While Bondi is Aboriginal for “crashing waves”, Coogee means “stinky seaweed” – and yet people love it for so many reasons … Graziella Obeid gives us a quirky & cool guide to Coogee …
There is something magical about Coogee. The transformation from a sleepy coastal bay to a latte-sipping boutique beach was swift. Now settling into comfortable adulthood, Coogee’s simple style, natural beauty and creative heartbeat has attracted many – even the Virgin Mary.
Curvy cliffs at the south of the bay are full of the type of hidey-holes that adolescents love. The north side doesn’t disappoint either. From cliff-hugging caves you can safely watch storms roll in, and in sunny weather hidden flat rocks provide discreet spaces to catch some private rays.
Wylie’s Baths are located on the south headland. Its a gorgeous place shielded by pines and banksias. Upon paying your $2.50, you’re privy to share the best balcony the east coast has to offer. You can do morning tea on cappuccino and cake, down a pie or a sandwich, or enjoy a massage in the breeze.
Ladies, feel like swimming in your own pool? Nearby are the famed Ladies Baths where laps can be enjoyed without having to concern oneself with in-between-waxing worries. A private open air balcony area can be enjoyed au-natural. Model types have been discovered getting their all-over body tans along with UV adventurers of all shapes and sizes. It costs a tiny 20 cents to get in, just throw it in the ice cream container at the bottom of the stairs. The pool is open 24 hours but rambunctious teenagers are the only visitors after dark.
On the north side of the beach a mossy path exposed at low tide brings you to the most divine little natural sea oasis you can imagine, locally known as Giles. It was once sealed by barbed wire – a part of the Mens Private Gym, where sweaty men would cool off their newly-pressed muscles in the bliss of privacy, before it was liberated with a pair of wire cutters in the 1980s.
The gym was deemed structurally unsound, and now all that remains is a monument. Sorry boys, now it’s a free-for-all. You can access it via structurally sound stairs from the north headland. No small change is required, just some common sense when diving at low tide. It’s a great spot for crab-spotting, night swims and cave-hunting.
Ok, three pools later … where is the nightlife? Coogee’s night scene is nothing to nod off to – and never has been, but it’s diversified a lot from the rock scene that Selinas made Coogee famous for.
Treehorn is a restaurant in the quiet artery of Havelock Avenue, off Arden Street. The soothing, silky soiree atmosphere is great for flirting with someone new, or indulging in delicious vegetarian lasagne and zucchini quiche. The guitar duo Urban Gypsies weave Latin rhythms into the air along with stories which inspired their music. The dessert sizes are generous, the strudel is exceptional, and the coffee well-made. If you’re particularly fussy ask Rob to make your coffee.
If you hit it off with someone at Treehorn and would like to warm up a little more over a nightcap, cushion is the perfect next stop: comfortable loveseats, lush mood lighting and great cocktails provide for that extra bit of intimacy. Try their mezze plate or woodfired pizza. A friendly local crowd and other eastern suburbs drifters make this a great little place, with a jazz trio on Sunday nights to mellow things further.
The Art Lounge Café is the cafe you always dreamed of. It’s as if the owners Dave and Lee picked up on your wavelength, with comfy sofas, breakfasts of good down-to-earth scrambled eggs and muesli. Local art tastefully ordains the walls – each month by a new artist. The coffee is great here, and their soy varieties don’t taste burnt or sour. The staff are particular about keeping the coffee standard high. Trackies and bad hair are just as welcome as bouffants and cashmere. It’s a regular hang for the local ambulance guys, the real estate mafia and your lazier students..
In the summer of 2002 Coogee was the centre of a truly spiritual kerfuffle. On the headland between October and February on a sunny day the Virgin Mary appears between 3:30 and 4:30pm. Resident scientists claimed it was an optical illusion. Christian pilgrims flocked to hear the Virgin’s message. Some guy thought it was a fence and tore the fence down. Will the virgin appear again one summer?
On the southern end of Beach Street, right next to the Aquarium Bar with its huge historic Aqua dome is The Beach Street Gallery Laundrette. Doing your laundry has never been more serene. While the lovely laundry ladies fill you with stories and astrology you can admire the artworks. Every month there is a new exhibition. You can get along to their regular launch nights and meet the artists. The next shop along is a fun one, too – I’ll let you discover this one for yourselves.
There’s much more to Coogee, enough for a dedicated directory of Coogee Cool. Locals hold their suburb close to their heart, not revealing too many of its secrets. Tread lightly upon it, and Coogee will gently bare its soul.
Graziella’s Directory
of Coogee Cool:
Wylie’s Baths:
Neptune St, ph 9665 2838
Massage by the Sea:
1 Havelock Ave, ph 9664 4400
Giles Baths:
Dolphin Point, Dunningham Reserve
Treehorn Restaurant:
19 Havelock Ave, ph 9664 4005
cushion lounge/bar:
242 Arden Street, ph 9315 9130
Art Lounge: 275 Arden Street, ph 9665 2500
Bobby Dazzler: 265 Arden Street, ph 9665 5330
The Beach Street Gallery Laundrette:
128-130 Beach Street, ph 9665 2161.
