Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach (pronounced "Bond-eye" with a long i, or bóndai) is a popular beach in the suburb of Bondi, New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. It is situated in the Eastern Suburbs is about one kilometer long and roughly seven kilometers from the center of the city. Large numbers of tourists visit Bondi Beach throughout the year, and many Irish and British tourists spend Christmas Day there.

Surf Life Saving Australia has given different hazard ratings to Bondi Beach in 2004. While the northern end has been rated a gentle 4 (with 10 as the most hazardous), the southern side is rated as a 7 due to a famous rip current known as the "Backpackers Express" (also known as the "Bondi Tram" or the "Bronte Express" because you would supposedly end up at Bronte - two beaches south - if caught in it). In actual fact, there are up to five rip currents operating along the beach, the Backpackers' Express being the one closest to the designated swimming area. There is an underwater shark net shared, during the summer months, with other beaches along the southern part of the coast.

Bondi Beach hosted the beach volleyball competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics. A temporary 10,000-seat stadium, a much smaller stadium, 2 warm-up courts, and 3 training courts were set up to host the tournament. The local Waverley Council now actively discourages beach volleyball and has forced groups of regular weekend players to move to other beaches.

Bondi Beach is the end point of the City to Surf Fun Run which is held each year in August. The race attracts over 63,000 entrants who complete the 14 km run from the central business district of Sydney to Bondi Beach. Other annual activities at Bondi Beach include Flickerfest, Australia's premier international short film festival in January, World Environment Day in June, and Sculpture By The Sea in November. In addition to many activities, the Bondi Beach Markets is open every Sunday.

Bondi Beach is one of Australia's most famous beaches and among the world's most well-known beaches. The beach is roughly a kilometre long and is patrolled by lifesavers who make swimmers stay between the yellow and red flags. Bondi Beach is located on the east coast of Australia and is a suburb of the city of Sydney. Bondi Beach is well served by public transport.

Bondi is more than just the beach, there are many excellent cafes, seafood restaurants and bars & clubs on the seafront and all the way back to Bondi Junction. Please see our accommodation page for a listing of hotel, bed and breakfast and backpacker accommodation within the Bondi area for planning your next visit. Bondi is well known for its great sandy beach, as well as its surf. It is a modern and trendy coastal resort, which is very popular. Bondi has a number of cafes and restaurants which look out over the beach and makes a great place to stay and visit.

The beach is backed by attractive parkland, where you can relax, play games or take a walk. It is also a popular place amongst rollerbladers, skaters and cyclists. There is a fantastic promenade backing the beach, which continues along the coast, around the headland.

Heading towards the northern headland you can also see one of Sydney's Aboriginal sites. Within the golf course there are some great Aboriginal rock engravings, giving you an excuse to have a break from the game.

At the southern headland there is a fabulous coastal walk which takes you past a number of smaller coves until you reach Coogee, which is well worth it. The views are fantastic and although the walk is a little strenuous in parts, it is also relaxing and very enjoyable.

Campbell Parade is the ocean road where the majority of the cafes and shops can be found. There is also a lively and busy atmosphere along here, whatever time of day. There is also a market to the North of Campbell Parade, where you can pick up some great bargains.

Bondi attracts a wide range of people from its old Jewish and Italian communities to travellers as well as Aussie surfers. You can learn to surf on Bondi, which is a must. If you already know a few moves but don't have your own board, then you can hire both surf boards and boogie boards from the small hire shop on the beach. They also offer lockers so you can keep your valuable safe when swimming.

Bondi Beach can be reached from the centre of Sydney on bus numbers 380, 333 (prepay only), 382 and 389 (you must change buses at Bondi Junction). You can also get the train to Bondi Junction, and then either walk or catch a bus onto Bondi Beach.

1km long, this beautiful south facing beach can attract more than 40,000 visitors on a typical summer weekend.

Offering topless sunbaking, swimming and great surfing for boards and bodies, it is popular with Australians as well as international tourists.

The surf can range from very large surfable waves to calm quiet one day to the next. If the surf gets too large for your enjoyment, there are two pools at either end of the beach at Bondi.

It also has great restaurants and nightlife. The dress is also often casual with t-shirts, sandals and shorts quite acceptable in most of the dining places, many with views. The Bondi Pavilion often has entertainment and exhibitions.

There is a great coastal walk (6km) starting at the south end of the beach that takes in spectacular ocean views and allows you to visit a number of smaller but still scenic beaches all the way to Coogee. Or learn how to surf with lessons from a personal instructor.

The establishment of the annual City to Surf Run sees thousands of runners, many from overseas coming to particpate, running from Sydney CBD all the way to the beach at Bondi.

Along the coastal walk, you can visit Tamarama, with a great little cafe, Bronte, with a number of cafes and a beachside pool, Clovelly, a sheltered beach popular with families, and Gordons Bay, great for snorkeling and scuba diving.