Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk, Sydney

I didn't set an alarm this morning and had a great sleep in. My phone stayed alive long enough for me to call Mom and catch her just before she boarded the plane to Sydney! We chatted briefly and confirmed our meeting spot before she had to go. I then decided I should do something with my day and caught a bus to Bondi Beach. And the beach was gorgeous! White sand, clear blue water. Absolutely stunning. I can see why so many people here love the ocean and couldn't imagine leaving. Especially since the beach was only a 30 minute ride away...

I started out my beach experience by doing part of the Coastal Walk. I walked from Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach, which was only about 2km. The entire trail is about 6 km long but there were so many stairs that my knee started bothering me part way through. So after passing a few beaches, I stopped at one that had a fish and chip shop along the street. But first, the scenery on that walk was breathtaking. Jagged coast, clear blue water, lots of greenery, it was lovely. Instantly I started smiling when I saw what the walk entailed and smelled that salty air! Another reason that I stopped at Bronte instead of Bondi is that it was far less busy. Despite it being fall here there were still tons of people on the beach, although I hear that it gets a lot busier in the summer to the point where you can hardly find a place to sit on the beach. Glad I'm here when I am! The 25 degree weather is so nice and refreshing after Bangkok. I actually find myself almost chilly a lot of the time actually.

I had fish and chips along the boardwalk that was phenomenal. I really wasn't all that hungry but it seemed like the thing to do, like when you're at White Rock. So good. So hot and fresh and yummy! After lunch I decided to change into my swim suit and go for a dip! It was chilly out but I felt that I needed to go in at least one just to say that I did :) And boy was I unprepared for the strong currents and massive waves. I had been watching the waves crash along the rocks as I was walking but it didn't register just how big the waves were until I was smack dab in the middle of them.. The first one took me under and rolled me around a bit until I came to my senses and started handling the waves properly lol. I've swam in rougher water before but after the calm, tame beaches of Vietnam I was a little bit unprepared. Of course I quickly adjusted! I loved it. I was having so much fun just body surfing and jumping through the waves. At one point I was standing in knee deep water and by the time the wave came through I couldn't touch, I'm pretty sure they were about 3 m high if not taller! The only reason I didn't stay in longer is because I had left my stuff unattended on the beach. I wasn't really worried about it but didn't want to tempt fate too much by leaving it alone for too long... Twas a blast.

I caught a bus back to the hostel to shower and pack up my bags before heading out to Circular Quay to start a walking tour of the Rocks... More about that in the next post!Read more