Description

If you’ve heard of Sydney, Australia, you’ve heard of Bondi Beach. Its reputation reaches out across the world. Of the 20 or more magnificent surfing beaches on Sydney’s coastline, Bondi is the closest to the central business district.

Originally Bondi Beach was surrounded by heath, scrub and huge, extensive, rolling sand dunes which dominated the area.

Today Bondi is a densely occupied suburb, no longer bearing any resemblance to its original bushland setting. Over the years Bondi has been given some strange spelling such as Boondi, Bundi, Bundye and Boondye until 1827, when the present spelling was declared and accepted.

Bondi is an Aboriginal word, appropriately meaning sound of waves breaking on the beach or noise of water breaking over rocks .

The rockpool in the foreground is the swimming venue of the famous Bondi Icebergs, a winter swimming club where members, at the beginning of each winter, declare their season open by throwing large blocks of ice into the pool as a celebration before diving in. In the summer months people congregate on the golden sand, literally packing the area with bare flesh to soak up the sun, swim in the pulsating surf or fraternise in the coffee shops, restaurants and the other surrounding venues. Bondi is a place to see, or to be seen.