Belated post.
Last week my family, my boyfriend and I went to tour the eastern suburbs of Sydney. Mum used to work there and was reminiscing the good old times. She was curious about the change that had taken place since she moved on from her old work. For me, it was interesting to visit the place of all her work stories. Coincidentally I had not visited the eastern beaches for over a year now, therefore it was good to visit those places again.
Our first stop was Coogee. It was a really sunny day so the photos turned out great. I love the rock pools. I went there with my boyfriend before we started to date. It was summer, and we went for a swim in the natural rock pool and it was just one of the most fantastic experiences I have had at a beach. The waves would roll over the rocks and make the rocks shimmer. When it got hot you could just sit on a rock, lay back and get a nice tan. If you were lucky, every now and then a small wave would come and just barely wash over the rock you were laying on, giving you a nice break from the heat.
This time I took out my new camera and started snapping away instead. Being winter, I did not see anyone braving the cold to swim in the rock pool. However it was still fun climbing the rocks. The others went on to spy on little crabs and sea creatures hiding under rocks.
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| The rock pool (I like lying on the rock in the centre of the photograph) |
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| Sitting in the sun, breathing fresh air and watching the waves roll in... what better way to spend a weekend. |
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| View of Coogee beach from the rock pool |
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| Mum on the edge of this continent |
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| View of Clovelly from Coogee |
Our next stop, Clovelly, was just as amazing. I went there to view the sunrise with my boyfriend when we first started dating. I remember vividly how we sat on the edge of a cliff watching the sky change from dark gray (it was a cloudy day unfortunately) to light grey and then finally revealing a small slip of ray as the sun passed the horizon. There was a car park next to the cliff, filled with cars belonging to those who traveled to see the beautiful view. This time as we were parked and sitting in the car having some snacks, a couple parked next to us with the back of their small ute/truck facing the ocean view. We watched as they got out with their lunch and sat on the back of the vehicle and laid back enjoying the sun and their meal. I thought to myself that their idea was ingenious.
When we finally left the car, we were all very excited by the sound of the crashing waves. As we approached the edge of the cliff, we could see splashes coming from the impact of the waves against the rocks. It was very beautiful. Walking around Clovelly and the small family friendly beach I began to appreciate the lifestyle that people enjoyed in Sydney. Nested in various areas around the beach there were orange semi-nude men and women in their swimwear, young parents pushing their baby in a pram, packs of tourists, young families enjoying a lunch at the beach or at the adjacent cafe, and fishermen perched on the edge of cliffs pulling in large breams. It was a lovely scene.
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| My brother settling into the Australian lifestyle |
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| Beautiful view from the top of the cliff |
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| Waves would come up through a hole in the rocks |
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| Beautiful live sea snails |
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Next was the infamous Bondi Beach. We headed there when we realised that it was 1:30pm and we just really wanted to eat lunch. After explaining to mum that the best ribs in Sydney were found at Bondi Beach, we drove straight to Bondi Hurricanes and ordered 2 full lamb rack combos and 1 half lamb rack and half-chicken combo with a caesar salad. Let me just say, between the four of us we still had a full lamb rack leftover. It was so delicious but impossible to finish without making our stomachs explode. Great idea but I was enjoying the food so much that I forgot to take photos. Oops.
Our final stop was Bronte. I was not familiar with the name, but when I got there I realised that I had been to the place before... at 2am in the morning after a party. The place was so serene at night without a soul in sight last time, but this time it was filled with young families and young people. As I approached the beach I saw small children riding with their parents in a mini-train going round and round, laughing so happily. Brought back great childhood memories. When I walked up along the right side of the beach towards the top of the cliff, I passed a man-made aquamarine rock pool that looked so pretty against the turquoise sea, I made a mental note that I should come back and swim there in the summer.
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| The beach and the rocks |
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| A seabird enjoying the view from its pedestool |
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| My boyfriend looking effortlessly handsome ( I love this portrait of him, there's something about those rocks that capture him as a person) |
I had so much fun that day. It made me realise that Australia has so much to offer, so much beauty that it was not necessary to travel far or spend too much money to witness true natural beauty.
xoxo
Z
