The Bondi to Coogee walk, passing through Bronte
Sydney’s most popular coastal walk is the 6km walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach.
The walk starts at the southern end of Bondi Beach — the entry point is located alongside the Icebergs restaurant and pool.
There’s a few stairs cases that you’ll need to tackle along the walk. The views are amazing. You’ll come across cafes at Bondi, Bronte, Clovelly and Coogee. You can walk from Bondi to Coogee comfortably within three hours.
To get to Bondi Beach you can either drive, catch a ride share vehicle or grab the 333 Bondi express bus from the city of Bondi Junction.
There were no trains operating from the city to Bondi Junction on the day I went for my walk, so I caught the 333 express bus from the stop located near Museum train station at the southern end of Hyde Park on Liverpool Street. Frequent bus services to Bondi depart from this location and the bus stop at Circular Quay.
Some people start their walk at the Bondi Junction railway station — and walk to Bondi Beach down Bondi Road.
I chose to start my walk at North Bondi so that I could take in all the sights and sounds of Bondi Beach.
The artwork on the murals at the southern end of Bondi Beach is amazing. Worth stopping and having a look at the Bondi Beach Sea Wall as you walk south.
“There are two murals that have been endorsed by Waverley Council for long-term preservation; “The Girl with a Frangipani in Her Hair” (dedicated to local girl, Chloe Byron, who lost her life in the 2002 Bali bombing) and the Anzac commemorative mural” — Statement on the Waverley Council website.
Artists can apply to contribute to the wall via the Waverley Council website here.
The road next to the Bondi Icebergs restaurant and pool is currently being converted to become more pedestrian-friendly. The Notts Avenue gutter is being removed and a 10km/h shared zone is being implemented. The new paving will be installed in time for summer 2020/2021.
The first lookout that you’ll come across after leaving Bondi is Mackenzies Point. At this location there’s an Aboriginal site — look out for the carvings in the rock. More details here.
From Bush To Boom
“Although just 7 kilometres from the city, Bondi was deceived in 1842 as ‘a place of peculiar loneliness…a shining sandy beach unmarked by human foot.’ However, Rick carvings alone are clear reminders that many aboriginal feet have walked these sands long before those of European settlers” - A sign at Mackenzies Point.
Tamarama Beach is just south of Mackenzies Point. An adventure park called the Bondi Aquarium was established across the front of Tamarama Beach in 1887 and renamed Wonderland City in 1906.
Bronte is the next beach on the walk after Tamarama. Some walkers end their walk at Bronte and turn around to head back to Bondi. The walk between Bondi and Bronte, return, is about 5km.
The first tram arrived at Bronte just before 3pm on Saturday 20th May 1911.
The final tram departed through the South Bronte hill on Saturday 27th February 1960.
Nowadays the tram cutting is used by walkers and parked cars.
The walk then continues past Calga Reserve and the heritage listed Waverley Cemetery. The coastal boardwalk at Bronte was built in 2010.
“This 515m long walkway is part of the nationally significant 9km coastal walk from South Head to Maroubra that attracts 700,000+ visitors annually. The walk is in equal parts a ribbon of movement though sublime clifftop landscape and a place to stop and embrace the heightened experience of this unique cultural, environmental and heritage landscape” — Statement on the Aspect Studios website.
At the southern end of the Waverley Cemetery is the Clovelly Bowling Club. I stopped for a drink at the bowling club — the view from the club is amazing. I spotted a whale and a pod dolphins from the window of the club.
Clovelly Beach is a family friendly beach. The large concrete blocks located on both sides of the inlet were installed during the Great Depression — part of a local council job stimulus initiative.
During the final stages of the walk, you’ll visit Gordons Bay and Dolphins Point.
And, after walking 6km, you’ve reached Coogee.
The beach here is amazing. The beachfront is a great spot to relax. There’s plenty of shops and cafes here too.
Buses depart regularly for the city from a bus stop located near the beach.
#Bondi #Bronte #Coogee
