This walk stays with me because it happened toward the end of the Covid lockdowns, around October 2021, when Sydney was slowly waking back up and there was a quiet sense of relief in the air.
I walked from Waverley Cemetery along the coastline toward Hornby Lighthouse, taking advantage of that strange in-between time – not quite locked down, not quite free either. Walking had become a kind of ritual by then, a way to mark the days and clear the mind.
The views from Dudley Page Reserve were as impressive as ever. The city looked calm and distant, almost reflective itself. Further along at Gap Park, the mood turned more intense. The Gap is always dramatic, but during that period it felt especially eerie. Fewer people, more silence, and those vast cliffside views made it a place to stop and think – about the year that had been, and what might come next.
Descending down toward Camp Cove Beach felt like a release. After the stark cliffs, the beach appeared like an oasis – sheltered, peaceful, and gently alive again. It was a reminder that normal life was edging closer.
The final walk up to the lighthouse was quietly enjoyable. Reaching Hornby Lighthouse, I could see the full entrance to Sydney Harbour, watching boats come and go, symbolising movement and momentum returning to the city.
Looking back now, that October 2021 walk feels like a turning point – not just the end of lockdown, but the beginning of Sydney finding its rhythm again, one coastal path at a time.