MY DREAM DAY - SYDNEY (DRAFT)
Bondi Icebergs, Sydney
Looking for the perfect way to spend a day in Sydney?
In the next instalment of my “Dream Day” series, we are very lucky to have Kerrie McCallum, Head of Travel, Food & Health at News Corp Australia, share her insights on her hometown of Sydney with us.
Kerrie is an expert on all things travel and knows just how to get the most out of a destination, As part of her role, Kerrie is the editorial director of Delicious, Travel + Luxury glossy magazine in The Australian, Body & Soul, as well as editor-in-chief of Escape, Australia's No 1 travel media brand.
Kerrie’s ‘Dream Day’, is filled with coastal magic, hidden local gems and iconic Sydney moments - it has it all, and I’m pretty sure you’ll be following in her footsteps on your next trip to Sydney. Read on and enjoy.
Kerrie McCallum
I'd likely start the day by grabbing a coffee and a bacon and egg roll (or smashed avo) for sustenance at The Depot in Bondi - I adore the guys behind this place (Guy Turland and his cousin Johnny, who used to run the cafe at our work headquarters).
They have a really sunny, fun and inclusive nature, and it's in a great but casual spot to start before heading off for the Bondi to Bronte walk. The cafe culture in Bondi is in a class of its own, and it's worth soaking up the atmosphere over brekky/brunch.
Next up, after a feed, I'd definitely recommend walking the Bondi to Bronte path. There's nothing like it in the world, and the view never gets old as you hug the coastline through Tamarama and beyond. It's the first thing I'd recommend to visitors, and it's free!
Plus, if you're up for it, the path continues on to Clovelly (stop there for a spot of snorkelling, or lawn bowls, and marvel at its famous cemetery overlooking the ocean, and finally Coogee, where you could have lunch at the glamorous Mimi's with its infamous vodka caviar bumps. However, we've only got one day, so we'll stop at Bronte for now.
Stop off for a swim in the iconic ocean pool at Bronte. My kids grew up doing nippers here and are cadet lifesavers at Bronte so this pool holds fond memories for me, watching my kids laughing and screaming as they cling to the ropes while the waves crash against them. The Bogey Hole is a little natural rock pool off the shore nearby and that's also a gentle spot to swim if you want to avoid the massive Bronte shore dump.
There are stunning ocean pools at every beach along this coastal walk and all are worthy of a stop - Coogee Baths, Clovelly, Bronte and Bondi's famous Icebergs pool - so really, any of them are great and offer a different perspective and personality.
Lunch would be a picnic at the little huts in the park overlooking Bronte Beach. I like the huts on the grassy higher ground for the incredible view.
For the picnic, I’d pick up a takeaway spread from Franks Deli on Bronte Rd because they do fantastic New York-style sandwiches (with a Euro/Polish flavour) and I salivate thinking about them…
We'd complete the trail and head back to Bondi for the afternoon and I'd stop for a surf lesson at Let's Go Surfing. It's where I met my husband, who was an instructor many years ago, and now my daughter is an instructor there, so I am biased. But the couple that run the surf school, Brenda Miley and her husband Craig, have it downpat, and if you want to learn to surf, do it there!
They do a lot within the community and it's a great small, local business you can trust. You'll at least have a lot of laughs trying and Bondi is pretty good for learners.
After working up an appetite, I'd head to the RSL for a beer (if I was with my husband), but because it's My Dream Day, we'd go shopping along Gould Street, and I would buy all the clothes I wanted, and then finish up at the iconic Sydney Icebergs (upstairs for me!).
The bar is THE spot to see off a Sydney sunset and there's no other view like it in the world - the bar manager Matty Opai is the best and so hospitable.
I'd move into the dining room for dinner, which is relaxed but decadent Italian using the best Australian produce, and my must-order would be the Sgroppino, which is a combination of Prosecco, vodka and lemon sorbet stirred theatrically at the table for a refreshing finale. It's part dessert and part cocktail - you don't have to stop at one either.
I love the mix of high-low in Bondi, and the unique energy and culture. It's such a slice of Sydney life, and where I met my husband, and had my first child. We've since moved, but I will always be drawn back.