I went on a trail through Australia's prettiest beaches but wish I took one item with me
The Bondi to Coogee walk is a short trail not many tourists are aware of, yet took me past some of the nicest beaches in Sydney.
It’s often quite difficult to know exactly what to do when travelling to a city for the first time, especially when you only have a few days to enjoy it.
That’s exactly how I felt when I recently travelled to Sydney, the city with the biggest population in all of Australia.
Of course, I wanted to take in some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, but also wanted to go slightly further afield.
Talking to the taxi driver on the way to my hotel, he stated I should go on the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee, two small seaside towns located nearby.
A 6km (3.7-mile) trek, Bondi to Coogee takes tourists past a number of Sydney’s most beautiful beaches, a tranquil diversion from the rush of the city centre.
Setting off early in the morning, the first hurdle to overcome was getting there, with Bondi Beach being several miles from the hotel.
Fortunately, Sydney has a very good public transport service that lets locals and visitors alike go more or less anywhere for around AU$3 (around £1.50) per trip.
On arriving, I was shocked at how quiet Bondi Beach is, especially considering the number of TV shows that are based on the beach, with plenty of open space for sunbathing.
Given that Bondi, originally spelled ‘Boondi’, is an Aboriginal word for ‘surfing’, it comes as no surprise that most of the people in the water were catching some waves.
Starting the trail, I noticed that a lot of the beaches were accompanied by nearby ocean pools, which allow visitors to go swimming without the risk of getting hit or having an encounter with one of the country’s many stingers, that are active in the sea between October and May.
However, not all of the wildlife in New South Wales is life-threatening. Looking up into the trees, I found a fair few exotic birds including a rainbow lorikeet and quite a few cockatoos.
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In total, visitors will go past six different beaches on the journey, each with their own advantages for tourists wanting to take a break along the way.
Whilst I only stopped at the enclosed Clovelly Beach for a tranquil lunch, walkers that remembered their wetsuits can stop at nearby Gordons Bay for a spot of snorkelling at the Underwater Nature Trail.
At the end of the trail, Coogee Beach is quite a bit larger and popular with the locals, plus visitors can also take advantage of the large number of shops and cafes in the area.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Bondi to Coogee trail. There were quite a few inclines and rough surfaces, but bathroom facilities are located throughout the walk.
Nevertheless, if I were to offer one piece of advice to anyone thinking about going on the trek or any walk in and around Australia, it’s to learn from my mistake and take suncream no matter the weather.
Whilst the weather report that morning called for a dull and cloudy day, the UV rays in Australia are still far more powerful than most Brits are used to, leaving me burnt in a couple of hours.