Another beautiful day at Cottesloe WA

Updated: Oct 22, 2023

Another beautiful day in Cottesloe. 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) day. In my last post, I wrote about the spectacular Sculptures by the sea exhibit. There is so much more to this beachfront than those 3 weeks.

The Cottesloe Pavilion was opened in 1929 as a bathing pavilion. Today it is home to a restaurant, cafe and changing rooms. Sadly the cafe is in the middle of the building and does not have sea-views. However, cafe staff advised that when you dine in the restaurant at night, the views across the ocean are breathtaking. This dining option is now on my Perth to-do list.

beach scene with people on the sand in front of old double storey beach pavillion

The beach is divided into 3 areas. The main beach is ideal for walking along, as well as swimming.

concrete stairs lead down to the sand and then the ocean

Snorkelers can often be seen at North Cottesloe beach.

At South Cottesloe there is no beach, just rocks and cliffs. It is a popular spot for surfers of all types, board, kite and paddle boards.

on the rocks near the beach is a surfboard shaped sign with The Surfers Code printed on it and description of different wave types.

There is a track from Cottesloe north to Hillarys. 25 kms (16 miles) of gorgeous walkways with gorgeous views along the stunning coast. For those who are more energetic, you can bike ride along part or all the way. Bikes can be hired if you don’t have one of your own.

The Cottesloe sundial was a delightful surprise to discover, as I had no idea what it was at first. There were two limestone brick walls, topped with concrete. I later found out that this gave a sharp shadow line to the sundial. Metallic wings held by concrete pillars spread out to each side, making it appear that it could take flight at any moment.

a large concrete sundial is higher than a human, the beach in the background

A welcoming sign was a plate on the wall that described a wealth of information. The structure commenced on the Australian bicentennial in 1988 and took seven years to build, with limited funds and voluntary donations.

It is stunning, and required closer inspection to see how it works.

close up of the concrete sundial with metal etchings that show the passage of the sun

Wandering along, often side paths catch your eye and invite you to come and view new sights.

After all this walking, swimming, bike riding, surfing etc, it is refreshing to see the many restaurants that Cottesloe prides itself on. As I don't do sugar, this one didn't get a sale from me, but I loved the look of the shop. It was a very popular shop, and it took half an hour before I could get a photo without a customer inside or a car driving by. Persistence paid off in the end.

the shopfront has a sign Gelato Bar Cottesloe above the door and a sketch of an ice cream cone on the window, with the same words on the ice cream top

Most of the restaurants and pubs along the road sold the almost compulsory seaside dish of fish and chips. The prices varied from venue to venue. I was searching for one that seemed unique to Cottesloe and settled at Cott's, for their $10 Tuesday whiting and fish order. It was delightfully hot, delicious, and enough to feed 2 people. A great bargain compared to one of the other establishments where a similar meal was $32, without the charm of this little shop.