What we’re about
Howdy. MJ here. I'm a Chicago fella now +21yrs in Sydneytown living in the CBD (Central Business District)... NOBODY knows Sydney better than I do, cause she's my girl / my lover... Cool bars. Amazing hikes. Great places to eat. Yup. I know it and love it all.
Let's share it together... Perhaps your style is:
*I like long walks on the beach... "*NO. That's so cliche on Bumble."
*I want to hike 30kms on rugged terrain... "*Nah. Too much."
*I want to do a pub crawl... "*F that. I'm too old."
Or?
"I fancy time in Mother Nature exploring beautiful hikes / walks in Sydney while meeting cool people. I want to check out some new bars and hydrate myself with a wine, beer or cocktail at the finale."
If the final statement suits your style??? Welcome to the group. Let's have some fun.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- COAST-GASM. Hike SYD HARBOUR v4. Watson's Bay to Bondi to Coogee. Drinks too!Doyles on the beach, Sydney
A weekend of Coast-gasms?!?! I mean, just look at that map. Look at it! It’s sooooo sexy how we can hike beach after beach from Watson’s Bay to Coogee Beach. Hugging… massaging… French kissing the ocean and whales the entire way. I love it!
And I haven’t been to Diamond Bay in yeeeeears. There’s a new Federation Walk (upper right corner pic)! Awesome. Here we go with:
a) SATURDAY: Hiking All of Sydney Harbour v4, WATSON’S BAY TO COOGEE BEACH, 16KMS
B) SUNDAY: v5: Manly Beach to Balmoral Beach with Chinaman’s Beach along the way…. a beach you must visit. Sign up HERE.HIKING SYDNEY HARBOUR.
If you're following along, our "Hike ALL of Sydney Harbour Series” is:
Hike 1, Dee Why Beach to Manly Wharf 16kms (21 June, sign up HERE)
Hike 2, Manly Wharf to Balmoral Beach 13kms (Sign up HERE)
Hike 3, Balmoral Beach to Sydney CBD 15kms
Hike 4, Sydney Opera House to Watson's Bay 17kms (Done)
Hike 5, Watson's Bay to Coogee Beach 16kms
Hike 6, Cronulla Beach to Captain Cook's Landing Spot 14kms (Done)TODAY’S HIKE, IN 2 PARTS.
Watson’s Bay to Bondi Beach. I’m not going to write too much… it’s a classic, and it’s 10/10. Camp Cove Beach. Hornby Lighthouse. Watson’s Bay… and onward down the coast. Vaucluse. Diamond Bay. And onnnnnnn to Bondi Beach. We’ll stop here for some lunch. If you’re keen to join the hike at this stage, that’s cool too. Or if you’re done / peeling away early? This is the time.Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach… possibly THE classic / most popular hike, walk in Australia. Bondi to Tama to Bronte to beach, beach, beach, to a Coogee Beach beer.
THE TRANSPORT.
a) 915am Ferry leaves Circular Quay from Wharf 2. But check the boards just in case. We arrive at 945am at Watson's Bay. Doyle's Restaurant is out meeting point. You can't miss it.
b) If you miss that ferry, relax. Catch the 945am one, and we’ll circle back and retrieve you – but you will miss Hornby Lighthouse.
c) From Watson’s Bay to Bondi to Coogee there are buses galore. Easy to get anywhere.THE OTHER STUFF.
a) Don’t be late. We leave on time / 5mins after. Or consult the map and catch up!
b) The cost. The hike is $10. Cash or PayID.
c) Honour your RSVP. No shows… well, not on at all. It's anti-social. You’ll be nudged out of the group.
d) Fitness matters. There will be ups. Downs. 16kms. Nothing super technical / challenging, so our pace should be pretty good.
e) Stay tuned for post-hike beer plan… Coogee Bay Hotel? DOG in Randwick is great too. I’ll plan it.
f) Bring mates, dates, etc...See you for a beautiful hike and "cheers" with a drink or two. MJ
- Multi-COAST-GASM. Manly Beach to Balmoral Beach. Hike SYD HARBOUR v5 + Drinks!Manly Wharf, Manly
Coast-gasm weekend continues?!?! Yup. Have that elusive multi. The “Spit to Manly Hike” is… So. Damn. Beautiful. And? We’re adding Chinaman’s Beach - one of the sleeper Sydney beaches, and perhaps it’s the best. Let’s do it all and finish at Balmoral Beach to hydrate.
Here we go with:
a) SATURDAY: Hiking All of Sydney Harbour v4, WATSON’S BAY TO COOGEE BEACH, 16KMS. Sign up HERE.
B) SUNDAY: v5: Manly Beach to Balmoral Beach with Chinaman’s Beach along the way…. a beach you must visit.HIKING SYDNEY HARBOUR.
If you're following along, our "Hike ALL of Sydney Harbour Series” is:
Hike 1, Dee Why Beach to Manly Wharf 16kms (21 June, sign up HERE)
Hike 2, Manly Wharf to Balmoral Beach 13kms
Hike 3, Balmoral Beach to Sydney CBD 15kms
Hike 4, Sydney Opera House to Watson's Bay 17kms (Done)
Hike 5, Watson's Bay to Coogee Beach 16kms (sign up HERE)
Hike 6, Cronulla Beach to Captain Cook's Landing Spot 14kms (Done)TODAY’S HIKE.
Manly Wharf to Spit Bridge. So much to see… West Manly Cove Beach, Manly Pavilion, Forty Baskets Beach, Reef Beach which spills into a diverse bush walk in National Park. Harbour views. Secluded Beaches. Wildlife. Mansions on the water to Clontarf and Spit Bridge. Crossing Spit Bridge we’ll enjoy a solid rest at Chinaman’s Beach – you’re in for a real treat. After Chinaman’s, we’ll neighbourhood / bush walk down to Balmoral Beach – another delightful Sydney spot.THE TRANSPORT.
a) 920am Manly Fast Ferry leaves Circular Quay from Wharf 2. But check the boards just in case. It arrives 940am, and we’ll head off from Hugo’s Manly (great restaurant / they will be closed / good place to meet) there at 945am.
b) From Balmoral Beach there are quite a few options – easy to plan on the day.THE OTHER STUFF.
a) Don’t be late. We leave on time / 5mins after. Or consult the map and catch up!
b) The cost. The hike is $10. Cash or PayID.
c) Honour your RSVP. No shows… well, not on at all. It's anti-social. You’ll be nudged out of the group.
d) Fitness matters. There will be ups. Downs. 19kms. Nothing super technical / challenging, so our pace should be pretty good.
e) Stay tuned for post-hike beer plan… The Buena in Mosman is lovely. We’ve also had a nice time at Minsky’s. I’ll plan it.
f) Bring mates, dates, etc...See you for a beautiful hike, beers, and laughs. MJ
- (FINAL) Hike ALL of SYDNEY HARBOUR, v6! Balmoral to Taronga to Caterpillar Club!Balmoral beach rotunda, Sydney
101kms of Hiking Sydney Harbour!!! We started at Sydney Opera House last month, and with this hike we finish at Sydney Opera House... and "CHEERS" at the lush and plush Caterpillar Club for the best Happy Hour in Sydneytown.
THE HIKE.
Balmoral Beach to Taronga Zoo & Mosman Rowers (8.5kms). This is definitely one of my favourite inner-Harbour hikes. We begin at Balmoral Beach and climb to one of the best views in Sydney at George's Head. Downward to a cracker of a (Chowder Bay) beach, then onward through lush greenery to Taylor's Bay, Bradley's Head, Taronga Zoo... and into one of my favourite pubs in Sydney (shhhh, it's a secret): Mosman Rowers (please bring ID, preferably you live >5kms away).We'll stop here for a rest / 30min drink on the water. If you have to leave (or if you want to meet us here for the 2nd half of the hike that's cool too), there's a ferry just steps away. But why not carry on?
Mosman Rowers to Sydney to Caterpillar Club (8.5kms).
Onward we go through a classic neighbourhood (Cremorne Point)... lower Neutral Bay and the beautiful Anderson Park. Up to Milson's Point, then onto Sydney Harbour Bridge with stunning views of our glorious city and Sydney Opera House.When we finish... Sorry, there won't be a band playing. Or fireworks. Or military jets. Or cheerleaders. But there will be Caterpillar Club opening its doors at 4pm with a superb Happy Hour... $16 burger (it's damn good), $12 cocktails, $6 beer and wine. You can't beat it. It's a former strip club turned cocktail joint... very fun indeed. Only thing? We need to freshen up - we can't walk in there with shitty hiking clothes on. Sooooo, think about a clothes upgrade at Angel Hotel (right across the street) before we head in - my strategy is some linen pants / shirt / deodorant for a quick Heavy Metal spray-shower.
Oh, and if you read this early, and you're keen for our other "Hike the Harbour Event(s)?" You can join our three in late June:
a) DEE WHY to MANLY BEACH, 21 June;
b) WATSON'S BAY to BONDI to COOGEE BEACH 22 June; and
b) MANLY BEACH to BALMORAL BEACH, 29 June.THE OTHER STUFF.
a) Don’t be late.
b) The cost. The hike is $10. Cash or PayID.
c) Honour Your RSVP. No shows on days like these are… well, not on at all. It's anti-social. You’ll be nudged out of the group.
d) Fitness. Fitness matters. There will be ups. Downs. Trail. Rocks. Nothing super technical / challenging.
e) Transport. I assume you have TripView app or something close - please make your way to Balmoral Beach. All buses drop right at Hunter Park. We meet there.
f) Dress code @4pm. Please have a plan. This is a really cool, really nice cocktail joint.Looking forward to this one - amazing scenery mixed with cool hikers, exercise, and excellent food / drinks!
See you then. MJ
