Bondi Beach is world-famous for many reasons. One is that it is the closest ocean-side beach to downtown Sydney proper, so it is easily accessible and highly used. For the uninitiated, Australian (aboriginal) words that end in an "i" use the long sound and there is usually no stress on any one syllable, so it's pronounced "bond-eye". There's a shark net that makes it safe for swimmers, and there hasn't been a fatality due to sharks since 1937.
Bondi Beach from the northeast end looking south-southwest.
Aside from it being the typical gorgeous Aussie silicon and sea, the Bondi Baths on the south end are also the home of the Bondi Icebergs, whose mandate is to "compete" on three out of four Sundays throughout the winter, from May to September. The ocean ranges from a cool but refreshing 21°C/70°F in the summer to 16°C/61° in the winter. That may not sound like a huge range, but trust me, the former is actually quite comfortable, while the latter can quickly lead to hypothermia if not mitigated with a wetsuit. This club has existed since 1929 and was formed by local lifesavers who wanted to remain fit during the winter.
Artificial rock pools filled with sea water like the ones the Bondi Icebergs use are very common at beaches in urban or populated areas and sometimes can be found at relatively remote locations. This is the "North Bondi Children's Pool", on the opposite end of the beach from the Icebergs' digs.
For a story of "local colour", see this story and this article about Jhyimy "Two Hats" Mhiyles. I have some thoughts on the matter that I will share at a later date.
Leaving Bondi we headed north, stopping at Dudley Page Reserve in Dover Heights for a breathtaking view of the Sydney skyline across a Harbour dotted with sailboats. Ferries and other ships occasionally wended their way through the serpentine bay. North of Bondi, the eastern ocean side of the peninsula becomes rugged, rocky cliffs, while the other side mostly slopes down to meet the harbour.
Looking west toward Sydney's CBD (Central Business District). If you look closely (click on the photo to embiggen), you can see the outline of the Blue Mountains in the Great Dividing Range in the hazy distance behind the Harbour Bridge.
Further north, the views of the Harbour and the coastline just get better. One of the most intriguing features of the Australian coastline is the rock that fractures in very regular, rectangular patterns like huge black refrigerators stacked on their backs. They become more visible as we approach the tip of South Head.
These rocks are farther away than they look. The rock is covered with algae etc. that makes it look lighter in colour as well.
A view of those same rocks from a different viewpoint (looking roughly south) that shows the cliffs and gives a better idea of the scale.
A "head" or "headland" refers to a high peninsula usually with cliffs, whereas a "point" is usually a much lower landmass with a more gradual, sloping interface with the sea. I ran out of time and energy and was not able to make it all the way to the tip of the head where the colourfully candy-striped Hornby Lighthouse sits, but I'll certainly keep that on my list for another day.
A little way south of the area is Australia's oldest lighthouse, the Mcquarie Lighthouse, the current incarnation of which has been operating since 1883. The original lighthouse was built in 1818, and a navigational aid has been here since 1791.
The Mcquarie Lighthouse, taken from between it and the ocean looking southwest.
Next up: North Head to Palm Beach. (I think there's a "Palm Beach" everywhere in the world that has beaches. It's kind of like cities/towns named "Springfield" in the USA.)
NOTE: If you haven't yet noticed, you can click on any of the images in any of my blog posts to get a larger version. The results vary depending on the proportions of the image and how it has been resized to fit within the margins of the blog text area.
