Out of Hotel: Bondi Trekking

I was out today, trying to do the things Sydneysiders would do, hopefully, getting some of that Sydney energy and vibe rubbing off me.

The weather was beautiful. Clear blue skies, mild winds, temperatures in the mid 10s - if there is a better day in the Aussie winter, it hasn't happened yet.

So I hopped onto a bus and went out to Bondi beach, the famous Aussie beach. I wanted to do the famous Bondi-Coogee trek. While Bondi beach is a nice, sandy beach, and is good for people watching, I was really lured by the fact that all along the coast from Bondi to Bronte, and then to Coogee, is one of the world's most famous hikes.

This is full of pictures, so sue me if you have a slow connection.

The world famous Bondi beach. Normally, it would have been crowded ... maybe it's winter. But look closely and you'll still see die hard surfers and sunbathers.

The walk starts at the southern end of Bondi. The trail is very well marked, and you won't miss the stream of humans walking the same stretch.

OK, if you still can't find the start of the trail, over at Bondi, look for a sight like the picture above. Then look for lots and lots of people. BTW, the square building at water's edge is Bondi Icebergs - a very famous bar / restaurant.

You can then either stop at Bronte, and double back to Bondi (since there aren't many buses at Bronte, unless you take the Bondi explorer service). Or you could do what I do, and go all the way to Coogee.

Mackenzie's point, as seen on the walk, just past Bondi Icebergs. Look for the aboriginal fish stone drawing, it's quite well hidden, actually.

The Bondi-Bronte walk is a leisurely 2kms, taking around 1 hour. The Coogee walk involves more slopes, and is longer, around 4kms, but you would be able to do it in around 1.5 hours if you're not overly distracted.

Past Mackenzie's point, this is the view looking down towards Tamarama Bay, Tamarama Beach, and Bronte itself.

Bronte is a nice beach, not for the faint hearted - the waves are really hard and pounding - you actually hear the 'boom' everytime a big one hits the rocky shorelines.

Tamarama beach. Nice quaint little beach for the family. No hassles, no loud music.

Tamarama beach is a small sheltered beach, pretty friendly for the family with small cafes and children's playground.

Waves pound the rocky shoreline at Clovelly. I spent 30 minutes near this point, just enjoying the scenery, taking in the sun and the sea breeze. And of course, I'm a sucker for the sound of waves.

The view back towards Bondi and Mackenzie point, taken from Tamarama. I'm all in agreement that this is one of the most scenic ocean hikes in the world.

Me at Clovelly Point. Like I said, I'm a sucker for waves. The sound of waves, to be exact. And I'm slightly claustrophobic, so open spaces are totally welcome.

All along the walk, there are many lookout points with jaw dropping views of the Pacific Ocean. Don't you wish we had these too in Malaysia?

Looking from a lookout point just short of Coogee back at Clovelly. This must have been the bestest hike I've had all year. It's so good I'm actually blogging about it ...

The end ... that's Coogee, where the trek would end. Of course, I didn't know that when I took this photo. Coogee is a good makan place - everything from fish and chips (look for a shop that goes by the name of Chish and Fhips - just across from McDonald's). I settled for a regular cafe - overlooking the sea - of course.

Man, woman and dog, in the great outdoors. What's there not to enjoy? Now, I just need a dog *easy* and a woman *definately NOT easy* ...

Some of the cliffs are simply spectacular. And with all those rocks at the bottom, this is not a good place to take your partner if you wanna break up with 'em. It could turn really ugly.

While everyone might be just thinking about Bondi, personally, I felt that the hike itself was a much better experience. I'm not into just lying down on the beach getting sun burnt. The walk, with all of it's sights and sounds, has a greater appeal to me.

Giles Bath, near Coogee. There are a few baths, stone pools built along the coast in the early years of the previous century. This was how the beach culture really started - no one really went to the beach at those times - they just go to the baths.

Coogeee beach, part of the Coogee Marine Reserve. While strong waves and rocky coastlines may suggest otherwise, there is plenty of aquatic life under the surface. There are even marine trails, just like nature trails that have been marked for scuba divers to 'trek'.

After the trek, I went back to the city to have some coffee in the shadows of the Opera House. That's a much photographed sight you've probably seen very often, so none of that here. Dinner was at the Darling Harbour. Here's a night shot of the city from the harbour.

Angeliu, jealous? 1/2 dozen fresh Pacific Oysters for AUD15. Jealous?? Want?? Followed that with Ocean Trout, and washing that down with some nice Aussie Pinot Noir. Me love oysters.