This week has been my favorite yet! With the new block of classes, all of my roommates and I have Mondays off, so we’ve been spending even more time together exploring. Today, the girls and I spent most of the day at Bondi Beach. It wasn’t as warm as usual and extremely windy, but the crowds weren’t there, which made me like Bondi even more than normal. Before heading to the beach, we stopped for matcha at Harry’s. It was good, but I still miss the strawberry matcha from Tori’s in Melbourne. The sun was just warm enough to enjoy without burning, so our beach day was perfect.

The weekend was equally amazing. Maddie and I walked the Rose Bay to Watsons Bay coastal trail. The beaches along this path were more secluded and harder to get to compared to the ones I’ve visited before. Rose Bay, our first stop, was the largest, with shallow water and lots of dogs. It wasn’t ideal for swimming but perfect for sunbathing and people-watching. Our next stop was Queens Beach, a small but beautiful spot. We started the walk at 8:30, so the tides were still high at the smaller beaches, and I’d love to come back when the tide is lower to explore more.

Hermit Beach was the hidden gem I’ve been searching for over the past five weeks. It had tons of beautiful oyster and snail shells. The shells here were the most diverse in colors and shapes I’ve found so far. I can’t wait to return at low tide to find even more shells for my collection. Our next stop, Milk Beach, was the only one I had heard of before the trail. A lovely sales associate at Lush had recommended it, saying it’s her favorite because of the ice cream boat that stops by. It was the first beach with enough sand during the tide to lay down a towel, so we spent a few hours napping and sunbathing. The beach filled up quickly, but luckily we got there early. I missed the ice cream boat because of Bible study, but I’ll be sure to catch it next time.

After sweating for hours at Milk Beach, we headed to Shark Beach to swim and cool off. The water was really clean, though the lack of waves was a little disappointing. This was the first crowded beach on our walk, which was a nice change of pace. We got a bit lost trying to find the trail again, but that turned out to be a blessing. Maddie led us down some huge rocks where we found hidden tide pools full of oysters, snails, and starfish. We spent about an hour there collecting shells and sea glass. The shells were spotted and spiral-shaped, and the starfish were small, cute, and a mix of blue and green.

We eventually found our way back to the trail after walking through beautiful residential neighborhoods and ended up at Vaucluse Bay. This bay had gorgeous shells and lots of dogs, including a golden retriever. This was a great surprise since I’ve been missing my golden, Cody, back home. We then crossed Parsley Bay Bridge and took a quick look at Parsley Bay Beach below. Our last stop was Kutti Beach, which many people say is the best beach in Sydney. While I didn’t agree, it was a perfect mix of a bay and a beach similar to Milk Beach. We passed Gibson’s Bay and made our way to Watsons Bay, which was lively and full of cute restaurants. I definitely want to explore some more but I will be getting there by bus next time.

We decided to keep walking after Watsons Bay because our roommates have be spending the day at Camp Cove beach. Unfortunately, we had just missed them, but after walking about 10-11 km, I enjoyed a fresh orange juice while Maddie had a smoothie on the beach. The night ended at Bar Julius, a place I found on TikTok. I was extremely tired, but Alexa got me and Maddie out of bed and I’m so grateful. She doesn’t ask for much, so it was hard to say no her. It was classy and beautifully decorated. The girls and I each had a drink and played cards until closing. I ordered their self-declared “best mimosa in the world.” It took me a while to get used to the drink since it wasn’t a traditional mimosa, but I ended up enjoying it. Saturday was truly the best day yet, starting early with beautiful views and ending with all of us laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

Sunday was a slower day, starting with church and a tour of the Opera House. The opera house was beautiful and I learned a lot, but I was excited to leave and head to the Rocks Markets. They weren’t as great as the Paddington Markets, which I visited a few weeks ago, but I love any market. By the end of the day, Maddie, Lauren, and I were exhausted from the night before, so we spent the rest of the day relaxing at home.

Next weekend, we’re headed to Hunter Valley, and I’m so excited! Hopefully, that excitement will help me power through the week of classes ahead.