Sydney’s elemental good looks set the stage for great frolics on foot. As the temperature dips, the autumn months are the optimum time to lace up the walking boots, channel your inner explorer and strike out on some of the Emerald City’s greatest trails.

The Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk needs little introduction. Spanning 6km, this cliff top coastal walk around Sydney’s eastern suburbs, serves up a salt-sprayed kaleidoscope of spectacular ocean views, surf beaches, bays and rock pools. Feel enlivened by the energy of the ocean as waves crash up alongside Bondi Icebergs, an idyllic 50m ocean pool tucked into the southern corner of Bondi Beach. Whether you’re lining up a shot from the sparkling turquoise water as locals dive in for their morning laps, or enjoying a bird’s-eye view from Icebergs Dining Room, it fast becomes self-explanatory why Bondi Icebergs is widely considered to be the most photogenic pool on the planet.

If Bondi Icebergs pool is too busy for a swim, head to Bronte Baths, a historic ocean pool built into the golden sandstone cliffs at Bronte Beach. It’s just 2km from Bondi. Pack your togs and dive in for a refreshing dip. Continue on to Coogee, where elegant seaside restaurant Mimi’s sets the scene for a memorable Mediterranean lunch as the sun streams in through the wide, arched windows.

The South Head Heritage Trail is one of my new-found favourite strolls in Sydney. This one-hour walk kicks-off from Watsons Bay, tootling through through Sydney Harbour National Park to South Head. The path packs a scenic punch, fringing the cliffs above Lady Bay Beach (popular for nude bathing) and finishing up at Hornby Lighthouse with a sweeping panorama across the harbour to North Head and Manly. Two centuries-worth of gun emplacements will enthral military buffs, while passing whales are routinely spotted in the May-November migration season.

Speaking of Manly, one of my go-to Manly staples is the ocean-hugging walking trail from Manly Beach to Shelley Beach.  The trails on the headland offer sublime coastal panoramas. Shelley Beach is also one of Sydney’s most sheltered coves, with the geographical distinction of being one of the few places in the city where you can catch an epic sunrise and equally epic sunset from the sand.

While you’re in these parts, uncover the mysterious Manly Wormhole, one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets. Officially named the Queenscliff Tunnel, the ‘Manly Wormhole’ is thought to have been dug by fishermen a century ago as a shortcut between Freshwater Beach and Queenscliff Beach in Manly. Follow the 50m-long passage as it burrows through the cliff, and clamber over boulders to reach the uplifting end: shimmering views over the ocean, perfectly framed by the tunnel’s mouth.

Royal National Park in Sydney's south is one of the world's oldest nature reserves and offers everything from a one-kilometre stroll to a 26-kilometre hike along the coast, which takes in secluded beaches, pockets of subtropical rainforest and heathland where wildflowers emblazon the terrain in spring. A good medium-range walk is the 10-kilometre-return Karloo Track, which starts conveniently at Heathcote train station. It passes fantastic rock outcrops, waterfalls and Karloo Pool, which is just the place for a picnic and cooling swim. Avoid this walk after rain however, as it tends to get boggy.

Back in the city centre, if you haven’t done so before now, bask yourself in the brilliance of Barangaroo Reserve, Sydney’s illustrious new foreshore park. After 200 years of maritime activity, and most recently a container wharf, this harbourside reserve unfurls across the northwestern tip of the CBD. Artfully landscaped with gigantic sandstone blocks, cascading down to the water, native trees and terraced gardens, all irrigated by self-sufficient water collection tanks, Barangaroo has solidified its stature as a prime picnic and exercise spot, with gun-barrel views across to Balmain and Darling Harbour.

Spectacularly designed and furnished with 74,000 native plants this stunning reserve doubles as a natural amphitheatre, with regular performances. The Wulugul Walk waterfront trail is now all laced up, leading you from Barangaroo all the way down to Cockle Bay and Darling Harbour.

Sydney has got some enchanting hidden gardens well worth exploring. Step into a real-life fairytale in Wendy’s Secret Garden, a fantastical tangle of plants, trees and flowers webbed with paths and dotted with artworks on the north shore of Sydney Harbour. Created by Wendy Whiteley, the widow of famed artist Brett Whiteley, this gorgeous garden is part of the Lavender Bay Parklands, not far from Luna Park, and comes with plenty of hidden coves for picnics and chillaxing.

Meanwhile, make tracks for Paddington Reservoir. Imagine you’ve stumbled into ancient Rome at this hidden garden in Paddington, tucked away in heritage-listed Paddington Reservoir. Decommissioned in 1914, the reservoir has been transformed into a Romanesque green refuge, sunken from the street and replete with a lake of contemplation, wall of edgy art and hanging floral canopy. Explore the photo opportunities proffered by the dramatic backdrop of towering archways, brick and iron structures.

Finally, for a truly triumphal walk, you cannot beat the world’s greatest coat-hanger. Sydney Harbour Bridge celebrated its 90th anniversary last year. Since 1998, more than four million people have scaled the summit of this world-famous bridge, cementing its stature as one the city’s top-billing tourist experiences, the Bridge Climb. It’s the most climbed bridge in the world. The VIP wall inside the attraction’s reception, lustily displays some of its most famous guests, from Prince Harry, Oprah and David Beckham to Will Smith and Justin Timberlake. Barack and Michelle Obama completed the climb last month – causing quite a fuss because they were exempted from having to wear harnesses!

Mike Yardley is our resident traveller on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.