It used to be a place of thugs and drug deals. Now Bondi Beach is home to Sydney's rich and fashionable. Smart cafés and surf shops line the streets; sun lovers and bronzed boarders of all ages line the beach. Old red-tiled houses and modern apartments crowd in to steal a view of this famous kilometre of well-trodden white sand, used these past few weeks for Olympic beach volleyball.
Bondi was just dunes and lagoons until it was opened to the public as a picnicking and bathing spot in the late 19th century. As Sydney grew, Bondi developed into a working-class suburb. Italian, Greek and Jewish communities gave it a village atmosphere which it still has today.
And now that the Olympic excitement is almost over, the controversial £8 million temporary stadium will soon be gone and the pastel shop-fronts and sunshades of the beachfront parade will again have an unimpeded view of the South Pacific.
What to see and do
Budding surfers can learn basic skills, etiquette and lingo from a seasoned Bondi boarder at Let's Go Surfing (tel: 02 9365 1800, two-hour group lessons cost £16). If you already have the skills, hire a board from below the lifeguard tower and join the throng of wetsuits at the southern end of the beach.
You can swim safely between the red and yellow flags, without fear of sharks - well almost. The last fatal attack here was in 1937. A specially-erected fence keeps them away and traps the more persistent in its mesh.
In colder months (May to August), the Bondi Icebergs do most of the swimming. Founded in 1929, this winter swimming club is a local institution. The turquoise and cream clubhouse overlooks a salt-water pool south of the promenade. On Sunday mornings, you can watch club members fill it with ice, dive in and swim lengths.
Winter can be surprisingly cold in Bondi - even hardened surfers grimace as they brace against biting winds. Instead of bikinis and shorts, the promenade is a catwalk for ponchos, bell-bottom jeans and floppy felt hats. Some days though are warm enough to lie back with a book and eat Dutch ice cream in Bondi Park above the beach.
Behind the promenade walls and the busy skate ramps, a gallery at the cream-washed Bondi Pavilion exhibits work by local artists and there are workshops and stage performances year round. For programme details, call 02 9130 3325 Mon-Fri, 02 9368 1253 Sat/Sun, or pick up a monthly What's On guide from the foyer.
On the sandstone of the northern headland, you can watch the sun rise at Ben Buckler's Point or play 18 holes at Bondi Golf Club (tel: 02 9130 3170). A round costs less than £8, extra for club hire. The course extends lazily over the cliffs and reveals a carving of a whale in rock, one of more than 2,000 documented aboriginal art sites around Sydney. Sydney Aboriginal Discoveries runs tours of aboriginal art sites around the city (tel: 02 9139 7866, www.easy.com.au/).
Another site is at Mackenzie's Point, the first stop on a gentle four-mile coastal walk heading south to neighbouring Coogee beach. From the Point, head down to Bronte where sausages sizzle on coin-operated barbecues around family-filled picnic booths.
For more serious exercise there is a staggered fitness circuit along the walk. Push up, chin up and sit up on well-worn metal bars until you reach Coogee, which has a more relaxed atmosphere than Bondi but a less impressive sweep of sand.
Events
Sydney's Fringe Festival in January (tel: 02 9365 2197) has free comedy, dance and film shows in the pavilion and on the beach, culminating in a televised nude surfing competition at sunset.
In February, the pavilion hosts Flickerfest, an international festival showcasing some of the world's best short films. Or head up to the coastal walk for the annual Sea Theatre Festival, a celebration of street theatre by local artists.
In August, watch runners from around the world compete in the City to Surf, a 14km dash from Sydney's Hyde Park to the beach. In September, Australia's largest kite festival, the Festival of the Winds, attracts kite flyers from all over the country as well as international music performances and displays.
Walk along the coast in October for the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition, or stay on the beach and admire flexed muscles in Uncle Toby's Iron Man competition.
On Christmas Day, thousands of travellers and locals descend on the beach. DJs entertain the partygoers, fenced in to the middle of the beach outside the pavilion. An alcohol-free zone and police presence has transformed the once-unruly gathering.
Where to eat
Whatever your taste, Bondi caters for it. Bates Milk Bar and Coffee Lounge (124 Campbell Parade, tel: 02 9310 4711) blends creamy milkshakes for £1.20. Eat and drink with a 1950s feel in the original booths.
You can spend hours at Le Paris-Go Café (252 Campbell Parade, tel: 02 9130 1036) listening to jazz and chatting to owner Serge Peeters. Play chess over a croque monsieur and a steaming bowl of coffee for about £2.50.
You could easily miss the plain front of Sean's Panaroma (270 Campbell Parade, tel: 02 9365 4924) but the inside is welcoming and homely, with rickety chairs and rows of chutney. Fried ham and Tasmanian gruyere cheese sandwiches cost £3.20.
At Hugo's (70 Campbell Parade, tel: 02 9300 0900), you can eat seared swordfish fillet or Sydney rock oysters at white clothed tables for £8-$12 and admire wall-to-wall wine behind the bar.
Bondi Surf Seafoods (128 Campbell Parade, tel: 02 9130 4554) is the oldest and busiest seafood shop in Bondi. As well as traditional fish and chips for £2.40, owner George Dimitrios offers deep-fried Mars bars, Scottish style.
Where to stay
For backpackers, the friendly Indy's (35 Hall St, tel 02 9365 4900, www.indysbackpackers.com.au) has dorm beds for £7.50 a night, and you can use bikes and surfboards for free.
The ugly facade of the Bondi Beachside Inn (152 Campbell Parade, tel: 02 9130 5311, www.bondiinn.com.au) is a reminder of how Bondi used to be. But the view from the street does not do justice to its clean rooms and ocean views. A double with kitchenette costs from £40 a night.
Ravesi's (corner Campbell Parade and Hall St, tel: 02 9365 4422) is a sign of the new Bondi, the stylish terrace restaurant blending in with the bistros on the parade below. A beachfront view costs from £85, the penthouse £130.
The Swiss Grand Hotel (corner Campbell Parade and Beach Rd, tel: 02 9365 5666, www.swissgrand.com.au) takes up a whole beachfront block. With every conceivable comfort from roof-top pool to in-house movies, you'll never need to step on to the street. Suites are from £110.
The Hotel Bondi (178 Campbell Parade, tel: 02 9130 3271) resembles a tiered chocolate-cream cake. The terracing has a Mediterranean feel, but inside has the atmosphere and charm of a pub. It is a popular night spot. Doubles costs from £40.
How to get there
Direct return fares from London to Sydney cost from £490 in low season (March-September), £560 in high season (October-February).
To get to Bondi Beach, take the bright yellow shuttle bus direct from the airport or bus 380 or L82 from Circular Quay in the city.
• For tourist information, go to the New South Wales travel centre in the airport arrivals hall or see www.tourism.nsw.gov.au. The Bondi Beach homepage is at www.voyeurmagic.com.
