The Bondi Beach

• November 3, 2009
• Rated 5 of 5 by jaygami1986 from London, United Kingdom

• Cheer
• Flag

• Email
• Print
• Link to This Review

Beautiful Bondi - Surfers' Mecca

• August 24, 2009
• Rated 4 of 5 by koshkha from Northampton, United Kingdom

When I was seven years old my not long widowed mother decided to take me and my sister to Australia for the summer to visit her brothers who'd both emigrated to Sydney about 10 years earlier. She still has photos of my sister and me in our swimsuits running around a totally empty Bondi Beach, with no more than a solitary baffled looking dog-walker wrapped in coat and scarf watching us in the distance. We were, as she tells it, the only three people on Bondi's massive beach that day because no Australian would want to be on Bondi in the middle of the winter.

This year we went back – my mother and step-father inviting me and my husband, my sister and her partner to go with them. My uncle had sold his house in Bondi for a small fortune and moved to another suburb of Sydney and mum wanted to make a small pilgrimage back to see the old house and visit the beach.

We took the train to Bondi Junction and accepted my mother's reassurances that it would be a good idea to walk from the station to the beach, despite it being quite a long way. Her philosophy was that the walk would do us good and be a lot easier than walking up the hill on the way back. Unfortunately it all went a bit awry when we walked a mile or two in completely the wrong direction, thanks to mum getting a bit confused about the way. It wasn't helped by the lady we asked for instructions telling us "Take the bus" and when we said we wanted to walk she said "Then follow the bus". I realised that my lousy sense of direction was probably inherited. Eventually realising the error of our ways, we plodded back in the right direction.

Most people won't walk down to the beach and they have no real need to since there's a frequent bus service from the Bondi Junction railway station that will whisk them there in a few minutes. As we plodded down the long sweeping hill, surrounded by bars, restaurants and all sorts of weird little shops selling stuff you don't really need, we were passed in the opposite direction by bare-footed bare-chested wetsuit half-clad young guys with surfboards. Did they really want to walk or was it just a great way to show off a good six pack and impress the ladies? Or perhaps more realistically there's nowhere to keep your bus money in a wetsuit.

Eventually the hill curves round and you catch your first glimpse of the sea. Once grand old hotels line the street though the walking boots airing on the window sills and glimpses of bunk beds suggested that many are now budget backpacker haunts. A little further and the curve opens out to show a long blonde crescent of sandy beach with a second emerald crescent of lawns behind. That's one of the nicest things about Bondi; you don't have to lie and play on the sand, you can use the grass instead if you prefer.

We arrived late afternoon and it was quite windy. As Brits we thought the weather was lovely and sunny but clearly the locals thought it was a very chilly day and were wrapped up warm. Sunbathers on the beach? We saw none at all, ditto for swimmers. The only people in the water were the surfers, clad in their thick wetsuits to keep out the worst of the cold. The waves didn't seem too rough but were clearly good enough to entertain a couple of hundred surfers on a Sunday afternoon and watching them glide along (and fall off) was a pleasant distraction for half an hour or so.

At one end of the beach is a sea-water pool that offers an enclosed and calm body of water for those who want to swim lengths or just avoid the waves. Our guidebook told us that the brave souls of the Icebergs Winter Swimming club take to the waters year round but we couldn't see there was that much bravery involved if this was as cold as it got. We've dived in 17C off the south coast of England and would argue that THAT's cold. From my childhood I remember shark nets but I can't rule out the possibility that might have been a different bay and not Bondi.

We walked about half the length of the paved walkway between the sand and the grass before turning back with thoughts of getting a drink from one of the bars on the front. We stopped for about 15 minutes to watch the hard-core skateboarders practicing their moves in the skate park (and to watch some spectacular falls too, of course) before heading off for smoothies on the front. Having already walked considerably futher than we should have, we bought tickets for the bus back to Bondi Junction and as the sun set over one of the world's most famous beaches, we joined the surfers and skateboarders on the ride back to the station.

From journal The City on the Sea

• Cheer
• Flag

• Email
• Print
• Link to This Review

Bondi Beach - The Epitome of Australia

• May 1, 2006
• Rated 3 of 5 by actonsteve from London, United Kingdom

Bondi Beach is world famous and I am pleased to report is just as good as its reputation suggests. If anything is worth a journey of 24 hours on an airplane then this has to be it.

The view from the pathway across its 2 kilometres of snowy white sand is jaw-dropping. Contrasting with a sky that is the colour of sapphire and you have one of the most impressive urban recreational areas in the world. Its home to the Australian surfing culture and and on any given day after September these can be seen on the beach in red speedos, red caps and sun-bleached hair. For just like in Rio, the beach is a way of life in Sydney. The residents live for the summer where they can spend as much as time as possible "doing Bondi" and working on their tans.

The big surprise to me was how far it was from the centre. Sydney is a big city and it is a half hour journey on the bus from Circular Quay to the eastern beaches. Bus #380 leaves from Alfred Street behind Circular Quay to go to Campbell Parade. Whatever you do stay on the bus to Campbell Parade - I didn't - I saw the shops at Bondi Junction and misjudged that this was the centre of Bondi. Little did I know that was still another mile away. So to get to the famous beach I had to walk downhill for forty minutes in the blazing heat through tidy suburbia.

Eventually I hit Hall Street which is the beginning of Campbell Parade. Hall Street itself is very pleasant with an easy "Sunday morning" feel about it. Unhurried residents strolled around tucking into newspapers or "smoothies" in alfresco cafes. The road is lined with bookshops, web-cafes, restaurants and surf shops. The presence of surf shops finally tips you off that the beach is nearby. Hall Street opens out into Campbell Parade and the wide yellow crescent of Bondi beach. The whole bay is about 3 km wide and looks almost Mediterranean with its red roofed houses. Victorian houses curve up each hill either side of the beach and footpaths lead to Coogee and Tamarama beaches, it passes the Bondi Icebergs club which is covered in another journal.

A lawn lies before the beach properly. Streams of teenage surfers that emerge out of Bondi Pavilion. This art deco gem is the changing room for the beach and has recently been renovated. Its a lovely little building with a courtyard with photo frescoes of 1920's lifeguards in one piece costumes and standing before bathing huts.

The real attraction is the snow white sand and it gets pretty busy in the summer. When you get bored with all the goings on on the beach then there are some nice pubs and Thai cafes on Campbell Parade. And just in front of them is the bus stop back to Circular Quay - and hopefully, unlike me, you will remember to stay on the bus.

From journal The watery city of Sydney - Gleaming, Glittering and Gigantic

• Cheer
• Flag

• Email
• Print
• Link to This Review

Bondi Beach – Surf’s Up!

• January 19, 2006
• Rated 4 of 5 by Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia

Bondi isn’t famous for it’s beautiful beaches, it’s fabulous swimming or it’s rip curl surfing waves – it’s famous because it’s the closest beach to Sydney! Hop in a car from the center of the city and you can be here in 15 minutes.

According to my tour guide (a local Sydney-ite) you’ll find more English here than Australians, but there were plenty of tanned, muscled bodies there, so who cares what nationality they are. : )

My first thought when I arrived on the sun-soaked sand is that you’d have to be a pretty strong swimmer to tackle these waters. There is a designated swimming area between two red and yellow flags, allowing the surfers access to the rest of the rather small beach. Even so, there’s a warning sign for strong current, and the waves could take the legs out from under you..

Still, it didn’t look like many people were in the market for a swim. They were there to sun themselves and be seen – but mostly to surf. Surfboards abounded, and there was even a surfing lesson going on. I was more interested in watching the lifeguards than the lesson, but it still looked like fun out of the corner of my eye.

It was a bit windy, and the sand whipped sharply against my legs. It was also a bit misty, so photos became a problem.

My most memorable Bondi moment, however, was upon my arrival. I was taking in my first glimpse of the beach along the promenade when a very tanned body bent over to wipe his legs and his speedo pronounced proudly “NORTH BONDI” – now that’s a welcome if ever I saw one!

Stop by the beach to rest your weary tourist legs. You’ll get an eyeful (the men, too--there’s a topless area for you to ogle at) and some beautiful beach scenery. The sightseeing buses also make a stop here, so even if you don’t have the luxury coach, you can hitch a ride.

From journal Sydney - Where Music and Fireworks Float

• Cheer
• Flag

• Email
• Print
• Link to This Review

Bondi Beach

• July 28, 2005
• Rated 4 of 5 by Emms137 from San Luis Obispo, California

Bondi Beach is a wonderful place to go relax and enjoy classic Australian beach culture. The beach is large and beautiful, with fine sand that is uncluttered. Surfers rule here, and you will undoubtedly have a good time watching brave surfers take on the waves. One disadvantage to this beach is that since the undertow is so strong, swimming is not advised, and only experienced surfers are encouraged to take on the waves, which are supposed to yield great surfing. But if you are just looking for a nice beach to lie out at, walk along, or relax at, this is a great place to go. There are lots of cafes and ice cream shops nearby, and the town near the beach is quaint and fun.

From journal G'day from Sydney

• Cheer
• Flag

• Email
• Print
• Link to This Review