Coastal Vote: A Beach-Lover's Guide to Sydney

This 32-room boutique hotel overlooks Sydney Harbour in Watsons Bay, minutes from a handful of sandy white beaches. While there’s plenty of coastal culture to soak up near the hotel – Watsons Bay headland, Hornby and Macquarie lighthouses – the food in the resort’s Beach Club will keep you from wandering far: squid-ink linguine, cuttlefish in a cherry-tomato ragu with mussels, and the local specialty, Watsons Seafood Pie.

This Watson Bay landmark has been in the Doyle family since 1948. Sitting on the end of the rocky South Head peninsula, the restaurant offers excellent views of the city across Sydney Harbour. The Doyles have built their reputation on good seafood – starters include jumbo prawns, Tasmanian mussels and Mornay oysters, while mains feature seafood paella for two, various filets (snapper, flathead, barramundi) and fresh lobster. Chefs whip up innovative salads, such as the smoked pumpkin and goat cheese with beetroot and pine nuts, and the wine list is extensive.

Staying in Bondi? Make a beeline for Salty’s the moment you step off the plane – unpacking can wait. Salty’s is a welcoming neighbourhood beach bar, nightclub (on Fridays) and restaurant all in one. The decor celebrates the old-school surf and skate culture that have made Bondi so famous. The menu offers modern comfort food in the form of Baja fish tacos, Mexican salad, mac ‘n’ cheese balls and beer-battered fish and chips – not to mention the Big Salty burger, which gets a splash of colour from the melted double cheese and pink sauce.

There’s a lot to enjoy at this historic hotel – a fixture on now-fashionable Manly Beach since 1859. The top floor is home to Blacket’s Whiskey Bar, ideal for intimate evenings spent nursing late-night drams. The brightly painted guest rooms in pastels and primary shades have all the post-beach necessities – fridges for storing beers, Eloura toiletries for showers – plus windows onto Manly Beach. The Beach Bar and Bistro menu is eclectic: Tasmanian ocean trout with shaved fennel and spelt, artisan pizzas and baked pumpkin. But the clincher is the sea-spying roof terrace, dotted with pink parasols, served by cocktails and serenaded by regular live-music nights.

Who knew you could combine yoga with coastal sightseeing – and all before brunch? If you’re a yoga-loving kayaker, depart from the Manly Kayak Centre Wharf at 8am for a half-hour paddle to a peaceful spot on Manly Beach. Upon arrival, you’ll spread out on the sand, open yourself up to the calming sounds of the waves and begin the yoga part of the tour – set to the soundtrack of chirping birds, with a mix of hatha, vinyasa and power-flow styles to start your day in serene style.

It’s all about choice at this cucumber-cool Coogee Bay stay that’s been a fixture of the seaside village community for 150 years. Guests can choose one of the retro-chic rooms upstairs from the main bar, or book into the boutique hotel next door, where turquoise walls and oversized polka-dots are popular. Similarly, there’s ample choice for eating and drinking: the Mediterranean-inspired Marrah serves sustainable food, while the Garden is great for al fresco dinners of gourmet pizzas and shareable starters. Don’t miss the Balcony Bar for cocktails overlooking Coogee beach.

Get close-up views of underwater marine life in Gordon’s Bay, located between Coogee and Clovelly beaches. Just hang onto your scooter – wet suits and instruction provided – for a 90-minute guided underwater excursion along the 600m (1,968ft) underwater trail in the Gordon’s Bay marine reserve. Tours are geared to beginners, as well as advanced swimmers and divers. Expect to see eastern blue groper, octopus, cuttlefish, various species of rays and, quite possibly, sea turtles and dolphins.

A morning kayak tour with a view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, plus a coffee and light breakfast? What a perfect way to escape the winter blahs you left at home. The two-hour tour is mostly through the Middle Harbour, with options to paddle to the Grotto Point Lighthouse or over to Cobbler’s Beach. You’ll embark from Smith Boat Shed on Parriwi Road in the suburb of Mosman on the lower North Shore of Sydney.