Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach (with a long i) is a beach and suburb of Sydney, Australia. It is situated in the Eastern Suburbs, several kilometres from the centre of the city. Large numbers of tourists visit Bondi Beach throughout the year and many British tourists spend Christmas Day there.

Surf Life Savers Australia has given different hazard ratings to Bondi Beach as at 2004. While the northern end has been rated a gentle 4, the southern side is rated as a 7 (with 10 as the most hazardous) due to a famous rip current known as the "Backpackers Express". The beach has a shark net in place during the swimming season. It is removed for repairs in the winter and is redeployed again in the summer.

Bondi Beach hosted the beach volleyball competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Bondi Beach is the end point of the City to Surf Fun Run. The run is held each year in late winter/early spring. The race attracts over 60,000 entrants who complete the 14 km run from the central business district of Sydney to Bondi Beach.

History

Bondi Beach was a working class suburb throughout most of the twentieth century. Bondi Beach also became home for many migrants as people fled war and poverty in Europe. In recent decades it has become gentrified and is home to many famous Australians including supermodel Elle MacPherson and media baron James Packer. War correspondent, film-maker and playwright John Pilger was born in Bondi Beach.

Origin of term

Bondi; derived from an old Aboriginal term meaning, approximately, "sound of water breaking on the beach".

See also: Bondi Junction

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