Everything is focused on Campbell Street, which however remains suffocated by ice cream parlours and shops that rent rollerblades or surfboards.
The name Bondi derives from the aboriginal word Boondi which indicates the water that breaks on the rocks.
It is an urban beach within Sydney’s city limits but it is however extraordinary and well maintained. Bondi Beach is about a kilometer long, is enclosed by two cliffs and can be easily reached from Sydney by public transport.
Bondi Beach is synonymous with surfing, in fact it is one of the best surfing destinations in the world. You will find numerous accredited surf schools where you can take lessons even if you are a beginner and anybody can learn or at least try to learn surfing here..because it’s the thing to do!!
It's not just a big sunny beach, Bondi is also a lifestyle, full of night clubs, restaurants, events and festivals not to be missed. The road along the beach, Campbell Parade, is full of fashion and surf shops, cafes and bars with sea views.
During the weekend, the Bondi Markets are held in the courtyard of the Bondi Beach public school: Saturday is dedicated to the farmers’ market whereas on Sunday you can visit the Bondi Beach Market, a huge flea market with antiques and vintage clothing where to find small treasures.
Bondi beach became famous for its surfing but also for its skilled and handsome lifeguards who are now the protagonists of a tv show in which they show how they rescue people in the Australian waters.
Bondi beach – just like many other beaches in Australia – is in fact not the safest place where to bathe..strong currents, potential presence of sharks and jellyfish, cold waters…make it sometimes a risk for unaware tourists or uncareful bathers.
In 2014 the beach became famous for an art installation called “We're Fryin 'Out Here,” a giant pan-shaped sculpture by Andrew Hankin and located right on our very Bondi Beach; the pan was one of the hundreds of works of art created by dozens of artists from all over the world for the festival “Sculpture by the Sea” in Sydney, the largest open air sculpture exhibition in the world.
From Bondi Beach also starts one of the most beautiful hiking trails, the Bondi Cooge Clifftop Walk, a walk of about six kilometers that reaches the town of Coogee. Along the way you will be able to admire the splendid view of cliffs and natural viewpoints. There is plenty of shade here and many bushes and short trees where to have a picnic or relax after a day spent at the beach.
Nearby you can also visit the Waverley Cemetery where the funeral scene of the movie “The Great Gatsby” was filmed. From this clifftop walk you will see the beaches of Tamarama and Bronte Beach, which are extremely nice to visit too.
Alternatively, if you don’t fancy the idea to ride the waves, hike or sunbathe, you can always rent a skateboard and use the Bondi Skate Park reserved for lovers of this sport. This city is famous for having the best beaches in the world but, behind the waterfront, develops a delightful neighbourhood of which I recommend a visit for its shops and hipsters cafes.
PHOTO GALLERY
BONDI BEACH
POTENTIAL DANGERS AT BONDI B.
SURFERS AT BONDI
PUBLIC POOL NEAR BONDI B.
