00:00Whoever first coined the phrase life is a beach must have been in Sydney or at the very
00:07least been thinking of the place at the time.
00:09You can spend a whole month in the harbour city and never visit the same beach twice.
00:14And what's more, most of Sydney's 37 beaches are situated within 30 minutes of the CBD
00:20by public transport.
00:22Although that's the widely publicised figure, there are in fact 60 beaches from the north
00:27to the south of the city.
00:30Now we can't take you to every single one of them in this DVD postcard, but they vary
00:35greatly and that's what makes them so appealing to beach lovers.
00:42Ask anyone to name the top 3 beaches in the world and chances are that they'll name Bondi
00:48at the top of the list.
00:50At just 8km away, this is the closest oceanside beach to the centre of Sydney.
00:55But be warned, on a warm summer's day it can almost be as busy as the CBD and just
01:01finding a spot to lay out on a towel is a real challenge.
01:06Bondi is a crescent shaped beach, 1km long.
01:10There's plenty of visitors out on the waves learning to surf.
01:14It's also renowned for posing.
01:16If you've got a body beautiful, then why not flaunt it?
01:19A pastime enjoyed by both locals and visitors alike.
01:24But if this isn't your scene, then maybe you're better off choosing one of the many
01:28quieter stretches of sand to catch a few rays, and confining your Bondi excursion to exploring
01:34the restaurants and cafes that provide the backdrop to this famous landmark.
01:39One place well worth checking out is the Bondi Icebergs at the south end of the beach.
01:45Its origins date back to 1929, when a band of dedicated local surf lifesavers who wanted
01:51to maintain their fitness during the winter months, formed the Bondi Icebergs Winter Swimming
01:56Club.
01:57Today, the Icebergs is the only licensed winter swimming club in the world.
02:02From its corner position on the cliffs, the bar looks directly across the beach and the
02:07water, and not surprisingly, seafood features highly on the excellent dining room menu.
02:13There's also the Sun Deck Cafe, which serves a wide variety of light snacks and meals.
02:18It's a great place to sit and watch all the action, both sand and in the water, from
02:23a wonderful vantage point.
02:26From Bondi, you can take a walk, a spectacular walk, to our next featured beach at Kuji,
02:32one of the most spectacular coastal walks in the world.
02:35Along the way, you'll take in Tamarama, Bronte, and Clavelli, which is a sheltered beach popular
02:41with many families.
02:43Unless you're a fitness fanatic, and you'll see quite a few of those on this route, you'll
02:47need about two hours for this walk.
02:50Bear in mind that in the summer months, it's better undertaken in the morning or in the
02:54evening, because in the middle of the day, it can get pretty hot.
02:58The walk follows a medium-gradient, tip-top path, which is perfectly safe and takes in
03:03a combination of beaches, parks, local history, and some memorable scenery.
03:13There are seating along the way, but there are also several staircases, some of them
03:17quite steep.
03:19The parks have picnic shelters and coin-operated barbecues, so if you're prepared to carry
03:24your lunch, there are plenty of places to stop and enjoy it.
03:28There's a quiet little spot at Gordon's Bay to try your hand at catching dinner, or to
03:32snorkel, or even scuba dive, and there are plenty of change rooms and toilets along the
03:36way.
03:41Quite a few walkers make a short detour to visit Waverley Cemetery.
03:47The cemetery grounds are open every day from sunrise to sunset, and if you like history,
03:52they are well worth a visit.
03:57Coogee still has a village feeling, and the locals like it that way.
04:04Like Bondi, there's a wide range of cafes and restaurants.
04:10By Sydney standards, the surf is usually quite flat, so generally speaking, it's a good place
04:15to swim.
04:17But there are days when it can be rough, so it's always best to stay between the flags,
04:22the area which is patrolled by the ever-vigilant Volunteer Surf Lifesavers.
04:28The northern tip of Coogee is now named Dolphin's Point, and is the site of a memorial to the
04:3320 local residents who were among the 88 Australians who died in the terrorist bombing in Bali
04:38in 2002.
04:42Way down the coast is Cronulla in southern Sydney, 26 kilometres from the city.
04:52Cronulla Beach is a long stretch of sand that runs from Boat Harbour to North Cronulla,
05:00followed by rock pools and another sandy beach in South Cronulla.
05:05Cronulla is well recognised by surfers as the best of the southern Sydney beaches.
05:16That's the best of the south side beaches, across the harbour to the northern beaches,
05:21and you're in for some real treats.
05:28The ferry or jet catch service from Circular Quay in the city will take you right down
05:32the harbour and across the heads of the entrance to Manly.
05:37Manly is located on a narrow peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water, and offers both harbour
05:43and ocean beaches.
05:46It's the gateway to no less than 18 north side beaches, several of them within easy
05:52walking distance.
05:59Variety is the spice of life, they say, and that certainly applies to Sydney beaches.
06:04Manly Cove and Little Manly are harbour-side beaches, which are all within a few minutes
06:09of Manly.
06:11And from the ferry terminal, it's just a short stroll across a pedestrian arcade to the ocean.
06:19With its backdrop of Norfolk Island pines, high-rise apartments and a promenade of restaurants,
06:25shops, Manly is a busy place.
06:28So if the weather's good, and it usually is, expect lots of people.
06:34The trees were planted back in the mid-1800s by Henry Gilbert Smith, the man who bought
06:39the land and introduced the ferry service to the main part of the city.
06:44The northern end of Manly is called Queenscliff Beach.
06:48It has a lagoon entry, which empties into the ocean.
06:51The centre is called North Stain, and the southern end, South Stain.
06:57Next to Manly is Cabbage Tree Bay and Shelley Beach, the only west-facing beach on Australia's
07:02east coast.
07:09The walk to these beaches from Manly is flat and easy, and takes just a few minutes.
07:15With its clear, shallow water, Shelley Beach is ideal for scuba diving and snorkelling,
07:21and there's some interesting marine life to be seen here.
07:26The Northern Beaches coastline from Manly up to Palm Beach is impressive by any standards,
07:31but to get to any of them, you'll need to use public transport or hire a car.
07:37Further up the coast from Manly is Dewy with its trendy restaurants,
07:45and a prominent saltwater swimming pool right on the point.
07:52Further north is Long Reef, which has a link-style golf course jutting out into the ocean.
07:59Within sight of Long Reef is Collaroy and Narrabing, which is actually one beach which
08:04passes through two suburbs.
08:08If you're going to make the trek along the Northern Beaches, make sure you go all the way.
08:13With its backdrop of hills and Norfolk Island pines, Newport, with its broad sweep of sand,
08:18is one of the best of the beaches in this area.
08:22It's known for its bodyboarding, and there are some great cafes and shops to hook while away a lazy day.
08:29Then, at the end of the peninsula, picturesque Palm Beach.
08:34Fans of the long-running TV series Home and Away will recognise this.
08:38It features in many of the episodes.
08:42Palm Beach is a narrow peninsula, with the ocean on one side, and stunning Pittwater on the other.
08:50To put it all in perspective, and provided you're very fit,
08:53take the time to wander down the sheltered beach on the Pittwater side, and climb up to Baron Joey Lighthouse.
09:01It's quite a steep hike, but the views from the top will make the effort well worthwhile.
09:08That's the best of the surf beaches, but the inner harbour offers another wonderful beach, Balmoral.
09:15With its views of the heads, Balmoral is in one of Sydney's most exclusive northern suburbs.
09:22With views like this, not surprisingly, houses here don't come cheap.
09:27The Esplanade, which runs along the back of the beach, is home to a number of upmarket restaurants,
09:32but if you're looking for something a little cheaper, there are some excellent fish and chips to be had.
09:37Balmoral is only a short bus or cab ride from the city, and if you want to spend a few hours in a special place, then this would be it.
09:47For obvious reasons, Sydney is known as the Harbour City, but it's also the Beach City,
09:53with a huge variety of locations that rival anything you'll find anywhere in the world.
