Strolling from Bondi to Bronte

When they heard I was going to Sydney, numerous friends recommended taking the 6 km clifftop walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee. I looked it up in the guide book, and yeah, it sounded good. Well, nothing prepared me for how spectacular it is. It was one of those strolls where I not only had to take pictures of everything, the kids were so engaged in the rocks and sights that they didn't mind stopping often. It was the kind of trail that might actually inspire me to lace up my running shoes and go jogging. (Let me tell you, that thought is rarer than a penguin in Penang.) As it was, we took so long pausing to enjoy ourselves that we only made it partway, and after taking 2 hours to cover what was supposed to take only 30 minutes, decided to stop at Bronte Beach.

New Year's Day was bright, sunny, and perfect for heading to the beach in Sydney. Thousands and thousands of other folks had the same idea. So, when we arrived at Bondi, we found the sand covered in what can only be called "a mass of humanity."

People baking in the sun at Sydney's Bondi Beach

Bondi has so much to offer in addition to the sand and surf. Tons of restaurants and shops line the street leading up to the beach. We paused at a skate park near the water to watch guys glide up and down the cement bowls. Much to my kids' dismay, getting into the surf wasn't in the plans for this hiking trip. Later, we were quite glad about this decision.

From Bondi, we took off on the paved trail -- well, okay, it's pretty much a sidewalk -- down the coastline. First up was the famous Bondi Icebergs Swim Club and Bistro. Being New Year's Day, quite a party was already going on in the middle of the afternoon. Or maybe that's what it's always like. Past that, I began to appreciate the natural beauty of the area. I could see why the aborigines named the area "Bondi" which means "water breaking over rocks." Do Sydneysiders know how lucky they are to have gorgeous beaches, aquamarine water and cool rock formations so close to the center of town?

Climbing up beside the footpath past Bondi Icebergs



Looking back at Bondi Beach with water breaking over rocks

As we started rounding the headlands at Marks Park, we heard a loud siren coming from the beach. Turning back, we saw a bright, yellow and red, Surf Patrol boat moving back and forth along the shore, and people started running out of the water. A smaller boat assisted with the stubborn surfers who initially refused to exit. Up above, a helicopter swooped in and started patroling, too. After a while, a news helicopter joined it. What in the world was going on? When we got back to the hotel, we discovered that a 2 meter long shark had been spotted in the water near Bondi. They suspect that this was the same shark that had taken a big bite out of a lifeguard's surfboard a couple days earlier. Thirty minutes later, the all clear sounded, and people were permitted to get back in the surf. (But seriously, if it were me, that would have been the end of playing in the water. Would you be brave enough to get back in?)




Walking from Bondi Beach towards Marks Park

The next beach is MacKenzie's, named after the nearby MacKenzie's Point. It's one of the smallest beaches in New South Wales and is only accessible at low tide. Because there's alway a rip, swimming is not recommended, but it seemed like many folks didn't really care. A few surfers were also threading their way through the rocky, shallow water.

MacKenzie's Beach is only revealed at low tide.
Tamarama Beach is in the upper, left corner.

Tamarama Beach is only 100 meters past MacKenzie's. We ended up spending most of our time here watching all the sporty action on the beach as well as enjoying the playground in the pocket park. The kids got a big kick using all the fitness equipment set up next to the path, too. After spending the past year in Malaysia where people don't drink the tap water, and you have to buy the bottled stuff at restaurants, I was quite excited to see a Drinking Water station for us to refill water bottles. For free! My admiration for Sydney continued to grow.

Tamarama Beach

Our last stop was Bronte Beach. It is home to the Bronte Surf Lifesaving Club which was established in 1903 and is the oldest surf lifesaving club in the world. After our 2 km trek, the kids were ready for a snack. My friend, a former Sydneysider, highly recommended dining at one of the cafes across the street, but alas, the kids had their eyes locked on the ice cream at the beachside concession stand. Picnic blankets covered the grass of the park behind the beach, and folks busily grilled their holiday meals. I could see another playground at the back of the park, but we were ready to head back to the hotel at this point. We strolled through the tall Norfolk pines up to the bus stop to catch a ride to Bondi Junction railway station and bus terminal. While we didn't make it all the way to Coogee as I had planned, this walk was definitely all about the journey and not the destination.

Bronte Beach

Bronte Beach was much less crowded than Bondi and, as a bonus, had no shark sightings this day.

If you are planning to take this stroll, check out The Bondi to Coogee Walk website for practical information about the trail, beaches and nearby restaurants. While the footpath does include some steep steps, you can carry a lightweight stroller up it if need be.


This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox, Travel Photo Mondays at Travel Photo Discovery, and Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

Why My Kids Love The Sydney Opera House

I asked my girl where she'd tell her friends to visit if they ever went to Australia. "The Sydney Opera House!" she exclaimed. To which my younger boy retorted something along the lines of "Duh... Everyone knows you're supposed to go to the Sydney Opera House." So okay, it's not exactly an undiscovered gem that we unwittingly stumbled upon. But still, I'm glad that the kids enjoyed it so much that it's at the top of their Kiddie Fun List. Because when you're taking little ones to visit architectural wonders, you're never quite sure if they'll be bored to tears while the grownups ooh and aah over sweeping lines, expressionist design, and spherical geometry. (Actually, I think my insightful comments were more like, "It's so pointy.") Fortunately, we visited during the local school break when the Opera House had shows and Creative Play activities to lure in the younger crowd.

Making all the sails with the same curvature solved a major construction challenge.

Pick a Tour
The Sydney Opera House has numerous tour options from going backstage (minimum age: 12 years) to the Kids Discovery Tour. We opted for the standard tour, and it worked out just fine with the children. I really liked that everyone was given headsets so they could hear the guide. First, we sat on the foyer steps watching a couple movies about the design and construction challenges of building such an unusual structure. Then, we finally entered the main Concert Hall. While the exterior is world famous, I had no idea what the interior venues look like. As we sat in the smooth, white birch plywood seats, I admired the clean lines and modern aesthetic which, oddly, reminded me of IKEA. Did you know that this hall houses the world's largest mechanical tracker-action pipe organ? I sure didn't. We then crossed over to the Joan Sutherland Theatre located beneath the smaller sail next door. On stage, a crew was busily working out the lighting for Verdi's A Masked Ball which was to open in a few weeks. I loved getting this behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it takes to put on a show.





Sydney Opera House Concert Hall Foyer



Free Creative Play for Kids
After the tour, we headed over to the Creative Play area which they set up during school holidays. I think this was my daughter's favorite part and what propelled the Sydney Opera House to the top of her list. With Seussaphones hooked up to the Listening Wall and making flashlight puppets, I saw tons of young kids falling in love with the Opera House. There was even a master storyteller!



Doesn't this look Fun?

Enjoy a Show
One of my husband's memories of his childhood visit is sitting in front row seats at the Opera House listening to a children's symphony. Apparently, the front row has an awful view and were the only seats available walking up to the box office on the day of the show. So, I planned ahead and bought on-line tickets to ImaginOcean: The Live Glow-in-the-Dark Family Musical which was playing in the Drama Theatre.

The kids and I enjoyed the bouncy music and fluorescent puppets that glowed beneath the black lights and danced around the stage. Hubby, however, has one wonky eye, so he saw people dressed in black holding non-fluorescent puppets with one eye while the other one saw the intended show. Mildly discombobulating to say the least.



Where the outside meets the inside.
These precast concrete ribs support the outer shell.

Dine at The Opera Bar
This restaurant deserves all its popularity and numerous awards. The fantastic view of both the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House combined with deliciously tantalizing food made it a top notch dining experience. The kids enjoyed it as  much as the adults.



The Opera Bar (clockwise): The interior; Linguine with broccoli, chilli, and preserved lemon; Pizza with prosciutto, provolone and rocket; Spaghetti with baby clams, tomato and parsley; Not Pictured: Margarita pizza

Keep an Eye on your Kids in the Gift Shop
At the end of our visit, I made good on my promise to buy my boy a LEGO Sydney Opera House Kit. That's when my girl attempted to straighten up the display of Swarovski Crystal-tipped pencils... and proceeded to knock down the entire thing. Imagine the sound of hundreds of pencils clattering to the floor. Unfortunately, some of the crystals got knocked off, and this mama spent $126 on damaged merchandise. $126!! Ack!

Hop a Boat to See It from the Water
One of the classic views of the Opera House is from the harbour. We took a short stroll over to Circular Quay, enjoying the street performers along the way, (I think my oldest is now considering this as a career choice), and hopped on board the ferry to Manly. It was a great end to our visit.

As seen from Sydney Harbour

This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox, Photo Friday at Delicious Baby, and Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.