COLOURFULWORLD

Wednesday 14 February 2018

Sydney - Parks and Beach walks

On Saturday 27th January we went back to Petersham to meet with friends for lunch.
We settled on the restaurant "Palacio" where we had bought Portuguese bread and pastries a few days before. I thought the place was just a cafe but it was also a roomy and well decorated restaurant. 
Even though the owner is Portuguese we thought the food wasn't 100% traditional.  Obviously the number of Portuguese customers must be low so they have to cater for all tastes and tone down some of the flavours. I can't remember what the other had but I chose the Bacalhau a lagareiro (Codfish, potatoes, garlic and onions roasted in plenty of olive oil).



After lunch our friends drove us to Centennial Park for a walk around the park.
The huge lake was full of ducks and black swans, and a lot of other birds mingled outside the water - pigeons, doves, swans, ibis, ducks, cockatoos... and they didn't seem daunted by the people around the lake.
















A lot of young people were on their way to a music concert in the park, and we were shocked at some of the fashion, and mostly the "state of undress" of some of the girls. 
I'm glad my daughter is not a teenager...

                     The state of undress of some female concert goers

 There was a huge Rose Garden, and I found some purple flowers I didn't know.















After a walk around the lake it was time to drive to the famous Bondi Beach.
My friend B convinced us to do the Bondi to Coogee Walk.  She said it would take us about 45 minutes but I think we walked for around 3 hours, or if not, it surely felt like it!!
I've actually just checked the route and it's 6kms (3,73 miles) and it should take from 2 to 3 hours!!
Map of the walking trail
Bondi Beach





Due to some weather damage to part of the coastal walk in June 2016, which is being repaired, people have to re-route through the Waverley Cemetery to carry on the walk.
The cemetery which opened in 1877 is located on top of the cliffs in the suburb of Bronte, and is known for it's Victorian and Edwardian monuments. Around 50 thousand people are buried here including many well known Australians.

When we finally reached Coogee beach the sun had already gone down.
This beautiful statue was part of the "Sculpture by the sea" exhibition in 2012, the artist  was Keizo Ushio from Japan, and it's called "Twice Twist Bands".


The tall bench was fun, and I managed to climb it and take a photo with my husband.
We're hardly ever in photos together as I tend to be the photographer, but here we had our friends with us who could take a photo of us.

In Coogee we stopped for a pizza and drink at one of the waterfront restaurants.
Night had fallen by the time we finished and after looking up the bus timetable to take us back to the car parked near Bondi Beach, we realized it would be faster and cheaper to get a taxi for the 4 of us.

Coogee Beach

Image courtesy of Our Oyster
Bondi to Coogee walk - Image from the net
The taxi delivered us to the parked car, and after the men had a coffee, we were driven home, as being a Saturday and late at night we would probably not get public transport easily.
Uff, quite a long walk, it was hot and humid, and my feet were killing me, and I had to remove my sandals for the last half an hour of the walk! 
A nice walk, but probably not for my level of unfitness, I could have managed well with just half the route.

And so ended another day in Sydney.

30 comments:

  1. What a wonderful day out! The park is beautiful. Hot and humid and bad feet! I'm so sorry. I'm like that with too-long hikes/walks. It will be a long while before it's hot and humid here but I can relate to feet that are killing you!

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    1. Thanks Jeanie. Sydney's weather is a killer when it comes to humidity. Luckily even though Perth's summer temperatures are usually higher than in Sydney we don't have the humidity, so the heat is bearable.

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  2. Wow, sure you weren´t in an open air bath with those girls?!

    45 minutes was maybe just bait ;-)
    The stairs are beautiful.

    Yes, same here, usually it´s only Ingo in pics - you two look great!

    Agreed, not fun having such a long walk in humid weather!

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  3. Yes, I think the 45 min was a bait...
    Thanks Iris.

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  4. Oh that's so cool to see Bondi beach! Bondi Rescue isone of our favourite shows & is on TV right now!
    Great to see all the interesting sights of the area.

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    1. Bondi rescue is a very popular program. To tell you the truth even though I'm not a beach person I much prefer the Perth beaches that are huge and empty instead of Bondi that is packed with people. Thanks Christine.

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  5. ...what a fun day! Thanks for taking me along.

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  6. Of course I enjoyed seeing all your lovely photos, but the best for me were the black swans, so rare there is only one at our zoo. I know you take them for granted, but for me they are simply the best of something unique and unusual.

    Your comment about Portuguese food reminded me of a friend I had in high school who was Chinese. Her father told me that the food he fixed for his family (he was a chef in a Chinese restaurant) was so Americanized, it barely resembled anything he would fix at home. He said most Americans probably wouldn't care for the taste of authentic Chinese food. Possibly why the restaurant catered to tourists rather than local Portuguese.

    It's too bad your shoes/sandals and feet were hurting by the end of the walk around Bondi beach. Good walking shoes are a bonus. What a wonderful day you shared.

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    1. Quite true about the food Elizabeth, I suppose ethnic restaurants have to cater for all tastes.
      My sandals even though very comfortable weren't certainly the right walking gear, but I had no idea we would be walking that much :)

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  7. That's interesting about part of the walk being closed and diverting through the cemetery as that is exactly what happened to us in 2009. I expect the walk took us about three hours. http://highriser.blogspot.com.au/2009/07/holiday-day-4-sydney-day-2.html

    Young women don't seem to believe in the allure of the unknown. A tease? A glimpse? No, it is all out there and obvious. Their choice, as it should be, but it doesn't work for me and I think they just don't dress to make the best of themselves.

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    1. Just read your post about your Bondi walk Andrew. Then the boardwalk was being built around the Waverley cemetery, so that same boardwalk was destroyed by storm waves. It was interesting to walk through the cemetery which we wouldn't have seen had the boardwalk been passable.
      It's shocking what some young women choose to wear...or not to wear!

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  8. um mundo novo que não conheço!
    mas adoro polvo à lagareiro :)
    abraço
    Angela

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    1. Obrigada pela visita Angela. Bacalhau e polvo a lagareiro sao dos meus pratos preferidos tambem.

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  9. A long seaside hike! :) I'm sure that's a walk to remember.
    That bench looks like fun. I remember seeing a couple of really high chairs like that -- one in Colorado and one in Napa. :)

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    1. Thanks Dymia, yes certainly a walk to remember!

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  10. Uma das cidades que tenho a certeza voltarei a visitar.
    Kung Hei Fat Choi!!
    Bom Ano do Cão!!

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  11. Bom ano do Cao Pedro. Sempre bom visitar Sydney.

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  12. Some girls take dress codes as a personal challenge. I hope they actually want the attention

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    1. I think they would be getting the wrong attention. For me it's sad. Thanks Adam.

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  13. Gosh that was quite a trek Sami. We've done the Bondi to Bronte walk quite a few times, that's perfect! I bet you slept well that night 😀

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    1. That's a lot more manageable for sure Grace!
      I think so I was exhausted, not only with the walk but with the humid heat.

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  14. Belas fotografias e gostei de ver a boa disposição dos meus amigos.
    Um abraço e continuação de boa semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

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    1. Obrigada Francisco, e sempre bom nos encontrarmos com amigos.

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  15. Dearest Sami,
    Wow, you all undertook quite a walk and the Rose garden was lovely.
    That purple flower is a Buddleja or Butterfly bush and I recognized it at once as we got plenty of those to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
    Indeed what a shocking sight and do they really think that body painting counts for being dressed? No moral compass as we see so often nowadays in all its forms.
    Smart for taking a taxi back!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Thanks for naming those flowers, I don't think I'd ever seen them before. They are magnificent!
      Yes, as you say no moral compass...

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  16. Lamento ouvir o teu desabafo! Realmente, depois dum almoço à portuguesa, comida pesada e bebida alcoólica, uma paragem em Centennial Park, foi a pior decisão de irmos fazer este percurso! Este percurso já o fiz vezes sem conta, por vezes com banho em todas as praias como um desafio, outras vezes de manhã bem cedo e também ao anoitecer, mas nunca depois dum almoço à portuguesa e com alcool! Gosto imenso deste percurso e pensava que se fazia em 45 minutos ou menos!! :) Agora sei a distância e o tempo a percorrê-lo!! ;P

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