Highlights

- Ocean views, towering sandstone cliffs and crashing waves as far as you can see
- Golden beaches, including Australia’s most famous, Bondi
- Tanned Aussie beach bums soaking up the sun’s rays
- Surfers catching a wave before and after work
- Aussie beach culture at every turn
- You might even get a selfie with the Bondi Rescue crew!

Quick Start Guide

- Distance: 6km (3.5 miles)
- Time: 2 – 3 hours comfortably
- Difficulty: A walk in the park… a park with a footpath, and a couple of sections of stairs
- Water: Regular refill places
- Public transport: Regular buses
- Coffee: Heaps of cafes in Coogee; a kiosk at Clovelly Beach, a cafe strip up the back of the grassed area at Bronte; a kiosk down on Tamarama Beach, and loads of places to eat at Bondi Beach.
- Toilets: Regular intervals
- Mobile phone reception: Yes
- Swimming: Every beach has patrolled swimming areas. Always swim between the flags

Coogee to Bondi Map

Download the Bondi map here.

Bondi Map Information Points

Stop 1: Coogee Beach
Stop 2: Shrine to Virgin Mary
Stop 3: Bali Memorial
Stop 4: Dunningham Reserve Sandstone Cliffs
Stop 5: Gordons Bay
Stop 6: Gordons Bay Underwater Nature Trail this page is on its way!
Stop 7: Clovelly this page is on its way!
Stop 8: Waverley Cemetery this page is on its way!
Stop 9: Bronte Beach this page is on its way!
Stop 10: Bronte SLSC this page is on its way!
Stop 11: Dobroyd Head
Stop 12: Tamarama this page is on its way!
Stop 13: Aboriginal engraving site this page is on its way!
Stop 14: Mackenzies Point this page is on its way!
Stop 15: Monument to Black Sunday this page is on its way!
Stop 16: Bondi SLSC this page is on its way!

Bondi to Tamarama Walk-Thru

This is as close as you’ll get to walking from Bondi Beach to Tamarama without actually being there.

We walked the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk, stopping at the first major beach south from Bondi.

In this video you’ll see Bondi’s lifeguard tower, surfers, funky art murals, Bondi Icebergs saltwater pool, the panoramic view from Mackenzies Point (Stop 14 on the Coogee to Bondi map), an ancient aboriginal engraving (Stop 13), and the reveal of Tamarama (Stop 12).

The stunning views continue if you choose to continue your walk onwards to Bronte or Coogee.

Bondi to Coogee or Coogee to Bondi?

Although it’s more widely known as the Bondi to Coogee walk, we prefer to walk it the other direction. The reveal of Bondi Beach makes it more exciting; more like you’ve arrived at your destination.

There are also way more options to enjoy food and drink at Bondi when you’ve finished your walk.

These notes are written as if you are walking from Coogee to Bondi, and they match the numbers on the Bondi coastal walk map.

Getting There

Car: Parking at Bondi Beach is scarce, particularly in summer. If you do find a spot it will cost from $7 per hour. If car is your only option, why not drive to Coogee, walk to Bondi and get the bus back. You should be able find free on-street parking in Dolphin St at the northern end of Coogee Beach. Regular buses run between Bondi and Coogee and take around 20 minutes.

Public Transport: Bondi Junction is the nearest train station. Buses depart regularly for both Bondi and Coogee beaches. Check Transport NSW for public transport information.

What You’ll See

Coogee to Bondi

Coastal walking on the east coast of Australia is simple. If you’re walking north, keep the ocean on your right. If you’re walking south, keep it on your left. Simple, yeah? Not always, but walking from Coogee to Bondi is that easy.

On the Coogee to Bondi walk, you could follow the concrete footpath the whole way but there are a few spots worth diverting for.

Start in the middle of Coogee Beach, opposite Coogee Bay Rd and turn left, north, keeping the beach on your right.

Follow the walkway past where the 180m long Coogee Pier was built in 1928 (it was torn down in 1934 after being damaged by huge swell).

Past the Pavillon and around the corner toward the headland. Take the path that veers right, off the main path, toward the memorial to the local victims of the Bali bombings.

Before you reach the memorial, on your right, you’ll see a small shrine to Virgin Mary on the fence. Go down and read the news articles pinned beside the statue. Some claim to have seen an apparition of Jesus’ mother at this spot.

Pay your respects at both the Bali Bombings memorial and sculpture on the way back to the main path and continue north (ocean on your right, remember?).

If you are comfortable walking over uneven sandstone you’re approaching the section where you want to leave the footpath. It’s only a 500m detour and worth it.

Follow the fence line towards the rusty sandstone, to the right of the fenced-off bush regeneration area. Continue around the headland for views of Gordons Bay. You’ll find a small boardwalk through the native banksia scrub that will bring you back to the main track.

The only other spot worth deviating from the main Bondi to Coogee walk is north of Clovelly beach.

There are some spectacular un-fenced sandstone cliffs behind the football field at Burrows Park. If you are nervous with heights you might like to give these a miss. The track rejoins just south of Clovelly Bowling Club. Burrows Park is an off leash dog area so mind where you step.

Sculpture by the Sea 2018

Sculpture by the Sea 2018 is an unmissable annual art event, transforming the 2km coastline from Bondi Beach to Tamarama. This year it will be held 18 October – 4 November 2018.

But with its unmissability, comes the crowds. People everywhere. Here are some tips to make the best of it:

* weekdays are less crowded than weekends, as is poor weather compared to glorious sunny days
* really early or later in the day is quieter too
* take your camera. There are some seriously good images of photogenic art that even an amateur can capture.
* if you can time it, the day or two before opening is when you may catch an artist during installation. It’s relatively uncrowded and a spectacle simply to see it all come alive.

Images: Destination NSW