Number one on my Australian "Bucket list," if you will, has been to partake in the Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach Hike.
I proposed the idea to my housemate, and she happily agreed to join me, explaining that the hike starts at Bondi Beach, loops over to Tamarama Beach, continues through Brente Beach, and ends at Coogee Beach. Yes, it was in fact as spectacular as it sounds.
We arrived at Bondi Beach (pronounced, I discovered, "Bond"-"Eye") and started off the day by walking through an outdoor market of sorts that is only open on Sundays. "It is on the campus, after all," my housemate casually mentioned. Not having noticed a campus, I looked around and realized we were in a Primary School (grades K-6). I felt a wave of emotions that could be classified as some mixture of awe-struck and a shameful jealousy as I realized these kids attend school mere feet away from one of the most spectacular beaches in the world; I felt like how I imagine a wrongfully convicted criminal would feel if given a tour of the life he could have lived, had he been in a different place at a different time when the crime occurred. Putting on my best smile and trying to remember the world is not fair (please note my humorous tone), we explored the little market. This, my housemate explained, is where designers sell their items before they secure prestigious contracts and subsequently hike up their prices. It seemed like an excellent place to find the kind of items a person would favor in their closet - I made a mental note to return once I am employed.
We then mosied over to Bondi Beach. I quickly learned what makes the beach one of the largest tourist attractions in Sydney: its turquoise water, rolling waves and golden tan sand instantly had me smitten.
As I was blissfully gazing at the beauty, my housemate casually mentioned, "Ah, looks like there's a shark." From her indifferent tone of voice she might as well have been commenting on the weather.
I tried to play it cool with my response. "WHAT?!" I peered out at the ocean, noticing the handful of surfers in the water, none of which appeared to be in the midst of a life-threatening attack. She informed me that the large gathering of birds hovering over the water a few yards away indicated that there were many fish in that area, which are the warning signs of a shark. In fact, she continued to enlighten me, the red boat we could spot cruising around was likely searching for said shark. Of all the things I could have been thinking, the first thought that popped into my mind was a sarcastic remark of how I was sure glad I purchased a new bathing suit before I arrived - a suit that, I now knew, I would never get any use out of.
I had to ask, "Why aren't the people getting out of the water??"
"The signs are out - they're swimming at their own risk." I learned that if a red boat ever did actually spot a shark, a loud siren would go off. "Don't worry," she casually told me, "there are plenty of tourists it'd get before you." I don't think she was joking.
Eventually we continued on from the Bondi Beach beauty to embark on the first portion of the hike over to Tamarama Beach. To my surprise, the hike was on a cliff surrounding the water which provided breathtaking views. (Being a top tourist destination, the fact that it was spectacular probably shouldn't have been such a surprise, but the cliff aspect really gave the experience an element of prestige I hadn't been expecting.)
We arrived at Tamarama Beach and it was equally spectacular (it is, after all, the same ocean). Spotting a cafe, we enjoyed a tranquil lunch of chicken sandwiches, and for me, a long black.
I enjoyed the obviousness of finding the obligatory barbecue stations sprinkled around the beach - such as the two under the tents pictured below - for visitors to enjoy. We are, after all, in Australia: the land of the barbecue.
Brente beach was our next destination. Upon our arrival, my housemate nonchalantly picked up something in the sand. "It's a Bluebottle," she casually stated. Yes, the very jellyfish that I had researched in-depth under the category "Dangerous Sea Animals," learning they gift recipients of their stings severe, burning pain lasting several hours in duration, and providing them with giant erythematous welts. Noting my bare feet, I scrambled to put my shoes on and then froze in place: not wanting to run in fear of stepping on one, and not wanting to stay where I was in case I was standing near a straggler. "No worries," she casually stated, "it's probably dead. They're on the ground all around here, see? Usually they're dead." Pretending to feel reassured, I proposed heading back to the path.
Although the plan was to hike the whole path, we stopped one trail short of Coogee Beach. It may seem silly from a reader's perspective to not have completed the entire hike, and perhaps it was, but we felt happy with the trip, and my tired legs were beginning to cause me to walk like the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz. Hopefully I will be able to return some time in the next year and view the undoubtedly spectacular Coogee Beach.
One thing I particularly enjoyed is, in Sydney beaches, there are swimming pools adjacent to the ocean. Perhaps this is to allow people to experience the beauty of the beach coupled with a safe, man-made swimming experience. They certainly made for stunning photographs.
I give the hike, without hesitation, a five star review. I spent much of the day fantasizing about what life would be like to live across the street. (My daydreams did not, however, include dealing with the corrosion, which, my roommate informed me, is starting to become a problem.) I even snapped some photos of some gorgeous real estate scenery. I believe these houses go for around AUD $3 million. (Hey dad - interested in making an investment???)
At the end of the day, after I had made it home and woke up from the coma-like nap I had instantly succumbed to, I anxiously scanned myself to verify that the religious sunscreen upkeep I had practiced had indeed left me burn-free. Sure enough, while I had darkened in color there was no red to be found! That was, at least, until I laid back down and felt a sharp pain in my elbows. I looked in the mirror and, sure enough, I had been inflicted with burns on, of all places, my two elbows. That's a new one. I suppose if there is one place I'm not as concerned with premature wrinkling, however, it would be my elblows.
I'd say the ideal sunburn location was the perfect end to a perfect day. I will definitely return to Bondi!
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