Coogee to Bondi

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What better than to extend a trip to Sydney by adding a weekend to explore more of the sights and sounds of this exciting city before attending a three day training course in a nearby suburb.
A very early flight saw us catching the 8pm airport train into the city and checking in to a hotel in the centre of the city. Once recharged with a cooked breakfast we headed for Circular Quay and a walk along the water front to The Rocks to explore the markets and coffee shops. We discovered some great art galleries and enjoyed dreaming about which amazing aboriginal original we would like to hang on the wall at home!
We enjoyed great views of the Harbour Bridge and The Opera House from the viewing platform of the international port dockside, an unexpected find, and it was free!
We also visited Cadman's Cottage later named after this convict for horse stealing in 1798. After granted full pardon he was made boat superintendent and lived in the cottage untill his death, one of the few historical buildings still left along the quays and an interesting place worth a visit.
After lunch at the Museum of Contemporary Art we walked through the botanical gardens and headed off to the Art Gallery of NSW to enjoy a collection of contemporary, photograpic works along with prints and drawings. A very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
That evening we enjoyed a meal along Circular Quays and a view of the Harbour Bridge all lit up across the waters towering above the Opera House in all its glory, a memorable time.
On Suday we caught the bus to Coogee a 30 minute drive to the beach and the start of our coastal walk to Bondi. We enjoyed walking along board walk pathways and rocky steps up and down the cliff edge passing many people on the way all out for their Sunday morning stroll. We walked along to Clovelly beach a short, narrow beach with rocky frontage to Bronte beach set in a deep indented valley, bordered by parkland and headlands. our next stretch of walk took us past Waverley Cemetery situated on the coastal hills over looking the sea. The cemetery was filled with ornate monuments and statues and family burial plots with some of the best sea views in Sydney!
Around Mackenzie Point we could see Bondi Beach ahead of us with many entusiastic surfers enjoying the waves. This iconic beach is only 7kms from Sydney and very popular with day visitors and tourists. the 1928 Bondi Pavillion dominates the centre of the beach promenade along side the infamous Bondi Surf life Savers Lookout. The public sea water pool offered people a safe place to swim and train as well as a palce to eat. We enjoyed a lovely lunch and drink over looking the pool and beach beyond, a welcome stop after our two hour walk. we were glad to have experienced the walk along the coast but was not impressed with Bondi itself and failed to see the attraction for so many who flock to see this famous beach daily.
We were very fortuante to be able to visit Sydney again and enjoy some new sights and look forward to exploring more of this exciting city on a future trip.

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Photos

Lunch with a View
We enjoyed lunch overlooking the sea water pools and Bondi Beach beyond.

Sydney Harbour Bridge
A view from the tower at the cruise quay side.

Views across the harbour
The Sydney Opera House.

Coogee Beach
The start of our two hour walk.

Gordons Bay
The first little rocky cove beyond Coogee.

Looking South
Coastal views looking back towards Coogee.