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Surf's Up in Sydney: Bondi Beach to Coogee Coastal Walk
From our resident Bondi beach bum, Carlyn, comes your go to guide on Sydney's best beaches. What gives Carlyn particular expertise on Sydney’s beach bummin' culture is her role at Noah's Bondi Backpackers hostel, a backpackers paradise sitting on the city's most iconic break.
The other day, a few of my friends and I decided the 40 degree weather--that's Celsius, folks--presented the perfect opportunity for a little beach time. But although over the past few days we've become Bondi Beach's newest resident beach bums, which my drastic change in skin color and my poor companions' lobster-red backs will prove, we decided perhaps it was time to explore some new waters...literally.
Since starting work in Bondi, I've been told by pretty much everyone I've met that the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk is a must-see and do. The cliff views are stunning, the beaches exquisitely refreshing, and the walk itself just overall quite fulfilling. So, armed with our beach towels, "swimmers," and copious amounts of sunscreen (and aloe vera for the first degree burns) we set off from Bondi, south towards Coogee Beach.
Bondi Beach: Beautiful people, beautiful people, beautiful people galore. Beware the perfectly sun-kissed and chiseled bodies. You thought you were hot once? Prepare yourself for somewhat of an ego dump. Bondi-goers are a good-looking bunch, which makes for some good people-watching (yes, and many women go topless, so beware of gawky teenage boys too). Other than that, waves are gentle and the water is relatively warm and shallow. The perfect dip.
After swimming, don't forget to walk along Campbell parade to buy yourself some delicious gelato or a perhaps somewhat over-priced meal along that main arcade.
Tamarama Beach: Neighborhood beach otherwise known as "Glamarama," due to the bronzed and beautiful crowd the beach attracts, although the day we went there were very few people. Pretty, though, as most Australian beaches tend to be. The area's notorious rip currents make for some big swells and a die-hard bodyboarding culture-- not to mention the most dangerous swimming conditions in all of Sydney, so unless you're a pro, think twice before taking a dip.
Bronte Beach: Known as one of the best surf rescue training beaches in Sydney, let alone New South Wales, Bronte is definitely home to some serious agua. While a fair amount choose to brave the somewhat daunting waves, others go with safer options: either sticking to land/the small and quaint sandy beach area, and/or going for a dip in the saltwater pool adjacent to the water (the pool's water level actually rises and falls with the tide...kinda cool, right?). Besides that, there's really not much else to Bronte, besides it's two public lavatories and beachside surf rescue school. In fact, the beach itself is enclosed by large cliffs on which stand very impressive homes.
Clovelly Beach: Oh hey there, kids. Clearly a popular choice among families, the guys and I were almost shocked to see so many children under the age of 10 in one location. From a man in a speedo, wrestling his son to the ground in order to apply sunscreen, to little Australian children on mini surfboards, I knew I had reached some sort of Aussie surf life breeding ground. I kid you not. Besides that, the water is essentially a long channel from the ocean. Hence the water lacks the violent waves of Bronte or Tamarama. Definitely one of my top picks.
Coogee Beach: While Bondi Beach may be frequented by the beautiful, we noticed a not-so-subtle change in the demographic of Coogee. One word: mullets. Other than that, pretty much an exact copy of Bondi with slightly bigger waves and slightly less people. Between the packs of Aussie families on Clovelly and the smacking waves of Coogee to the south, sits Gordon's Bay. The bay boasts beautiful water and a vibrant underwater ecosystem, perfect for snorkelers. Some say that the that the washed up seaweed on Gordon's bay actually gave Coogee beach it's name, which is a play off of the aboriginal koojah or 'stinky weed.'
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