Bondi
If there’s only one word on a tourist’s lips when they arrive in Australia, Bondi is usually it. Supposedly derived from the Aboriginal word for the sound of water hitting rocks, Bondi is now more than just the waves that break upon its famous beach.
Ever since the ocean baths were opened in 1886 and the first tram arrived a few years later, Bondi has grown from a simple cattle run into a truly iconic piece of Australian landscape. Artists, actors, surfers and tourists… Bondi’s population is as eclectic as its architecture.
There’s a mix of semi-detached houses, rows of traditional-facade Victorian terraces, modern apartments and Californian bungalows. It’s a desirable area for young families with quiet, leafy streets and off street parking and for young, professionals with well located contemporary housing.
Bondi Road that is really worth exploring for its eclectic mix of traditional suburban shops including Kemeny’s - one of Sydney’s best-stocked wine outlets, bakeries, grocers, delis and kosher food outlets.
When it comes to surfing and swimming, choose your local beach. Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama are all close by. Of course, there’s also the walk or run from Bondi on the headland footpath to Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly.
There’s also the Bondi Iceberg’s Club and swimming pool and the Bronte baths for serious lap swimmers. In Bondi Junction, you’ll find around 10 gyms and fitness centres including the celebrity-haunt, Body Control Pilate Studio. There’s also a squash club.
Sydney’s most famous beach - Bondi Beach is the central landmark of Bondi. The alluring golden sweep of sand is one of the city’s great icons. The Bondi Pavilion, built in the 1920s, is Sydney’s grandest bathing pavilion. Nearby, there’s Bronte House, one of the oldest houses still standing in the eastern suburbs. And, a 10-minute drive away there’s the dramatic Waverley Cemetery, established in 1877. This is where poets Henry Lawson and Henry Kendall are buried.
St Mary’s Church of England, designed by Edmund Blacket and built in 1863, is also in the area.
Stroll the length of Bondi Road and you’ll be able to eat your way around the world from Thai, Italian and Greek to Jewish and European. Or you could grab a hamburger from Burgerman, a pizza from Mozzarella, fish and chips from The One That Got Away or a Portuguese chicken from Oporto.
Residents are blessed with an enviable beach address only 7 km from the CBD and a bus/rail interchange just over the hill in Bondi Junction which also is home to Westfield shopping centre and the Oxford Street Mall. Several public schools and some of Sydney’s best private schools are close by, making Bondi as popular with families as it is with those attracted to the vibrant beach lifestyle.
