I cannot pretend this is my favourite walk: the first half is almost entirely on city streets so many people start at the Dudley Page reserve. However, there are a few points of interest along the way if you are sufficiently determined, before it finishes at the spectacular cliffs of the Gap.
There is a lively buzz about Bondi which is rather endearing although on the whole I find it rather too touristy and busy. The long stretch of golden beach is backed by an unattractive car park to one side and the front strip is not very exciting – you need to explore the side streets to find the classier places.
It was 24° at 9.30 am on a Saturday morning as I walked north along the promenade with the full complement of dog walkers, joggers and strollers in evidence. The cafes were packed and already the beach was busy with sunbathers.
The North Bondi Children’s Pool, combined with the shallow Wally Weekes tidal pool attracts families to the northern end of the beach, with plenty of shade shelters in evidence.
It is possible to pitter patter over the rough rocks past the pools to approach the Ben Buckler headland; the road option passes the popular Speedos Cafe and a Nessie lookalike in the children’s playground.
In contrast to the development of Bondi, the wild sea is unchanging, never tamed or still. Mermaid Rock sits prominently below the lookout – a plaque explains that the huge 235 tonne boulder was thrown up in a storm in July 1912.
A little higher there are yet more expansive views over Bondi and a stone proclaiming ‘I am better than no man and no man is better than I’ – I think Bob Dylan said something similar but I would have thought it rather kills ambition! Magic Point is clearly visible to the south and the huge Waverley Cemetery.
Now the roadwork starts, although I was briefly sidetracked by the North Bondi Bookshelf, an excellent communal library on the corner of Hastings Parade and Mitary Road.
The load slightly heavier, I continued on steadily uphill to the next point of interest. One sees the high tower above Bondi in the distance and thinks it must be a monument or some such. However closer inspection reveals that it is just a series of concrete pipes joined together and its use is rather more prosaic.
The Ben Buckler Stack dates back to 1910 and is actually the ventilation shaft for an underground sewage treatment plant – and it is obviously still working as the area is quite whiffy! It is accessed by a short path across a golf course.
The high cliffs behind are littered with crosses and it is all quite scenic, but of more interest is the nearby flat rock which has an assortment of 2000 year old aborigine engravings. A sign states that they were regrooved in 1964 but they are still quite indistinct, although some claim they depict a shark attacking a man making it the first recorded shark attack in Bondi!
Continuing on, there was a brief respite from the road bashing at the Ridley Reserve where the tired grass was busy with dog walkers. Between 1946-1954 the Dover Heights Station was an important radio astronomy site and you can see a replica antenna.
From the end of the reserve, the route climbs up to Military Road again, where it is worth crossing over to the Dudley Page Reserve for a superb panoramic skyline view of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and the high rises of central Sydney with Rose Bay in the foreground. There is a big New Year’s Eve party held on the reserve.
From there one should drop down on Lancaster Road but the path is being upgraded at the moment and bar a quick peek at the bottom of Eastern Avenue, it is accessed from the bottom of Kimberley Street at present.
From there, a shiny new boardwalk leads around the heights above Diamond Bay, where steep cliffs are pounded by seething waves.
At the far side there is a leafy gully which attracts parrots, birds and butterflies – it shows how lush the coast of Sydney may have been before we moved in! A shady overhang drips water and it is a nice place to just sit and listen to the birds.
There is a little more uphill hiking – check out the empty plot opposite Tower Street: it has a great view and some fun statues on the back fence.
At Clarke’ s Reserve I finally found the first loo of the walk (be warned: there aren’t many bushes en route!) and sat down on the headland to enjoy the view. Humpback and Southern Right whales pass northwards in mid-May to mid August and return in mid August to November: there are free binoculars to help spot them.
I detoured down to Old South Head Road to visit The Grumpy Baker. It is nicely removed from the tourist chaos of Watson’s Bay and the Israeli owner’s influence is obvious in the menu with shakshuka ramekins and Eastern salads.
There is outside seating, good coffee and cakes and an excellent array of freshly baked bread.
Following the path along the high cliffs, I skirt the two hundred year old Macquarie Lighthouse, the first one built in Australia, which was designed by the convict architect Francis Greenway.
A memorial to the Australian Royal Corps of Signallers is placed near an empty gun emplacement, the first of many old fortifications on the headland.
I pass two more, and a memorial to a Lieutenant Grieve who fell in the battle of Paardeberg on 18th February 1900, before I finally reach the Gap whose easy accessibility and dramatic cliffs have long made it a favourite suicide spot.
A large anchor is all that remains of the Dunbar which was wrecked on the rocks below on August 20th 1857 with only one survivor from 122 passengers.
The path continues up to South Head and explores the fabulous scenery and old fortifications up there – I’ll save that for the next walk!
NOTES
This section is approximately 13.8 km long but is fairly straightforward, with quite a few steady upward inclines. There are good transport links at each end.
