All cities have areas that do not promote an aura desirable to attract tourists. Often you have to transit them to reach the iconic sights. We went to Bondi Beach today, outbound by train to Bondi Junction and then the 333 bus to Campbell Parade, which is the road that lines the beach, and returned all the way on the 333 bus to Circular Quays. The train ride was mainly underground, but in a perfectly acceptable if somewhat charmless but functional carriage. The bus journey was through a built-up area, both in Bondi and on the return through the eastern suburbs of Sydney, reminiscent of a cross between Leyton High Road and Putney High Street….unless they’ve both improved immensely since I was last there. Bondi Beach itself did not generate the breathtaking effect that all the hype would have suggested. It is a very nice bay, with a wide sandy beach and some nice-looking surf, but somewhere its history of sudden and fatal seas has given it a reputation greater than its actual attraction as a resort. Manly had areas of much greater attractiveness for me. The height of sophistication was a seafood bar, advertising in hand lettering:: "World Famous Deep Fried Mars Bar" - obviously some cultures travel better than others!
We walked to both ends of the bay, seeking any other reason for the reputation, and found 2 adjacent bays to the south, Tamarama and Bronte. The latter had a lovely couple of more sheltered bathing areas that we made use of, and though we can’t claim to have swum at the actual Bondi Beach, we were close enough and able to enjoy swimming rather than just being buffeted by the breakers.
Before catching the ferry back from Circular Quays to Darling Harbour we had a beer, where the young English barman (from Cambridge) seized quickly on our accents. He had been here for 7 months and was about to go travelling up the east coast via Cairns to Darwin, and then to drive to Perth. Good luck to him – the TomTom says it’s about 6000 miles.
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