I live about fifteen minutes away from it by car, so it seems like I could just go any time—yet more than a month after moving here I still hadn’t made it. Luckily a friend reached out to me the other day and a few of us decided to head out to Bondi Beach in the evening.
Having lived in Sydney for a while, I’ve noticed that while it’s certainly a big city, there are still tons of large parks within short walking distance and the ocean isn’t far—so you still feel like you’re surrounded by nature. There are also lots of museums and events. The city has several libraries, too, so I’ve been able to explore different ones on different days.
Bondi Beach is of course known for its beautiful ocean views, but the area has also given rise to a distinctive “Bondi-style” culture that extends to cuisine, wellness, and fashion. My friend even surfs there every morning before work as part of their daily schedule! That’s some amazing intensity. Another friend offered to teach me to surf, but I just don’t think I have the courage for it. Or rather, I am certain I’ll be terrible at it. Standing on that little board and keeping your balance while riding ocean waves? Seems superhuman to me.
We saw some people surfing that day at Bondi Beach, and the sight of them riding huge waves was as beautiful as admiring a work of art. I could have watched It for hours without tiring of it.
There are all kinds of ways to enjoy Bondi Beach, but we chose a bit more upscale experience, heading to a members-only club to have some wine and a bite to eat. There are a lot of members-only restaurants and bars in Sydney where you have to show your ID, so I needed to carry my passport with me that day as usual. If you forget, you can’t get in—so you’ve got to make sure not to leave the house without it.
The patio area turned out to be the perfect place to enjoy the ocean at sunset. The Sydney skies are lovely in the evenings, often streaked with blues and pinks. But this time, the miracle we saw wasn’t the sun sinking into the ocean on the horizon, but the moon rising out of it! I’ve seen the sun set over the water on countless occasions, and it’s certainly beautiful in its own way—impressive every time. But to see the moon rising up from the horizon? That was a first for me. I asked my local friend if it was a normal occurrence and they just responded casually, saying that they assumed it was, though they’d never seen it themselves. But the other people at the restaurant were all taking videos and pictures, so I’m guessing we were there to witness a pretty special moment.
