Caught the train to Bondi Junction, not realizing that it was a thirty minute walk to the beach. Instead, we caught the local bus. Ten minutes after we boarded, the bus dropped us on the south end of the beach. Though early on a holiday, the beach was already populated with sunbathers and surfers.
Jumping off point for the coastal walk to Coogee was a restaurant and swim club called Icebergs, with a salt water pool popular here in AU.
Though I doubt it is unique, the south coast of Australia is a sailors nightmare but a surfers dream, with soaring cliffs of jagged rock, hidden reefs, pounding surf, and narrow coves.
The Aussie cliffs – are they limestone, volcanic, we’re not sure. Pocked with holes and scarred by lava floes (or high water?..), black and white rock surrounds us to the sea.
Our walk is brisk, a combination of mountain climbing and forest trekking. Incredibly, there are hundreds of people running this gauntlet; men, women, young, old, children, and dogs. The Aussies are a fit lot. Though hamlets of fine golden sand are found along the route, the majority consists of ship-wrecking reefs that break the surf in brilliant white. Our trek took us from Mark’s Park, to Tamarama, Bronte Pointe, and finally Burrows Park, near Clovelly.
Came across what must have been THE dog spot, a rocky area where the waves came in, creating areas that were dry and others where the water surged in with each wave. One brave black lab, unable to wait any further for his owners, leapt into the surf and rode the waves back to the rocks. Happy dog.
Near the south end of the walk, we visited Waverly Cemetery, with grave markers from the early 1800’s… A beautiful setting on a hill overlooking the ocean.
After the cemetery, we continued south into Clovelly. Since the surfers ‘owned’ the rocky beaches further north, the Aussies created an inlet of protected waters and a concrete beach at Clovelly. Pretty clever.
All in all, our walk took us about 2-3 hours, ending in a late lunch.
Roger's Rhapsody 