Sydney/Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach (pronounced BON-die) is a world famous beach in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.

Understand


The closest ocean beach to the centre of Sydney (7 km), Bondi Beach has become synonymous with Sydney's beach lifestyle and is very popular with tourists, daytrippers, backpackers, residents and all Sydneysiders.

Bondi Beach is famous for its glistening ocean, pristine sands, reliable surf and seaside spirit. Its laid back coastal lifestyle, cafe culture, boutique shops and thriving, eclectic community is equally enticing.

Bondi has become a favourite of the "barmy army" of British tourists, who annually gather on its sands for a Southern Hemisphere Christmas in the sun. Bondi is home to numerous youth hostels with backpackers who congregate mainly in the summer months. It is not uncommon to hear Norwegian, Portuguese, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish or Spanish while walking across the beach or through the cafes.

Bondi Beach is a very welcoming and tolerant community; topless sunbathing is acceptable and gay and lesbian couples displaying affection can be seen.

By public transport
Don't confuse Bondi Junction and Bondi Beach. may be the closest rail station to the beach but is still 3 km from it. There was a plan to build a railway station, though it never ended up constructed.

There are direct buses from the CBD to the beach. In particular, the 333 is a limited stop service that runs frequently up Elizabeth St, via Bondi Junction station.

You will save time (up to 30 minutes) by taking the train to Bondi Junction and changing at the interchange there to the bus.

Trains to Bondi Junction on the T4 Eastern Suburbs line leave from platform 24 at Central, stopping at Town Hall platform 5 and Martin Place. At Bondi Junction you can get buses from the interchange stands A1 or A3. A3 is the stop for the express 333 buses. The station at Bondi Junction is underground, go upstairs for the exit and the buses.

If you're using a public transport app, or the transport infoline webpage, the stop you need is Campbell Pde Nr Hall St.

If you're coming from the airport, get the train to Central and change to platform 24. From the Illawarra line and the south, the train continues through to Bondi Junction. From other points, change at Central or Town Hall.

By taxi
There’s a taxi stand outside the train station at Bondi Junction. Cost is about $10 depending on traffic. City to/from Bondi Beach is about $20-30. The airport, about 14km away, is about $40-55 for a 20-30min trip.

By car
There is minimal street parking, limited timed parking, and paid parking on Campbell Parade. A short visit by car on a winter weekday will be no problem. On a summer weekend, seriously reconsider your need to drive.

By Sydney Explorer
The Hop-on, Hop-Off tourist service, operates a route via Bondi Beach.

See
See the crowds, the waves, the water, the sand, the sunbathers, the teens and tweens showing off, the tourists with long socks and shoes straight off the tour coach next to the skimpily clad sunbathers. It is all part of the Bondi Beach Scene.

If you see past the crowds, the beach itself is actually naturally scenic, and there is an esplanade running along the beach front and along to the rocks either side.

There are often displays in the historic Bondi Pavilion. It's usually free and worth a quick look around.

Do

 * Swim. There are two sets of flags at the centre and at the north of the beach.  Bondi Beach is a fantastic place to cool off in the summer.  There are change rooms and showers in the pavilion, access is free.  There are lockers for hire.
 * Walk
 * Bondi to Coogee Walk - a coastal walk from Bondi (at the bottom of Notts Avenue, off Campbell Parade) to Tamarama, Bronte and all the way to South Coogee. Surely one of Sydney's most popular, spectacular walks. It's easy to get to, walkable by a person of average fitness, and no shortage of places to stop off for a coffee or a cool drink along the way. If you have mobility issues, a pram or young children, it may be a challenge.
 * Bondi to Manly Walk - links all the existing coastal and harbour-side walking tracks between Australia’s two most famous surf beaches, Bondi Beach and Manly Beach. For its entire length the Bondi to Manly Walk is on public land, with the vast majority of its 80 kilometres on existing well-made and well-maintained bush walking tracks.
 * Surf. The southern end of the beach is reserved for surfers.  There is one surf school, Let's Go Surfing or you can rent surf boards and body boards, as well as wetsuits. A cheaper option (although a bit further away from the beach) is Sydney Surfboard Rental and Hire.
 * Scuba Dive at North Bondi. Meet the protected Blue Groper and visit the Cathedral Cave. Rent scuba gear from Dive Bondi at 198 Bondi Rd. PADI dive certification is available: Open Water is $425, Advanced Open Water is $375.
 * Scuba Dive at North Bondi. Meet the protected Blue Groper and visit the Cathedral Cave. Rent scuba gear from Dive Bondi at 198 Bondi Rd. PADI dive certification is available: Open Water is $425, Advanced Open Water is $375.

Events

 * The Festival of the Winds - an annual kite-flying Festival in September.
 * Christmas. Bondi Beach is the traditional Christmas Day destination for backpackers for a Christmas Day "family" gathering for those whose real family is overseas.   Alcohol is not allowed on the beach or in the water.  The pubs are closed.
 * Christmas. Bondi Beach is the traditional Christmas Day destination for backpackers for a Christmas Day "family" gathering for those whose real family is overseas.   Alcohol is not allowed on the beach or in the water.  The pubs are closed.
 * Christmas. Bondi Beach is the traditional Christmas Day destination for backpackers for a Christmas Day "family" gathering for those whose real family is overseas.   Alcohol is not allowed on the beach or in the water.  The pubs are closed.

Markets

 * Bondi Beach Markets, every Su 9AM-3PM in the grounds of Bondi Beach Public School, (Campbell Parade, one block north of the main shopping centre).
 * Bondi Beach Community Market Saturday and Sunday from 1pm till late (Sept to April), some weekdays during summer, weather dependant. The Bondi Beach Community Market is located in the heart of Bondi Beach, near Hurricane's restaurant, not far from McDonald's. Great range of Jewellery, Sunglasses and fashion and beach attire. You can find some local designers at this market. The market is a run by a not for profit organisation and profits are donated to local Charities.

Eat
Bondi is a food lover's delight. There are countless cafes and restaurants on the streets around the beach, many with great views. If you're looking for something quick and easy, there are kiosks on the beach, and a cafe in the pavilion with plenty of tables on the wide promenade.

Unless you have a particular place in mind, there is usually no need to book in advance. Just walk around and find somewhere you like, or grab fish and chips and eat on the beach. Some of the more popular breakfast places fill up on weekend mornings, as do some of the more popular restaurants on Friday and Saturday night.



Drink
It is quite possible to go to Bondi Beach on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and not bother with any of that sand or water. The two biggest bars in Bondi are the Beach Road Hotel and Hotel Bondi. Both are excellent places to catch the finals in a cricket match or have a few drinks with your mates. Another great bar is at the previously mentioned Bondi Icebergs, it has a great view of the beach and relatively cheap drinks. Make sure to take some form of ID that proves you live outside a 5km radius as this is a club and club rules require that you be a member if you reside within 5km.

Of course, if you want to be "seen" then go for Ravesi's on the corner of Hall St and Campbell Parade. It attracts the beautiful people... or at least those who think they are beautiful.

Stay safe
Always swim between the red and yellow flags, which mark the safest areas and are patrolled by lifeguards. The beach is closed when surf conditions are too dangerous. At the northern end of Bondi Beach is a rip nicknamed "the Escalator" and at the southern end is a particularly strong rip nicknamed "the Backpacker's Express" that looks deceptively calm and may carry unwitting victims out to sea. The natural instinct is to swim against the rip, but this is extremely tiring and it's best to escape it by raising one hand to alert rescuers (see Australia for more information).

While there are shark nets in the summer, a siren will sound if a shark is spotted, and you should leave the water. Scary, but drowning is still a far more likely danger than a shark attack.

Go next
Try the other Eastern Suburbs beaches, some within walking distance. Cronulla Beach is over the Georges River further south. Sydney's Northern Beaches stretches north from Manly to Palm Beach.