Australia > Walking to Bondi Beach

Last night I slept very well. So far, I haven’t suffered from jet lag. In the hotel room, we prepare our breakfast again—today it’s yogurt and a cheese sandwich. At half past eight, I meet most of the travel companions for a walk along Sydney’s famous beaches south of the city. Derk leads us to the bus stop. At the stop, we find out we just missed bus 374. Luckily, the buses run every fifteen minutes. The next bus takes us to Coogee Beach in about half an hour. The coast here consists of rocky shores. In the bays between them lie beautiful beaches. From the rocks, I look out over Coogee Beach. It’s not too crowded. From here, we walk northwards. The walking path is easy to navigate. Sometimes there are steps to overcome changes in elevation. The route passes several small bays. Everywhere there is a view of the clear blue sea. The sun is shining, and there is little shade. I put on a cap to protect my head. After two and a half hours of walking, I see Bondi Beach in the distance—the most famous beach in Sydney. Not long after, I stand at the edge of the beach. On a terrace, we order something to drink. It’s still too early for lunch. The group splits up. Some head back to the city center, while others go swimming at Bondi Beach first. I join the latter group. With four travel companions, I walk onto the beach. When we lay down our things, an announcement is made that everyone must swim between the flags. Outside of this narrow strip of about a hundred meters is not allowed. When I enter the water, I find it colder than I expected.

Australia - The beaches south of Sydney

I carefully try to get used to it, bit by bit with each wave. Many swimmers stand in the water waiting for the big waves. Some swim along with the waves. I mostly try to keep my footing with each new big wave. It’s surprising to see how different the waves are in height. Apparently, the rule that every seventh wave is the biggest does not apply here. The sun is strong on the beach, and there is no shade. So, we return to the terrace for lunch. In the afternoon, we take the bus back to Sydney’s center. I plan to get off at Circular Quay—at least, that was the plan. The bus stops earlier though. The driver apologizes. There has been an accident, and Circular Quay is inaccessible. We get off. We walk through Hyde Park and the Botanical Gardens and arrive at the Parliament House. Walking around it, we find ourselves again at the Opera House. We walk along the front side, the harbor side, of the building. Even from this side, it is a particularly beautiful building. We pass the Waterfront and take a seat at a terrace on George Street in the The Rocks district. We seem to be sitting at Sydney’s oldest pub. We wander some more through the district and arrive at the old Observatory. The Sydney Observatory is located on Observatory Hill. It was established in 1858 and originally served as an astronomical observatory. From here, we walk back to the hotel. We walk in a straight line until we reach Chinatown again. At the supermarket next to the hotel, I buy food for tomorrow morning’s breakfast. For the evening, we decide to go to the harbor with a group. At the Waterfront, there is a beautiful view of the Opera House at night. We take the tram to the center. Once on the tram, it turns out the tram stops at Town Hall, halfway. The conductor explains there are track problems further along the route to Circular Quay. The tram does not continue. We walk to the bus stop to continue the route. I had expected dusk to fall around half past seven, but this turns out not to be the case.

Australia - Evening falls over Sydney

The sunlight still shines on the top of the Opera House. Along the quay in The Rocks district, we wait until it gets darker. Meanwhile, more people arrive for the same reason. Tonight it is clearly cooler than yesterday. Along the water, there is even a chilly breeze. When the Opera House lights are turned on, a beautiful photo can be taken. In George Street, just behind the quay, we look for a place to eat. There are no tables for seven people on the terraces, but luckily inside there is space. We end up at an Italian restaurant. Shortly after, I enjoy my pizza. For the return trip, we have to use the bus again. The tram is out of service after 9 PM today due to track maintenance. Fortunately, almost all buses head toward Central Station. From there, it’s just a short walk back to our hotel.