Coogee Beach

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by Jessie on July 16, 2009

Whenever I reminisce about Sydney, it’s not the city itself or the magnificent harbors that I miss. Instead, I hear the gentle roaring waves that threaten to crash on the pristine shore, leaving a foamy white residue. I picture the many who have decided to “chuck a sickie” from either work or school (which surprisingly, happens quite frequently) to bask under the glorious (and cancerous) sun. I lived a 7 minute walk away from Coogee Beach and it’s here that I learned how to boogie board, decipher waves worthy of my strength to body surf, and enjoy a good run.

What Coogee has:

Less people! Unlike the popular Bondi Beach, Coogee generally attracts locals and therefore, is generally less crowded on hot days. Less is more.
Barbeque grills: There are some on both the far left and right hand side you walk down from Arden St. to the beach. Best of all, they’re all free! But the grills will always warrant a long line if it’s a beautiful day, so arrive early.
An awesome selection of food places. Right on the beach is Chish and Fips, home of some of the most amazing fish and chips.
Easily accessible by bus. 372, 373, 374 all depart the Sydney Central Business District.
Right next to Gordon’s Bay, which is a short walk away. There’s beautiful coral in the bay and you can snorkel.

What Coogee Beach doesn’t have:

Waves suitable for surfing. The waves are “dump waves” meaning that they dump on the shore. So if you ever attempted to surf at Coogee, you could end up with a broken neck…

Good eats by Coogee Beach:

Coogee-Bondi Walk:

Those of you who watched the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney for beach volleyball and sailing probably caught a glimpse of the spectacular oval-esque sweeping beach, also known as Bondi Beach. It by far overtake Coogee Beach in terms of size and activities, but falls prey to the masses of tourists. There’s a 7km (4.35 miles) walk from Coogee to Bondi, and it takes you along the rocky edges that tower above the water.