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views towards Sydney Harbour. This area was once inhabited by the Cadigal aborigines, and rock engravings here depict fish and whales. The walk includes coastal vegetation of banksias and heath providing a habitat for small reptiles including skinks. The section from Clarke Reserve to Bondi is challenging, with many steps and cliffs of up to 80 metres.

Bondi, thought to be named after an Aboriginal word meaning the sound of breaking waves, is Australia’s most famous beach.

The art deco style Bondi Pavilion was built in 1928 and surf lifesaving began here in 1906, the club at Bondi being the world’s oldest.

The Bondi to Bronte walk follows a cliff-top path that links two of Sydney’s best beaches, past glamorous Tamarama Beach. The walk has some steep steps, but otherwise is easy. Avoid joggers with attitude. Humpback whales can be sighted from May to July and September to November, while Sculpture by the Sea is held annually. You will pass the famous Bondi Icebergs Club, whose members swim all winter and the Icebergs Restaurant where celebrities mingle.

At Bronte, the small crescentshaped beach is generally rough.

At the southern end are the Bronte Baths that opened in 1887 and the bogey hole, an aboriginal word meaning to bathe, a natural swimming hole. Historic Bronte House is located here, built in 1845.

The walk continues past Waverley Cemetery established

Sydney’S Scenic walk

B ON d I TO cOO

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further information

* For maps that can be downloaded, go to walkingcoastalsydney.com.au

* For additional information waverley.nsw.gov.au or randwick.nsw.gov.au

* Buses are the best way to access the coastal walk, allowing you to make the return journey. Go to sydneybuses.info or phone 131500.

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Bring a picnic hamper to enjoy at Clovelly, Bronte or South Coogee. BBQ facilities are provided. At Bondi, locals favour the cafes along Hall Street and Glenayr Avenue or at North Bondi, along Ramsgate Avenue. The Gelato Bar on Campbell Parade is a requisite stop for Hungarian cakes to take home. The Icebergs Restaurant offers fantastic views, great food and considerable wow factor guaranteed to impress. There are many cafes across from Bronte Beach, always busy with a trendy clientele. For a more local feel, head for the quirky shops and cafes along Burnie Avenue and Clovelly Road, Clovelly, The Spot, located along Perouse Road, Randwick or Charing Cross in Waverley. in si D er tips

Only swim at patrolled beaches between the flags. If you are not a strong swimmer, the baths will suit. Wear a hat, apply sunscreen and bring a water bottle. Bondi has a farmer’s market on Saturday mornings and craft market on Sunday. If native plants appeal, Randwick Council has a great nursery in Barker Street, off Anzac Parade, Kensington. If you have a desire to surf, Lets Go Surfing will get you up on a board in no time. Call 9365-1800 or letsgosurfing.com.au in 1877, containing the graves of many famous Australians including the poet Henry Lawson.

At Clovelly, the beach is more protected and you can snorkel here. The walk hugs the coastline past Gordon’s Bay, beachside homes, a bowling club and small beaches. The timber boardwalk above peat bogs has interpretative signage of the native plant species, including bottlebrushes and banksias.

Coogee is often crowded and a little rowdy, a magnet for backpackers from the UK, but the next section from South Coogee to Wylie’s Baths is charming, reminiscent of how the eastern suburbs beaches once were. Here you will find McIvers Ladies Baths, with an entry fee “of still 20 cents,” with elderly women wearing rubber bathing caps, young children splashing about and families nearby enjoying a BBQ.

The next section is very challenging, with many steps and requires scrambling over rocks.

Maroubra is a broad expanse of yellow sand, with beachside cafes, fish and chip shops, pubs and kebab shops, reflecting a multicultural population.

One of Sydney’s best kept secrets, the eastern beaches coastal walk is high on my list of best things to do in Sydney, with the absolute musts, the sections from Bondi to Bronte, and Clovelly to South Coogee.