December Beach of the Month: Bondi Beach, New South Wales, Australia

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season. If you were home, I hope you enjoyed some  time doing what you wanted and if you were traveling, I hope you had some stress free adventures. I spent my holiday at home - my two oldest kids were home which makes for a very happy mama.We watched our classic Christmas Eve movie of It's a Wonderful Life, hosted 15 family members for Christmas dinner of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes,  we visited with more family for a pizza party the next day and then had a venison steak dinner with more family the next day after that. It was so enjoyable! And now onto more travel talk....

On my trip to Australia at the tail end of November and beginning of December, I put my toes in the sand at Bondi Beach to accomplish my goal of visiting a beach for every month of 2018.

World Famous Bondi
Bondi Beach,(Bondi is an aboriginal word meaning water breaking over rocks) one of Australia's most iconic beaches, can be reached by car or public transportation in less than an hour from Sydney. Known the world over for it's surf culture, Bondi is one of the most visited tourist sites in Australia. It's popularity is due in part to many tv shows that have been, or are filmed here, including the wildly popular Bondi Rescue about the team of lifeguards who patrol the beach. 



What to Do at Bondi
The Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club started way back in 1929 and due to it's Instagram popularity, it's still quite the popular spot today. Set right on the ocean, the club and swimming pool host those who want to swim - on days that it's not closed due to high waves - and those who want to eat or drink overlooking Bondi. We enjoyed a drink in the uber cool bar watching the surfers and the waves hit the pool. And even though the waves were fierce, the pool was open - it's open year round!



The Bondi Skate Park is popular with teens and skaters right on the edge of the beach. It's rated 4 out of 5 stars from Skateboard Australia - and if you're really into skating, then this is your spot. The Vans Bowl-a-Rama competition is held here every February.

You can stroll the main street, known as Campbell Parade, and visit bars, restaurants and shops where you can stop in for a drink or meal overlooking the beach, do some surf shop shopping or grab those souvenirs you've been wanting.

One of the most popular things to do at Bondi is walk the famous Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk with it's dramatic scenery. This clifftop coastal walk is six kilometers of views, beaches, parks, and rock pools. There are stairs and steep paths so it's not for those who have difficulty with these. But there are also rest stops with benches along the views.  We walked for just a short bit of the walk and were awed by the views and fierceness of the waves. (The walk takes about two hours return from Bondi to Coogee)

How to get there
You can reach Bondi on express buses from the center of Sydney that take about 30 minutes, or on a train from the city center or on the hop on/hop off buses that operate around the city.

Bondi was one of my favorite places in Australia. It's laid back with a definite surf vibe and you just can't beat the view from Icebergs. Add in the coastal walk and I was a happy camper.Admittedly, I wasn't there at a peak crowd time - it was a weekday in the end of Spring. I'm not sure how I'd do on Christmas Day or in the height of summer. I hope if you are traveling around Sydney that you get a chance to get out to the suburbs and visit Bondi.



How about you? Have you been to Bondi Beach?


Linking up with: Photographing New Zealand and The Weekend Wanderlust Weekend Travel Blog Party!





Comments

  1. I hear a lot about this beach and it sounds wonderful, although I suspect it would be way too crowded for my taste! Thank you so much for linking up at My Corner of the World :)

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    1. Thanks for the link-up - and for visiting The Unpaved Road!

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  2. This is one of my dream destinations. I even listened to the Bondi Beach podcast for a while. All of your pictures are amazing, especially the ones of the waves crashing into the pool. So excited that you got to visit Bondi. #WeekendWanderlust

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    1. I'm so excited that I was able to visit Bondi also - especially on a gorgeous weekday that wasn't crowded. It's a beautiful little corner of Australia and I hope you make it there someday. Thanks for visiting, Sarah!

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