Bondi Beach
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Bondi
Beach
   Up, packed and off this morning, it
didn’t take too many minutes in the Beast to ascertain that Chris and Ken – his
GPS complete with Australian accent and front right of
dashboard, has a very similar relationship to Bear and the Wicked Witch.
It was very exciting to see the sign that said Bondi
Beach. Parking, Ken piped “Windows up, sunglasses on and don’t let the
seagulls eat you’re chips.” Mmmm. No sooner than the car doors were locked than
himself started ticking – moaning, about Ken,
navigators in general and Sue for the journey in which he asked which lane out
of seven to take and the map was in the case, in the boot, or trunk for our
American readers.....
   A very short walk led Bear to his first Australian trigger finger event. I wonder if the Town Clerk General Manager, an R J Ball is indeed a long lost relative. Our tour guide strode beachward. We fell in behind very excitedly.
Looking right.
Bondi Beach is about a kilometre long and receives many visitors throughout the year. Surf Life Saving Australia has given different hazard ratings to Bondi Beach in 2004. While the northern end has been rated a gentle four (with ten as the most hazardous), the southern side is rated as a seven due to a famous rip current known as the "Backpackers' Express" because of its proximity to the bus stop, and the unwillingness of tourists to walk the length of the beach to safer swimming. The south end of the beach is generally reserved for surfboard riding. Yellow and red flags define safe swimming areas, and visitors are advised to swim between them. There is an underwater shark net shared, during the summer months, with other beaches along the southern part of the coast. Pods of whales and dolphins have been sighted in the bay during the months of migration. Fairy penguins, while uncommon, are sometimes also seen swimming close to shore or amongst surfers in southern line-up. In 2007, the Guinness World Record for the largest swimsuit photo shoot was set at Bondi Beach, with one thousand and ten ladies wearing bikinis taking part. Bondi Beach was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2008.
A closer look, the sea heaped up some big waves, don’t ask about the tractor I didn’t.
Chris at this point decided to declare himself to be free of grey hairs. I took this picture as he pointed out something behind us, Grecian 2000 or Cover-up for Men would certainly have their work cut out for them methinks.
Looking left.
The surf hitting the rocks led to ten minutes happily spent wave watching, followed by people watching.
Bear went to paddle his feet and pose for us. Result – a jogger and a tourist mob the shot. Never mind another one to the left.
The Powerhouse Museum’s picture of Bondi Bay circa 1900.
Bondi Beach was long a centre for efforts to fight indecency in beach attire. The beach was a focal point of the 1907 Sydney bathing costume protests, organized to oppose proposed dress standards for beachgoers. The Local Government Act, Ordinance No. 52 (1935) governed the decency of swimming costumes and was in force between 1935 and 1961, and resulted in public controversy as the two-piece "bikini" became popular after World War II. Waverley Council's beach inspectors, including the legendary Aub Laidlaw, were responsible for enforcing the law and were required to measure the dimensions of swimwear and order offenders against public decency off the beach. While vacationing in Australia during 1951, American movie actress Jean Parker made international headlines when she was escorted off the beach after Laidlaw determined her bikini was too skimpy. The rule became increasingly anachronistic during the 1950’s and was replaced in 1961 with one requiring bathers be "clad in a proper and adequate bathing costume", allowing for more subjective judgement of decency. By the 1980’s topless bathing had become common at Bondi Beach, especially at the southern end.
"Bondi" or "Boondi" is an Aboriginal word meaning water breaking over rocks or noise of water breaking over rocks. The Australian Museum records that Bondi means place where a flight of nullas took place.
A few more minutes wave watching then we set off for the Beast.
Just as we passed the Life Saving Club we saw a Just Squeezed van, it just had to be done..........
..........Ooops.
Bondi Beach Surfing Statue, like Bear’s dolphin was unveiled in 1987 by Alderman Carolyn A. Markham, the first woman Mayor of Waverley. Also the Town Clerk-General Manager was still R J Ball, really must look. In front of us was the Hotel Bondi.
Just one look at a surfer.
A final look back at Bondi Beach and a promise ‘to be back’.
Back in the Beast and Ken said something like “If the people in the back seat misbehave ditch them at the next servo.” Charming. Soon we were leaving the city via the rather impressive Anzac Bridge heading toward the Blue Mountains. A couple of hours later we passed a very unique and shapely picnic set up and after parking went in search of the Three Sisters in this vast and deep National Park.
ALL IN ALL AN ABSOLUTE MUST VISIT WET AND SANDY |
