Watsons Bay, Sydney

Story by Karen Walker
Photos by Mikhail Gherman

There’s a lot that’s great about Sydney but my favourite Sydney experience is Watsons Bay. Tourists often visit Watsons Bay for the legendary Doyles Seafood Restaurant but if you’re in Sydney anytime in the warm months (from October to April) there’s a lot more to this neighbourhood than a single dinner will allow you to experience. This neighbourhood, made up of the first few bays into the harbour from the South Head, is an old part of Sydney and once upon a time these bays were home to fisherman and dockworkers. Now the few remaining tiny cottages they lived in are fancified beyond recognition and most of the houses seem incomplete without swimming pools and tennis courts. Even with all the over the top wealth this neighbourhood, in typical Sydney fashion, takes pride in showing off these bays retain an easy-going almost holiday town kind of vibe which is what makes it so delightful. Sydney’s famous for Bondi Beach, which, though it does have its charms, also has its down sides. For those who don’t like the Bondi vibe Watson’s Bay is about as far away from it as you can get.

Sleep

The easiest place to stay in this neighbourhood is Doyles Palace Hotel. Doyles is a Sydney establishment. It started as tea rooms on the waterfront of Watsons Bay over 100 years ago and from that location has grown into a couple of seafood restaurants, a beer garden and a hotel. The hotel doesn’t have the greatest interior (though it does an adequate and tidy job of the contemporary look) but if you have one of the 6 or so waterfront rooms you wake up to the most sensational view right down Sydney Harbour to the city and the Harbour Bridge. There are a lot of great views in Sydney but this is truly one of the best. The pub downstairs can get a little rowdy but that’s a small thing to live with for the great things about this spot.

Eat

The only place you should eat dinner here is in the original Doyles Seafood Restaurant immediately downstairs from the hotel in the spot where the tea rooms opened in the 1800s. Avoid the beer garden if you can. Make sure you get a front table right by the water’s edge (if you’re a resident in the hotel they sometimes let you reserve one of the good spots) and try to get there before sundown so you can see the bay, the harbour, the city and the Harbour Bridge in all their glory. Throughout the evening the beach will be swarming with kids playing in the sand, boats will be coming and going into the bay dropping of diners and the locals will be out for their evening walks along the beaches.For breakfast there are the two tea rooms in Watsons Bay that both do good coffee and brunches.

Swim

The beach is what this city’s all about. Watsons Bay itself isn’t necessarily the best place to swim because of the ferry traffic and dozens of boats coming and going though the sea pool built into the bay is a piece of old Sydney that’s wonderful. Here the local old gents hang out, talking and swimming and generally holding court.

Just 5 minutes walk (the hotel can give you a map) in either direction you’ll get to two of the greatest inner city beaches you’ve ever seen. The walks are pleasant, through shady, suburban streets lined with flowering Frangipani trees. You can shop for your ‘if I won the lottery’ house and catch glimpses of the harbour along the way.

Camp Cove is a pretty little bay of golden sand with Sydney sandstone framing it. At the far end is a little ice cream shack that sells the best coconut gelato in coconut shell I’ve ever had.

In the other direction is Parsley Bay, a sharp inlet of water the juts in from the harbour to a small beach and pretty lawn with tearooms that sells great coffee and everything else you need for a day at the beach. My favourite spots at Parsley Bay are the large slabs of sandstone that jut up from the water’s edge at the point the inlet joins the harbour. They create a wonderful natural spot to sunbathe with adequate shade from the gum trees. The swim back and forth from one side to other is just the right distance to make you feel like you’ve achieved something but not so far it looks daunting. The bay is entirely tourist free. Everyone there’s a local and they all know each other and have their daily routines. Most people at Parsley Bay come every day to do their laps and that ‘locals only vibe’ is what makes it most charming - from the kids with their masks and snorkels to the retired ladies and gents who come to the bay in their bathrobes and slippers for their morning swim. On the weekends there are always the local Russian émigrés at the picnic tables playing chess and drinking vodka. The water at Parsley Bay is always cooler than in most spots in Sydney because it’s on sandstone but it’s refreshing and lovely. One other thing that makes this an easy spot is it’s got a pretty good shark net right across the mouth of the inlet. Sharks are a reality in Sydney and there’s something about a shark net that’s very comforting here.

Walks

An early morning walk along all the bays is lovely but for really stunning views take the five minute walk up to the cliff edge. Start at south head and walk as far along the cliff edge as the pathway allows. The lighthouses on the cliffs are lovely and the views onto the Tasman Sea are wonderful - twice a year you might even get lucky and see the migrating whales that Sydney-siders love.

How To Get There

Watsons Bay is a little off the beaten track and can be a pain to get into and out of. It’s kind of a dead end and taxis often don’t respond to bookings. However, there is a ferry stop right in the bay and that’s the best way to get into the city. Alternatively you can book a water taxi to get into or out of the city or to any of the other spots in the harbour.

Doyles Seafood Restaurant, 11 Marine Pde, Watsons Bay, Sydney. + (02) 9337 2007;
http://www.doyles.com.au/

Doyles Palace Hotel - Military Road,Watsons Bay, Sydney. + (02) 9337 5444