.

We were actually there to embark on the famous Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk (here's a 3 minute video overview).

This 4 mile cliff top walk features stunning views, beaches, parks, cliffs, bays, and rock pools. The beaches and parks offer a place to rest, swim or a chance to eat at one of the cafés, hotels, restaurants or takeaways. Most beaches offer picnic shelters, play areas, kiosks, water fountains, and perfectly placed bathrooms.

This coastal walk is a medium grade urban walk but there are some steep gradient paths and several staircases along the way. At times it was a real workout for me but the views made it so worthwhile.

How interesting is this pool? It is one of Australia’s most photographed.

Bondi Icebergs has been the home of Winter swimming since 1929 and their famous pool is open to visitors all year round. So very inviting.

A highlight for me was the fact that our walk allowed a detour through the spectacular Waverley Cemetery.

Designed as a reflection of Victorian ideals, Waverley Cemetery (1877) was laid out in a geometric fashion, with wide avenues and neatly arranged plots. The use of Italian Carrara marble for the monuments became one of the cemetery’s most distinctive features, enhancing its sense of grandeur and reverence.

It is the final resting place of notable figures from various fields, from writers and artists to politicians, military leaders and sports heroes, alongside everyday people. Interestingly, the only one I knew of was poet Dorothea Mackellar. I had included her poem on a previous post about our Australian visa.

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains.

I love her far horizons,

I love her jewel-sea,

Her beauty and her terror –

The wide brown land for me!

-Dorothea Mackellar, 1908

The Cemetery was not just a burial ground but a symbol of the community’s moral values and prosperity. By 1890, with the arrival of the steam tramway, Waverley became more accessible to the public, further cementing its status as a treasured part of Sydney's cultural landscape.

My favorite grave adornment was that which read, "Marie and her brother Eric, Great Niece and Great Nephew to J.T. Lang, NSW Premier 1925-1927 and 1930-1932".

John Thomas Lang (1876-1975), was a successful estate agent and politician. There is much written about him but nothing about Marie and Eric.

While most of Sydney has a slight feeling of familiarity, certain things catch us off guard. Clovelly Beach is one such thing. This small, tranquil beach, is located the mouth of a narrow bay between two rocky ridges. Concrete platforms and promenades have been constructed on both sides of the bay with a saltwater pool, located on the southern side of the beach. This is just something we have not seen. How interesting and so not what we're used to. Wow.

The stroll along the coast concluded at Coogee Beach. With its crystal-clear waters, an expanse of white sand beach, historic ocean baths, and generous green parks ideal for picnics, it was the ideal spot in which to rest for a bit. Something that surprised us was the number of people who chose to lay about in the grass vs on the white sand beach. That was truly something we hadn't seen before.