Hanging out in Bondi Beach
Just a short drive outside Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, Australia, you’ll find the vibrant community of Bondi Beach. Pronounced “Bon-die,” with a long I, this beach is a center for surfing and sunbathing all summer long.
Founded back in the middle of the’th century, as Sydney’s urban center began expanding, the unique name of Bondi Beach derives from an Aboriginal word meaning “waves crashing upon rocks.”
To get out of the exciting but populous Sydney, escape to the white sand paradise waiting at Bondi’s beautiful coastline. You may be able to watch the migration of whales and dolphins or might sneak a peak at the elusive fairy penguin.
For visitor orientation, start at the Pavilion Community Center and pick up some helpful information. This town hub also has changing rooms and showers for bathers, several eateries and an amphitheater.
Down at the beach, take a pleasant walk along the white sand, compare your tan with the locals, or take a dip in the crystal clear waters at the northern beaches. Bondi’s southern beaches have great waves for surfers, though beginner swimmers should be very careful at these spots. Throughout the summer lifeguards patrol the beaches and shark nets are positioned out in the water to keep swimmers safe and sound.
To immerse yourself in local beauty, try one of Bondi’s popular nature walks. From the old Pavilion (ca.’28), hike up to the cliffs of Bronte. You’ll encounter some of the oldest wonders of nature along the way in Hawkesbury’s sandstone belt, which paleontologists date to 225 million years in the past. Or make your way to Waverley Cemetery after stopping at the old bath houses in Bronte.
Get into the racy bikini culture on Bondi Beach’s southern end, where sunbathers have been known to flout the city ordinances and go topless. In fact, the beach holds the Guinness World Record for largest swimsuit photo shoot ever.
Visitors in August can take part in the fourteen km City To Surf Run from Sydney’s city center to Bondi’s sandy coast. In September don’t miss the annual Festival of the Winds, where locals show of their prize Kites.
When that beach-day hunger strikes, you can dine at small cafes or more elegant restaurants by the water’s edge. Or have a drink in one of the pubs and rub elbows with the friendly locals.
Bondi Beach has been featured as the backdrop for a number of television series, including Breakers and Bondi Rescue, which follows the efforts of the lifeguard patrols.
Bondi Beach’s stature grew even more in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when the beach volleyball competition took place here.
Accommodations are available in all price ranges, from backpacker hostels to upscale hotels, with small hotels and bed-and-breakfasts in between.
Only a thirty minute drive outside of Sydney, Bondi is reaches by following Oxford Street as it turns into Enfield and then Bondi Road. Due to limited parking, locals suggest public transportation, which leaves constantly from Sydney.
For surf travel services in Sydney’s south coast beaches, call Brad from Sydney Surfboard Hire
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