Cliff-Walker: Hiking from Coogee to Bondi

Time to hit the beach! Alright, not in the traditional way - more in the jeans and sweatshirt "geez it's freezing here" way. Today I joined a hostel tour of the seaside cliffs between Coogee and Bondi Beach. Coogee lays 8km SE of Sydney's city center and is a classic example of English settlers inability to overcome language barriers. The name Coogee comes from the Aboriginal word 'koojah' meaning 'smelly place'; this referred to the rotting seaweed that washed up on the shores and not the place itself. Ah well, at least the natives can get a chuckle about it. Bondi Beach is one of the most famous Pacific Ocean beaches, holding 40,000 sea-waders on any summer day. It is also the setting of a reality Bay Watch show simply called: Bondi. I believe slow motion running is involved on a near-daily basis.)

I ditched the tour group about 30 seconds after getting off the bus; there is no time for lunch when there are ocean cliffs to explore! They probably wouldn't keep up anyway. The cliff walk was a rock-scrambling good time that reminded me of family adventures to Great Falls, Virginia. The ocean boomed and sprayed against the rocks and a murderous wind kept shoving me towards the edge. Far below were men who should, if the world was a sane place, be in a mental institution and not surfing. The undulation of the water made me nauseous; it looked like a giant had grabbed a carpet and was shaking off the dust...in this scenario swimmers and surfers are the dust specs flying off into oblivion.

After Coogee, I entered a wildlife preserve warning against the disturbance of all plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish; except grouper - nobody likes them anyway. The Aussies are incredibly cautious when it comes to the ecosystem. They do not allow food to be transported internationally or even domestically between provinces and their animal-quarantine laws are infamously stringent. Not that they don't have good reason for paranoia. Australia's ecosystem is the diverse on the planet, filled with species not found anywhere else in the world. But, most of these species have had to adapt to a very specific and harsh conditions and have not had to endure competition. When a more adaptable breed is introduced the world goes haywire. Take the story of the bunnies: In 1859, a brilliant man named Thomas Austin released 24 rabbits onto his property for hunting purposes...and now rabbits are invasive pests responsible for the extinction of several Australian species. So the Aussie care for environment is not unusual and there were several preserves along the path.

At one point in the walk, I found two ducks floating happily in a small pool while a tiny rivulet carried the water back to the ocean. My guess is that the pool fills at high tide each night and drains throughout the day. I stood at the brink admiring the clever little ducks when an aquarium exhibit flashed into my head. I was loitering at the edge of a pool...and the world's greatest ambush hunters live here! I jumped from the imaginary crocs into the safety of a large mud puddle at the cliff's edge. Ah, the cold clammy embrace of safety! How would a croc get up on a cliff? Listen, if you're going to bring logic into this when I've just escaped death, I'm not sure we can be friends anymore.

ANYWAY! Back to the cliff walk. The path wound into little coves full of fishing boats, through playgrounds and preserves, along boardwalks, through sea-side cemeteries, and always back up to the rocky cliffs. The entire walk took about 1.5 hours, mostly due to my dawdling over pictures and scenic views. It's a backpacker's delight: romantic, harrowing*, and informative all for the price of bus fare.

*Note: This walk is more harrowing for those possessing intense imaginations and little sense.