Episode 829 – The Bondi to Coogee Coastal & Cliff Walk

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. I think the band Bread said it better: “a picture paints a thousand words”.

Pictures are also the best way to chronicle today’s 15,000 steps, beginning with a couple of maps showing our route.



We took the T4 underground – two “layers” down and the first double-decker subway cars we’ve ever seen – to Bondi Junction, where we caught the #333 Bus to the stop that let us off at the the Bondi Pavilion.

The photos follow our walk.

Bondi Pavilion.

Bondi Beach








The rock face is now about 30m/100ft above water level, but it’s easy to see how the rock was sculpted by water millennia ago when the ocean leveks were much higher.


We walked past a woman meditating on the rocks.










Look at that tiny figure in the surf….



At several points along the coast there were protected pools of sea water to allow swimming without the risks associated with the strong currents and riptides of the Tasman Sea.



We used the signs along the coast to track our progress.


A sculpture donated by Japan.


Waverly Cemetery.

Waterfalls being created as the tide rises.



At Bronte Beach, the route took on a different name, but continued along the coast to Coogee.


A teeny tiny Eastern/Golden Water Skink.

A New Holland Honeyeater

A portion of the Memorial to the Victims of the Kuta Bali Bombing of 2002.
202 people were killed, among them 88 Australians. Bali remains a very popular tourism destination for Australians.

The second part of the memorial, listing the 88 Australians killed.

A Willie Wagtail


Finally … Coogee Beach and its pavilion.



A Rainbow Lorikeet taking nectar from a Banksia flower.

Beside the beach, hundreds of Little Corellas were putting on a very bizarre show. It’s possible it was mating rituals, although this is not the usual season. It’s also possible it was fighting, with some of the birds rolling over – feet up – in submission. Honestly, though, it seemed as if they’d all eaten fermented fruit, or were high on the cockatoo version of catnip.




Honestly… demented looking.


One last beach look…


We could have retraced our 13,000+ steps back to Bondi, but wisely chose instead to take transit back into the city, knowing we’d still be putting in more steps getting back to our hotel.

Dinner was yummy cheeseburgers, onion rings, and sweet potato fries at Betty’s Burgers, because we were hungry – and too tired to shop and cook.

Our walk certainly showed us why Bondi Beach is such a popular spot. The scenery, the sand, and the surf were all beautiful, as was our day: 28°C/82°F under bright sun with just a little breeze.

Perfection.

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