Bondi Beach Guide
April 23rd 2007 05:03
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My first knowledge of Bondi Beach was, ironically, from an Englishman whom I met while traveling in Asia. He was loud and arrogant, but he insisted that I would love it at Bondi, as all foreigners do.
Its incredible, he said. Its like paradise on Earth.
I quickly grew bored of him yelling in my face, trying to be heard over the loud and repetitive house music playing in the bar. Managing to get away, I patted myself on the back but I never forgot his words, nearly a warning of how deliriously hedonistic Bondi Beach could be.
Bondi would not disappoint me, either; the first time I went there, I was hypnotized by that pure, white sand and the inviting surf. The atmosphere was strictly leisurely, and people smiled as they lay down on their blankets, hoping to get enough sun to maintain their tan. I dove in the cool waters of the ocean, only to come up sputtering, the salt stinging my eyes and nose.
Later, lying on my back on top of the hot sand, water rolling off my supine form, I sighed in heavy contentment.
Things were not always so idyllic at the famous Sydney Beach, however. An ancient volcano created the rocky shores, opening the area to the fierce southern current, causing great waves to crash down on the sandy shore. Aboriginal tribes occupied the area and gave the name Bondi to the beach a word that loosely translates into the sound of water crashing on the rocks. A fitting name, and even more fitting that the name should remain after all these years.
Bondi is part of Waverly Council, the second oldest municipality in Sydney, established in 1859. At the time, only 70 people lived in the area, and it was far removed from the quickly growing city. This would change, as more people located in Bondi Junction, which became a commercial center in its own right. By the 1900s, Sydney had the worlds largest tram system, linking all the city suburbs together, allowing Sydneysiders from all over to take the tram to Bondi.
The beach was not as it is now: a tourist mecca with clean, family-friendly streets. Waves of impoverished immigrants came to Sydney, fleeing mounting tensions in Europe before the onset of the war. A steady stream of Jewish immigration would make Bondi a prominent area for synagogues and Jewish delicatessens, and immigrants from Greece, Italy, Hungary and Czechoslovakia arrived in the area, making the area a sincere ethnic tapestry, but bringing with it the usual problems of neglected neighborhoods.
Bondi was once a notorious refuge for denizens of crime and darkness, with drug-dealers dealing heroin out of hotels and liquor being drunk and smashed in the streets. In the mid-20th century, Bondi was definitely not a tourist highlight, as the city of Sydney placed a sewage outlet north of the beach; swimming in the waters at Bondi could very well prove to be a nauseating experience.
In the 1990s, Sydney replaced the sewage outlet, and with the cleansing of the water, the social problems in the area cleaned up as well, due to gentrification. Property values shot up along the waterfront, tourists were coming in droves to see the beach in action, and commercial businesses opened up on Campbell Parade. Hostels opened up on Hall Street, and cafes and restaurants were flourishing with backpacker activity.
When the 2000 Olympic Games were held in Sydney, Bondi Beach attained a near-mythical status in the world; the beach volleyball competition was held at Bondi, and television stations from all over the world filmed the stunning beach and transmitted pictures into nearly every household with a TV. Bondi was cemented as The Beach to go to in Australia.
Since then, Bondi has not disappointed her visitors the beach is heavily protected and maintained, lifeguards and lifesavers patrol the shores with constant vigilance to make the area as safe as possible. The dangerous rip current at Bondi is well marked to keep swimmers away from the tides, and volunteers tend to the native vegetation around the area. The annual City-to-Surf fun run ends at Bondi Beach, making the area an integral part of the Sydney lifestyle, and on Christmas, youd be lucky to find a patch of available sand.
Im not sure when Ill go back to Bondi again, but its certainly at the forefront of my mind. Even as I write this article, I can still see, and feel, the hot white sand burning my feet as the sun blinds me from the field of deep blue. Theres nothing more pleasing than making it to Bondi and throwing yourself in the ever present waves, and then dragging yourself to the shore to be dried by the hot breeze.
Its incredible, he said. Its like paradise on Earth.
I quickly grew bored of him yelling in my face, trying to be heard over the loud and repetitive house music playing in the bar. Managing to get away, I patted myself on the back but I never forgot his words, nearly a warning of how deliriously hedonistic Bondi Beach could be.
Later, lying on my back on top of the hot sand, water rolling off my supine form, I sighed in heavy contentment.
Things were not always so idyllic at the famous Sydney Beach, however. An ancient volcano created the rocky shores, opening the area to the fierce southern current, causing great waves to crash down on the sandy shore. Aboriginal tribes occupied the area and gave the name Bondi to the beach a word that loosely translates into the sound of water crashing on the rocks. A fitting name, and even more fitting that the name should remain after all these years.
Bondi is part of Waverly Council, the second oldest municipality in Sydney, established in 1859. At the time, only 70 people lived in the area, and it was far removed from the quickly growing city. This would change, as more people located in Bondi Junction, which became a commercial center in its own right. By the 1900s, Sydney had the worlds largest tram system, linking all the city suburbs together, allowing Sydneysiders from all over to take the tram to Bondi.
Bondi was once a notorious refuge for denizens of crime and darkness, with drug-dealers dealing heroin out of hotels and liquor being drunk and smashed in the streets. In the mid-20th century, Bondi was definitely not a tourist highlight, as the city of Sydney placed a sewage outlet north of the beach; swimming in the waters at Bondi could very well prove to be a nauseating experience.
In the 1990s, Sydney replaced the sewage outlet, and with the cleansing of the water, the social problems in the area cleaned up as well, due to gentrification. Property values shot up along the waterfront, tourists were coming in droves to see the beach in action, and commercial businesses opened up on Campbell Parade. Hostels opened up on Hall Street, and cafes and restaurants were flourishing with backpacker activity.
When the 2000 Olympic Games were held in Sydney, Bondi Beach attained a near-mythical status in the world; the beach volleyball competition was held at Bondi, and television stations from all over the world filmed the stunning beach and transmitted pictures into nearly every household with a TV. Bondi was cemented as The Beach to go to in Australia.
Since then, Bondi has not disappointed her visitors the beach is heavily protected and maintained, lifeguards and lifesavers patrol the shores with constant vigilance to make the area as safe as possible. The dangerous rip current at Bondi is well marked to keep swimmers away from the tides, and volunteers tend to the native vegetation around the area. The annual City-to-Surf fun run ends at Bondi Beach, making the area an integral part of the Sydney lifestyle, and on Christmas, youd be lucky to find a patch of available sand.
Im not sure when Ill go back to Bondi again, but its certainly at the forefront of my mind. Even as I write this article, I can still see, and feel, the hot white sand burning my feet as the sun blinds me from the field of deep blue. Theres nothing more pleasing than making it to Bondi and throwing yourself in the ever present waves, and then dragging yourself to the shore to be dried by the hot breeze.
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