Sydney: The Last Full Day

Bondi Beach

Today is the final full day of our trip. We fly home tomorrow morning.

We are out of our Airbnb by 8:15am and head to Bondi Beach for breakfast at the same cafe (Cali Express) we ate at the first morning. We people watch everyone in their yoga & exercise gear coming and going.

It is Sunday and the beaches are filling with locals. There are a lot of people coming from the Coogee Beach direction with numbers pinned to their shirts. We find out that it is a 35km walk to Cure Mito. It’s called “A Bloody Long Walk”.

We are starting early for our 2-3 hour, 6 km walk to Coogee Beach because temps are expected to rise to 29° with full sun. We need to take advantage of the partial cloud.

At Bondi Beach we watch the surfers in the waves before starting our coastal walk to Coogee Beach. 

Along the Coastal Walk: Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach

The walk is gorgeous with lots of hills and stairs up cliffs and down to beaches. Each beach seems to have its own character and clientele. Some are surfing beaches and others are definitely family beaches. A lot of them have big pools as well.

We pass a huge graveyard on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The sun is out in full force now.

There are lots of neat birds including my favourite cockatoos along the way.

There are also gorgeous, brightly coloured flowers…and lots of stairs. My legs are definitely getting a workout.

We pass a marine reserve. There are lots of scuba divers. I am truly jealous when one comes out of the water saying that she just made friends with an octopus.

We take a lot of breaks in the shade to drink water. The views are spectacular. I love this city.

It takes us 2 3/4 hours to reach the end of Coogee Beach. People are body surfing in the big waves. Click here for a short video.

Central Business District

We take public transit back to Town Hall in the Central Business District of Sydney. The transit system in Sydney is quite good.

The 1800s buildings are gorgeous. The Town Hall is impressive and then we go into Queen Victoria Building which is just across the street. It is an elegant build filled with high end shops and decorated for Christmas. Even the washrooms are elegant.

A few streets down is the Strand. Built in 1891, it is another beautiful, high end shopping arcade.

Angel Place

Off course I have to check out Angel Place which is a small laneway filled with hanging birdcages. The ground has plaques with the names of different Australian birds.

John on the Move

Once again, John and his long legs move quickly and leave me lying in the dust. I wonder when he will realize that I am two blocks behind. I don’t exaggerate. Check the picture. See there he is waaaay ahead. Aaaaargh.

Darling Harbour

Nearby is Darling Harbour and King Street Wharf, which is a really happening place. We grab a quick bite. There must be some kind of game going on because a nearby pub explodes into cheers.

The architecture around here is very interesting. The Australians mix old and new in very pleasing ways.

Barangaroo

We continue down the wharf and enter Barangaroo Reserve. We take a beautiful walk along the water ending at the Sydney Bridge.

I spy a seagull with what looks like a baby eel in his beak. He keeps trying to eat it and is having a lot of difficulty. Click here for a short video.

Luna Park

I get a closer look at the giant face that people enter through to get into Luna Amusement Park. I know if I were a kid, that thing would scare the crap out of me but then again, I hate roller coaster rides. When my kids were little, John and I would flip a coin. Loser accompanies the kids on the roller coaster.

The Rocks

We continue walking into The Rocks area. A Carnival cruiseship is leaving the port. The hours of this day are quickly passing. John and I have a final drink at Squires Landing where we have an unobstructed view of the Opera House.

Sadly it’s time to head back to Bondi Beach. Today I walked over 32,000 steps; almost 21km.

Now Home

After over 24 hours of travel we are now back home on Canadian soil.

John was just notified that he was caught on a speed camera for going 10km over the limit in Melbourne. Charged $430.00 Australian plus administration fee of $40 for the rental car company. Australians take their speeding seriously.

The rental company is charging $4,700.00 AU. I think they made a mistake with a decimal point. John is currently contacting them about the mistake.