Our last day in Sydney was dedicated to the famous Bondi Beach. This was my second time here, still remember my first visit back in Nov 2017, when we braved the rain to explore the Sculptures by the Sea exhibition. What an experience! I had more luck this time round as the weather was good, which contributed significantly to the scenic views.
This time round, my boyfriend and I placed the Bondi to Coogee walk at the top of our list of things to do in Sydney. It's a relatively comfortable 6 km walk though you will be walking up and down quite a bit. Take your time and take a break when necessary. We stopped along the way to enjoy the scenery and take photos. Most people choose to start at Coogee and finish at Bondi for a good meal as Bondi has a wider selection of cafes and restaurants. We chose the other way round, but with no particular compelling reason :P
Transport
There is no direct train service to Bondi Beach. Nonetheless, there are many buses that will bring you to various parts of Bondi Beach from Bondi Junction station. There are multiple malls around Bondi Junction, and it's a good opportunity to shop for souvenirs, including Australia exclusive Haighs chocolate before heading home at the end of the day. The Coles supermarket here is a lot bigger than the one near King Cross station.
Attractions
Bondi beach and murals
After starting our day with a hearty breakfast at Speedo Cafe (please see review below), we began the walk to Coogee Walk. It was a free and easy day and we didn't set any target for ourselves. Bondi Beach is well-known as a world-class surfing spot. It's fun watching people riding the waves (when you realise you can never do it properly).
For those who like photos with colourful background, Bondi Beach Sea Wall will keep you occupied. It showcases the works from some of the best street artists across the globe. The art pieces are constantly changing. If you are lucky, you may even have the chance to see the artist in action!
Not sure if you could tell that the haze still hadn't gone away.
As one of the most famous ocean pools in the world, Bondi Icebergs serves as the landmark of Bondi Beach. Even during winter, people won't miss the chance to swim here.
Sculpture by the Sea returns to the Bondi Beach to Tamarama Beach coastal walk annually, from end Oct to early Nov. This coincides with the blooming season of Jacaranda! Guess I am trying to highlight that end Oct-early Nov is the best period for first-timer to the city, before the scorching heat strikes. We suggest a visit during weekdays to avoid local crowds. Not to further elaborate, please allow the photos below speak!
The blue sea serves as the best backdrop to the unique pieces of art.
I really like the pastel-coloured sea.
Bronte Baths
If the admission fee for Icebergs Bondi deters you from having a swim, there is a free-of-charge alternative - Bronte Baths. It offers an equally amazing view, though it's not supervised and not as well-maintained as Bondi Baths.
Unarguably the most popular photo spot for Bronte Baths. Following multiple attempts to get an Insta-worthy photo, then only we realised it's extremely challenging to get the right angle.
Food
Speedo cafe was recently named as the world's most Instagrammable cafe by serving eye-catching dishes. Speedo is a cute little cafe located right next to Bondi Beach that offers splendid sea view. I was very excited to visit the cafe after looking at all the incredible food photos featured in articles and Instagram.
Worth the hype? I couldn't give you a definite answer given we didn't order the right items to begin with. There was nothing spectacular about the Big Breakfast here. Probably the sumptuous pancakes or pink pitaya bowl would do a better job to impress us. The matcha latte and chai latte were not up to our expectation either. The coffee were a bit cold when they reached us. :(
Okay, please don't order the big breakfast if you want fancy photos. And the big breakfast tasted as boring as it looked. I was full of regrets.
The cafe was cramped and chaotic. Not the right place to go if you want a peaceful morning.
The Char Rotisserie (Bronte Branch)
Address: 139 Macpherson Street, Bronte Sydney, Australia 2024
Opening hours: 10am to 9.30pm daily
Satisfy your belly with steaming hot grilled chicken at The Char Rotisserie when you need a break from the walk. The reason why I am recommending this place is simply because it serves delicious yet affordable food. I was indecisive about which side dish to go with my grilled salmon as there were too many options and all looked equally appealing. In the end, I made the right decision to order organic quinoa as it's light, crunchy and refreshing. The signature grilled chicken ordered my boyfriend did not disappoint but we wish there were more sauces to overcome the slight dryness of chicken breast portion.
(Top) Half free-range chicken for only AU$9.90.
(Bottom) Grilled salmon for AU$12.90-17.90 (depending on the side chosen).
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