Sydney Coastal Walk 1: Sydney Harbour National Park to Bondi Beach

Yesterday was one of those days that I just decided I needed something to do. I've been going to the gym lately, and my arms were very very sore, so I decided that I need to do something active that wasn't in a weight-room. It was sunny and I decided to go for a walk. So I put on my U of M football t-shirt (it was Saturday, afterall!), strapped my shoes on, and headed down to the ferry docks at Circular Quay. Circular Quay is the main port in Sydney and all of the various ferries that go out to Manly, the Toronga Zoo, and all the other Sydney suburbs on the water.

I decided that since Sydney is famous for it's coastline, I should spend some time along it. So I took the small catamaran ferry out to Watsons Bay, a small suburb right near the tip of the South Head of Sydney Harbour. From there, I walked north into one of the portions of Sydney Harbour National Park. This little piece of protected land is right at the tip of the South Head and is home to high sandstone cliffs and a few beaches on the harbour side. The South Head has been a military base since 1788 and oddly enough, was built up initially to protect Sydney from the threat of invading navies which wavered back and forth between France and America, depending on who Great Britain felt more threatened by at the time! The point was fortified in the early 1800s with cannons and battlements yet missed the arrival of six American ships in 1839. The point's battlements were built up even more during the two World Wars...but again missed the arrival of three Japanese submarines into the harbour. Since WWII, the very tip of the South Head has been put under protection of the National Park Service.

Cannon battlement at Sydney Harbour National Park

One of the Park's main features is a fairly stubby lighthouse called the Hornby Light. It was built in response to the wrecking of the Dunbar, which ran aground in 1857, killing all but one passenger who eventually became the station master of the Hornby Light. The lighthouse wasn't completed in time, however, and another ship, the Catherine Adamson, met its fate near the harbour mouth, also in 1857.

The Hornby Light Station

Protected in the park are still the light keeper's quarters, though you can't go in, and one of the big cannons positioned at the head. It's a nice little place to wander and enjoy the day. You'll see people laying out on the grass, or nudes swimming in the harbour, or firsherman down on the rocky shoreline at low tide. Nice little slice of peace in a big city!

I left the National Park and started walking south toward Bondi Beach, along the way passing through Gap Park which was originally Aboriginal land until Australian settlers pushed them out. By 1909 a tramline from the city was extended to Gap Park so Sydney-siders could enjoy a day trip out to the coastal cliffs. The tram is unfortunately dismantled now, but surely it would be a great little ride!

Further along the coast, I walked through a number of other parks and reserves, all with the path near the edge of the cliffs, but separated by a fence with frequent postings urging potential jumpers to consider their options. But the parks are nice with tons of people walking their dogs, biking with their kids, and just enjoying being outside. While the path is well defined for much of the walk, there are a number of sections where I had to walk inland, along a road, without very good views. But the weather was nice and I didn't mind looking at the beautiful houses and gardens along the road. Next was the Diamond Bay Reserve to Dover Heights Reserve portion of the walk where I saw a few guys fishing from cliffs at least 70 feet up from the ocean below. I'm not sure how much they catch each day, but I did see him pull in a little silvery-blue fish that couldn't have been bigger than his hand!

I had to veer inland for a few blocks and walked through the Dudley Page Reserve which provides spectacular views of the Sydney skyline and the harbour, sparkling blue, glinting sunlight off the little waves. There were tons of sailboats of every size out yesterday, enjoying the breezy warmth of the harbour. But onwards I went, back out to the cliffs edge at the Rodney Reserve. It's now nothing but a rugby pitch, but in the 1950s and '60s it was home to one of the world's most premiere radio telescopes, and it was here that astronomers built a 25-meter wide dish shaped depression on top of the cliffs and much of what we know today about space and radio waves was learned here.

Continuing south to Bondi, there aren't really any other parks you can walk through. But it's confusing if you ever try because there is still a lot of green space. It's a big golf course, but there is a sign outside that says Wilsons Park which made me think I could just go in and have a wander. Well, I did wander over to a big stack that looks like a monument of sorts, but I'm pretty sure its origin is fairly industrial. I didn't see many other people wandering around and after almost getting hit by a golf ball, I left pretty quickly.

I followed the road around one more jog and then ran into some backpackers heading down to the famous Bondi Beach. The beach is beautiful. It's a wide, wind-swept inlet off the ocean with large breaking waves perfect for catching a wave. It's a hot-spot for tourists, backpackers, and students and everyone seemed to be enjoying the relaxing lifestyle. I took my shoes off for a bit and walked through the water to the Bondi Pavilion and sat watching surfers for a while before heading up to the shops to get a late lunch which consisted of a massive helping of delicious fish and chips from the Bondi Surf Seafoods shop along the main drag. The sun was setting so I had one last wee walk along the beach to take some more photos of the surfers, but soon caught a bus back to the city and headed home.

It was a nice day in the sun and fresh air - one that I hope to have more of here in this beautiful corner of Earth!