Destination NSW’s Guide – Bondi To Cronulla In Two Days!

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

Bondi Beach attractions

Bronte Baths via the coastal walk

Voodoos for seriously good waves

Cronulla Point on a big board

Shark Island viewing from afar

There’s no possible better location to start an inner-city beaches tour than the world-famous Bondi Beach.

After flying in late the night before, I wake to find a blue sky day with brisk offshore wind and a surprising amount of east swell making landfall at Australia’s most famous beach. The boys in blue (not the police but those famous Bondi Rescue crew) are already on the beach keeping everyone safe in the solid conditions.

I can’t help a quick surf straight out the front. It’s a bit straight with the swell direction so I only last about twenty minutes before coming in and heading for Bondi’s second biggest attraction, the Icebergs.

These days the Icebergs have an accompanying restaurant to go with the chilly pools with a view are famous for. Don’t miss this legendary little spot if you come to Bondi.

It’s only about a five minute drive in good traffic to Bronte so I opt to put on the old foot falcons and stroll along the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk instead. The trip takes me through Mackenzies Point with a stop to check out the Aboriginal Rock Engravings before I arrive in Bronte. After a quick coffee and breakfast at the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club while taking in the magic view, I head back the way I came and hit the road south in the real falcon this time.

Getting from Bronte to ‘The Shire’ requires a bit of zig zagging and I negotiate the mid-morning traffic pretty well and find myself driving past the Cronulla Sharks stadium in about forty minutes.

I book into my hotel on the Cronulla foreshore and get down to business. I have always wanted to surf ‘Voodoos’ on the Northern edge of Cronulla State Park and the conditions are pretty good going off the forecast.

I arrive to overhead barrels and a handful of crew on the take-off spot. Note, this wave is heavily localised at times, meaning don’t hassle or make the mistake of becoming impatient. Wait and hope a local calls you into a good one! After an hour of scraps on the inside I get called into a cracking set wave and get spat out of a nice left barrel.

Satisfied with myself and ready for a cold ale, I head back to Cronulla proper to meet a mate who lives in the area for dinner.

There’s no shortage of good food options on the foreshore strip and I meet my mate at the classic Northies Cronulla Hotel for a traditional counter meal and perfectly poured lager. After shooting the breeze for an hour or so I hit the wall and head back to my accommodation for a well-earned sleep.

Shark Island is a world-famous rock bottom surf break located offshore behind Cronulla Point and a wave I have always wanted to watch in person. When I arrive, the waves are cranking! It’s super hollow and there are guys and girls getting amazing barrels and beatings all in the same set. A must if you get the chance to witness the wave in all its glory. Bring some binoculars if you can.

As I walk back towards South Cronulla I can see surfers getting large but full waves off what some call ‘Cronulla Point’ and I suddenly get amped to get wet! After racing back to the hotel and getting my mid-length seven footer I make a b-line for the surf.

While Shark Island spits and hisses behind us to the south-east I surf big perfect walls for a couple of hours with a dozen or so others. Great fun! There’s plenty of other great spots to check out between Bondi and Cronulla but if you only have a couple of days, I think I nailed the itinerary!