Coogee Beach: Bondi's Little Brother
Coogee Beach is perhaps best thought of as Bondi’s little brother. It’s a smaller suburb than Bondi, and a smaller beach too. Lacking the world famous prestige of Bondi, Coogee Beach is often perceived to be a friendlier neighbourhood, where the attitude, and the posing, is significantly scaled back. That’s not to say Coogee isn’t incredibly popular in its own right. It can still be jam packed on a blazing summer’s day, but the crowd tends to be more family orientated than Bondi, with lots of local youngsters, students from nearby UNSW and more long-term, laid-back backpacker types.
Unlike Bondi, which has designated areas to keep surfers and swimmers apart, surfing is forbidden at Coogee (unless the surf is really up, and the beach is closed to swimmers). The surfers aren’t particularly bothered, since the beach’s steep, sudden drop-off results in more of a shore break than the formation of barrelling waves. Be aware though, that although the lack of high waves can make Coogee look less intimidating than other beaches, when the shore break is strong it can be dangerous. Always heed the advice of lifeguards and stay between the flags.
Coogee has a wide, spacious, grassed area behind the beachside promenade, perfect for picnicking. There are couple of gazebos and public barbecues for use if you show up early enough. It’s also the start of the stunning six kilometre Coogee-to-Bondi walk which traverses some of Sydney’s most spectacular coastal landscapes.
While trendy coffee lounges and cocktail bars have blossomed around parts of Bondi, Coogee is still a more a beer and fish and chips-kind of place. Walk along Coogee Bay Road for takeaway kebabs, chicken, burgers and smoothies, or drop into one of the friendly cafés on Beach Street or Arden Street. Both the enormous Coogee Bay Hotel and the Beach Palace Hotel are popular with backpackers and often feature live entertainment. Oceans Bar offers a more upscale affair, with the same panoramic Pacific views.
HelloSydney Tip: There are two ocean baths at Coogee that provide safe swimming conditions year-round. An entrance gate marked 'Baths' leads to the former Giles Bath, which is now a 'bogey hole', or a shallow, protected swimming area which is semi-open to the surf. The historic McIvers Bath at the northern end of the beach is one of the few women-only baths remaining in New South Wales.
Posted by Fiona Davies
