Sydney: the harbour city and its long coastal walks

It’s 6:42 a.m. on the Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk and I’m at the rocky headland just south of Bronte Beach. The Pacific is doing the Australian thing — five-foot rollers coming in from somewhere in the southern ocean, the water the colour of old glass, a few wetsuited surfers paddling out from the small Bronte break. The walk continues along the cliffs for another 4 km to Coogee, past a small cemetery at Waverley with views down to the sea. This is the Sydney I keep coming back for.

Why I keep coming back

Sydney’s gift is its geography. The harbour is a drowned river valley with a complicated coastline of headlands, coves, and bays; the Pacific coast runs north and south of the harbour mouth with a series of beaches separated by sandstone cliffs. The city’s central business district is on the harbour; ferries from Circular Quay connect to the residential suburbs across the water. The result is a city of about 5 million that is, somehow, never far from a beach or a harbour view.

The food culture has matured significantly over twenty years — the cafe-and-brunch culture is among the best in the world, and the contemporary Australian fine-dining scene has produced several globally significant restaurants.

Where to base yourself

The CBD for the central convenience.

Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, or Paddington for the inner-east neighbourhood-walking experience.

Bondi for the beach-and-cafe scene, with the trade-off of being 30 minutes from the centre.

Manly across the harbour, for the ferry-commute beach-suburb feel.

What to actually do

Walk the Bondi-to-Coogee coastal path. 6 km from Bondi Beach south along the cliffs to Coogee Beach. Allow 2–3 hours with stops at Tamarama and Bronte beaches. Best in the morning.

Take the Manly ferry. The 30-minute ferry from Circular Quay to Manly is one of the great urban commutes. Get a window seat. The fare is around AU$10.

Climb the Harbour Bridge. BridgeClimb operates the iconic harness-and-jumpsuit climb to the top arch of the bridge. Touristy and worth it for the view; allow 3 hours; around AU$300.

Walk through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. The headland viewpoint with the postcard view of the Opera House framed by the Harbour Bridge. Free.

See the Opera House. Take a guided tour of the interior; the building is, structurally, more interesting inside than its iconic shell suggests. The smaller concert halls have regular performances.

Day-trip to the Blue Mountains. Two hours west by train. The sandstone canyon-cliffs of Katoomba, the Three Sisters formation, the small mountain towns. A full day; the Scenic World cable car is the easy access.

Spend an afternoon at Taronga Zoo. The harbour-side zoo with the famous view back across to the city. Ferry from Circular Quay. The Australian native-animal sections are the highlight.

Walk in the Royal National Park. South of the city; the world’s second-oldest national park (1879); coastal walks through eucalyptus forest, sandstone cliffs, secluded beaches.

Where to eat

Quay — Peter Gilmore’s three-Chef-hat (Australia’s Michelin equivalent) restaurant; harbourside. Bennelong — Inside the Opera House; modern Australian. Tetsuya’s — Long-running Japanese-influenced contemporary Australian. Mr. Wong — Modern Chinese-Australian; reservations. The Apollo — Modern Greek-Australian in Potts Point. Sean’s Bondi — Bondi institution; small menu, the best of seasonal cooking. Bills Surry Hills — Bill Granger’s original; the famous scrambled eggs and ricotta hotcakes (the Sydney brunch defines the genre). Pizza al taglio at Da Mario in Surry Hills. Coffee anywhere — Sydney’s coffee culture is one of the world’s best; the standard flat white at any neighbourhood café is excellent.

When to come

Late September to early December (spring) or March to May (autumn). Pleasant temperatures (20–25°C).

December through February is summer; hot (sometimes 35°C+) and crowded with the holiday season; January is the busiest month.

Winter (June through August) is mild (12–18°C) and pleasant by Northern Hemisphere standards; whales migrate offshore from May to November.

Practical notes

• Visa: ETA for most Western passports; apply online before flying.
• Money: Australian dollar; card universally.
• Transport: The Opal card is the universal transit card; loadable, used on trains, ferries, buses, and the light rail. The ferries are particularly useful and a pleasure.
• Sunscreen: Australia has the highest skin-cancer rates on earth. The UV index in summer is consistently extreme. Apply, regularly, generously.
• The cost: Sydney is expensive. Mid-range dinner for two with wine is AU$200–300.
• The beach surf: Australian beaches are surf-and-rip-current zones. Swim between the red-and-yellow flags where lifeguards patrol. Don’t underestimate the Pacific.

A final thought

Sydney is one of the most consistently pleasant major cities I have travelled to. The geography is the standout — few major cities are so woven into a coastline — and the lifestyle infrastructure (the coffee culture, the beaches, the ferries, the parks) makes the city’s daily life unusually accessible to the visitor.

Five nights minimum. Walk Bondi-to-Coogee. Ferry to Manly. Eat at one ambitious restaurant. See a performance at the Opera House. Walk in the Royal National Park or the Blue Mountains. The city earns its global reputation, slowly, and rewards a longer stay more than a sprint.