Australia's Amalfi
When it comes to the Eastern Suburbs, and particularly this strip of coast south of Bondi, people are often strongly from one of two camps: the Gordons Bay camp, or the Clovelly Bay camp. For many of us, summertime memories are inseparable from the smell of sunscreen and the feel of sandy feet. But favourite swimming places come with their own set of personal experiences and some people just don’t like sand. There’s something about the strange, post-apocalyptic concrete job at Clovelly. Seriously, is this a wharf or a pool? Whatever it is, we love it.
If you think all this concrete is unnecessary, you’re probably right. It was originally poured by the Randwick Council during the Great Depression to create jobs for local men and easier access to swimming for the community. This is essentially a concrete beach. On a real humdinger of a day, this scene feels reminiscent of the Amalfi Coast — hundreds of people sprawled on colourful towels and banana loungers or jumping joyfully from the banks into the deep water below — an epic view from the sky.
It’s a little-known fact that Clovelly is also the largest coastal swimming pool in the state. The inlet is enclosed by a naturally occurring rock shelf that protects the bay from open sea, creating an ocean pool that’s 60m wide and 350m long. And if a giant bay between concrete esplanades wasn’t enough, at one end is a sandy beach and on the southern side of the inlet is a 25m saltwater pool known as Jeff James. Like most pools in Sydney’s coastal suburbs, this one is home to a winter swim club, the Clovelly Eskimos. These cold-water advocates swim competitively against the South Maroubra Dolphins, the Cronulla Polar Bears, the Maroubra Seals, the Coogee Penguins, and other neighbouring sea colonies.
Clovelly is a major stop on the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, appearing over the hill just after the Waverley Cemetery when you really need a dip. Sometimes it’s easier to swim across the inlet than to walk the iconic bright yellow line around its perimeter. Whichever way you go, you’ll always find an international cross-section of people in their swimsuits — Italian and Portuguese mixes with strong Aussie twangs, and more than a few pairs of bright-coloured budgie smugglers are on show. There’s a lot to love here.
Extracted from Places We Swim by Dillon Seitchik-Reardon and Caroline Clements (Hardie Grant Travel, RRP $39.99), out now. Follow Caroline and Dillon @placesweswim
placesweswim.com
Images: Remy Gerega