Federation Cliff Walk – Bondi to Watsons Bay

We thoroughly enjoy walking the epic coastline in Sydney, and we are slowly, but surely, piecing together experiences from Watsons Bay all the way down toward Jervis Bay (…maybe). The most challenging part is not to continually revisit our favorite sections. We recently used the Federation Cliff Walk to connect two of our favorite sections of the Sydney coastline, Coogee to Bondi and Watsons Bay around the Gap and South Head.

Other posts in our Walking Sydney’s Coast series:

La Perouse to Malabar
Malabar to Maroubra
Coogee to Bondi

The main section connecting Bondi and Watsons Bay is the Federation Cliff Walk, also known as the Waverly Cliff Walk.  It is possible to trek all the way from Coogee to Watson’s Bay in a day, but it requires an uncomfortably fast pace. Being rather familiar with the stretch from Coogee to Bondi, we started the walk in North Bondi, and passed through Dover Heights to Watsons Bay.

Honestly, the section of the walk from North Bondi to Dover Heights did impress us. We recommend adding the spectacular views at the North End of Bondi Beach to your Coogee to Bondi Walk. Otherwise, the walk is incredible. It features stunning Harbour views, along with the amazing clifftop views we’ve come to expect from Sydney’s coastal walks. However, unlike some of the more popular walks, this one is not as well-marked and includes sections through neighborhoods.

Federation Cliff Walk – Bondi to Watsons Bay

You can take the Federation Cliff Walk in either direction, but we have a preference for finishing our long walks with a ferry ride back to Circular Quay, so we started in Bondi. We grabbed the bus from Bondi Junction Station (the 380 or 333), and we rode to the northern end of Campbell Parade – directly in front of the public school / Bondi Markets.

Alighting from the bus, we looked around for a coffee thinking about venturing into the markets, but were a little too early. We remembered seeing an interesting cafe last time we were near the markets, and headed to Harry’s Bondi.  The exposed brick walls, natural wood counters, and vivid aqua cups resting in their saucers created a chill and alluring vibe. We enviously eyed the brekkies, as we grabbed a takeaway cuppa.

Coffees in hand, with a decent amount of people watching completed, we trudged down the hill, towards the North End of the beach. Even on a dreary winter day, the esplanade is full of runners, walkers, prams and dogs. We dodged our compatriots, while enjoying the views and silently applauding the wetsuit-clad swimmers briskly running into the water.

Federation Cliff Walk – Bondi to Dover Heights

Reaching the quieter northern end of the beach, and we continued up the stairs. The stairs took us through a lovely little park (Biddigal Reserve), and further up the hill to the Ray O’Keefe Reserve at the end of Ramsgate Ave. The scenic lookout provided an expansive panorama of the ocean, beach, and cliff walk, from atop the sea-carved cliffs. The waves crashing on the shore below almost splashed us a few times, making for an impressive, albeit ominous, seascape.

The next stretch of the walk is largely along the street, until you hit the Hugh Bamford Reserve just past the Bondi Golf Club. The view from Hugh Bamford Reserve is interesting, but I recommend taking the bus until you reach Rodney Reserve in Dover Heights. You can even hop off the bus to check out North Bondi, and hop back on after you take in the views.

View from Hugh Bamford Reserve

If you ride the bus to Dover Heights, you will want the stop on Military Road near Raleigh Street. Walk along Raleigh Street toward the coast, and the Rodney Reserve will be on your left when the road curves to the right.

The reserve is a long somewhat narrow stretch of grass with playgrounds, opening up into a sports complex/field as you approach the far end. It looks like it has seen better days, but the views are pretty impressive, and you will likely spot a few whales off in the distance during their migration.

Once you are through the reserve, you take Weonga Road back to Military Road and turn right, until you reach the Dudley Page Reserve on the city-side of Military road.

Almost every corner of the harbour from Watson’s Bay to Wooloomooloo features scenic points promising magnificent harbour views; however, Dudley Page is the best we’ve seen so far. Depending on the weather, the skyline maybe a bit hazy, but the Harbour views from above are always impressive, especially when you can see the entire skyline. The Reserve looks like a sensational place to watch sunset and New Year’s Eve fireworks!

Federation Cliff Walk – Dudley Page Reserve and Diamond Bay Reserve

Dudley Page might be not be the best fit for a long summer day outside, as it has no shade cover, and also lacks bathrooms. However, the compact, and well protected cycling track looks like an excellent practice ground for kids learning to ride. After admiring the views, we chose Cafe Gundel for a late lunch, before continuing on to Watsons Bay. Sunday hours limited our choices to only a few places, and thankfully, our Budapest Platter was delicious, with cabbage rolls, chicken paprikash, duck liver, veal, and potato dumplings!

If you decide to power through the walk for a meal at Watsons Bay, amble through to the north end of the Dudley Page reserve, and orient yourself toward the coast down Lancaster Road. The first stretch of the boardwalk starts here, and it continues along the coast, until you pop back out for another short section of neighborhood. After a short walk down Oceanview and Bay, you arrive at the next stretch of boardwalk.

Much to my surprise, this seems like a popular fishing spot. As the boardwalk takes you around the cliff, you will likely see fisherman, tethered to metal hooks anchored in the rocks. We saw several unused anchors, and a few daring fisherman on the cliffs below. The boardwalk ends in the impressive Diamond Bay Reserve. The reserve has a random patch of rainforest, with a couple of mini, almost-waterfalls. It was a great opportunity for CZ to do some walking, after she patiently spent time in the Kelty, while I took photos.

As you can see in this photo from our whale watching tour last year, they do come plenty close to the cliffs!

Our walk occurred in the middle of whale season, so we kept our eyes peeled for blowhole sprays, and the slap of a tail. I excitedly pulled out the zoom lens and cast about the water near the whale watching boats several times, throughout our walk. We spotted a bit of action, and I convinced EZ to stay back for another 15 minutes, while I took photos. While thrilling in the moment, our story has a bit of a sad conclusion because my photos were all blurry shots of a whale-sized boat rather than an actual whale.

After Diamond Bay Reserve, there is a final stretch of neighborhood walking, and then you arrive at a pretty cool playground in Christison Park. The walk through the park connects you with Macquarie Lighthouse, before you arrive at Gap Park. There are a couple of paths through the park, one along the cliffs, and the other down through a patch of forest. The trees are pretty awesome, and we recommend checking them both out, if you have the time. There is also an elevated scenic lookout on the far side of the Gap Park worth walking up.

When you finish exploring Gap Park, it’s a short walk down to the wharf, and if you want food, we recommend takeaway from the Watsons Bay Hotel. The ferries usually run on the half hour, and we never have trouble finding a seat. However, you do need an Opal card.

Know Before You Go: Federation Cliff Walk – Bondi to Watsons Bay

• During the whale migrating season you will be able to see humpbacks if you bring binoculars.
• Start with a bus from to Dover Heights, and begin the walk at Rodney Reserve.
• Bring water bottles, there are fewer water options compared to other Sydney hikes, and on a hot day you will need extra water.
• You will need to navigate a few neighborhood streets to locate some of the boardwalks so it helps to have a map, in addition to our amazing directions 😉