Beaches, Sydney

I love the sea and learning was something I just had to do. Beware the Blue Bottles because they leave a nasty sting that kinda burns. You should also be...well.. fit, cos my arms were aching badly. I had my surfing lessons at Maroubra Beach cos it was close to my cousin's place but you could try it at Bondi as well.

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This is my favourite beach in Sydney. Easiest way ti get there is the ferry- Dock 3 from round the corner from the opera house.

Its about $13 for a day return. When you get accross to Manly, you walk through a ittle row of shops, including all the surfing brands and some nice little pubs.

The beach is long, has about 8 volleyball courts, a surfing end, and a swiming end. Us being brave and stupid ran straight into the water in the middle and waded out- then wondered why noone else was in the water there. Then we remembered- bluebottles!! These are little jellyfish that sting like hell for an hour afterwards- but nothing can be done to alter it. If you go in the swimming or surfing section there are no jellyfish tho, so dont worry.

Oh yeah- lot of tourist girls seem to have surfing lessons, and they tend to be rubbish and fall of- worth wandering up that end for a look :p

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Probably the most famous beach in Sydney- and probaby one of the worst.

Fills up with tourists really easily, and the local area ia an absolute dive.

The waterfront is full of greasy Greecian restaurants and cheap tourist shops. Thres a few good surf shops, and getting a Bondi surf shirt is kinda compulsary. Other than that tho- wouldnt really recommend it. Head over to Manley- much better

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Palm Beach is the very last beach north along Sydney's coastline. It has two types. The main part is the surf beach on the Pacific Ocean side (east), and the western side, Pittwater (Hawksberry River) side where there are no waves.

The more ideal part for swimming is the eastern side though. There is also a lighthouse which you can walk up to for great views.

The TV Show "Home and Away" is filmed at Palm Beach, known as "Summer Bay" on the show.

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This is an absolutely beautiful beach. In fact, it was my very first time to visit it! It's not as busy as the Eastern Suburbs and Manly Beaches, which is great. A big difference with the beaches in the Eastern Suburbs and Northern Suburbs is the colour of the sand. It's more of an orange colour.

Bilgola is not built up, and it also includes a salt-water rockpool. The beach is patrolled for your safety too by the lifesavers.

I think just take a look at the pictures. You will want to come here!

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Coogee Beach
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This is a nice beach during the day and at night, it sometimes can get a little noisy with many tourists and locals drinking heavily at the locals bars and pubs. There are plenty of nice restaurants and cafes too, so it can be enjoyed regardless of the weather. There is also a nice park that runs along the length of the beach.

Type = Surf. Salt-water bathing pools available. Bars, cafes and restaurants.

Getting There = From Bondi Beach, bus route 222 or you may walk along the coastal walk via Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly beaches. From the city centre, get the bus 370, 372 or 373. From Bondi Junction Station, get the 313 bus.

Maroubra Beach
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See the "Eastern Suburbs Beaches... Part V" tip for Maroubra Beach and photos!

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One of the most famous beaches in the world - Bondi. Its known as the 'K-Mart' of beaches in Sydney as it is one of the most built up and popular. Be as it may, its still a beautiful sight - wide sands, blue waters, breakers and surfers. The rip can be very dodgy but even so....Not the most beautiful, but certainly a lotta fun! And of course the epynonymous surfers... :)

Off the beach it has one of the highest concentration of budget accommodation outside Victoria St in The Cross and Hall Street is packed with cafes/bars/restaurants.

You can also walk and follow the coast both north and south (see Tamarama tip for heading south). Head north to North Bondi to get great views back over the beach and, take life and limb in hand and walk across the Golf Course to get great views along the coast.

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Balmoral Beach is something very special for a city beach. Quite some distance from the main road and only buses or private vehicles provide access so this is not so frequented by tourists (it's also a very steep route form the main road to the beach). It's a real locals place, but, a very upmarket local beach. Homes in the millions of dollars range see to this :) But its stunning, with spectacular views, relatively under-developed (few cafe/restaurnat options) and, for a large part of it, the beach backs onto the playing oval, providing a tree-lined backdrop and grass access to the water if sand is not your bag. There's also a sea water swimming area built out in the bay and plenty of boats bobbing on the marina.