One of the most popular tourist attractions in Australia is Bondi Beach. Just a fifteen minute drive from downtown Sydney, Bondi Beach is a popular hangout for locals as well as tourists. The crescent shaped Bondi beach measures at about one kilometer (or 0.62 miles for you Americans), and covers an area of 1.22 square kilometers. Because of its unique crescent shape, perfect surfing waves crash onto the beach almost everyday, making it a bucket list destination for surfers.
In fact, surfers enjoy Bondi so much, that a national surf competition called the Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships is held at Bondi Beach annually.
One of the big reasons Bondi Beach is so attractive to tourists from around the world is because of the world renowned television show, Bondi Rescue.
This show ran for 13 seasons and had millions of viewers all around the world. This show is a reality television series revolving around a core group of Bondi Beach lifeguards. Each episode they encounter a different interpersonal problem (disagreements, fights, etc.), dangerous situations, and critical lifesaving situations. The show won more than five awards over its historic run. The publicity and popularity generated by the lifeguards of Bondi Beach provided has played a major role in making Bondi a must visit destination.
But, travelers be wary!!! Over the past few years, Bondi Beach has had a significant increase in beach thefts and other petty crimes. There have been quite a few cases of alcohol induced violence, vandalism, and theft that have been reported over the years.
However, this danger is common at many beaches we all frequent and as long as you keep your wits about you and make sure to keep an eye on your belongings and not escalate a situation, you are guaranteed to have an amazing experience at Bondi Beach.
Quick Disclaimer: If you are afraid of sharks and other somewhat dangerous aquamarine life, you may want to stay on the beach.
Sharks are a common sight at Bondi Beach. Since records began, there have been 13 credited shark attacks at Bondi Beach that have resulted in two fatalities. The sharks are especially a danger to surfers. When a surfer paddle on a surfboard, the shadow that the surfer makes on the surface of the water looks similar to a seal’s shadow to the sharks (keep in mind that sharks have terrible vision). A majority of those shark attacks had victims that were surfers.
When you visit Bondi Beach, make sure to take precautions and keep an eye on the horizon for any possible shark interactions. The Australian coastlines are home to one of the largest shark populations on the planet. Because of this, shark attacks are a very serious and plausible issue that all tourists and locals must consider while at the beach. Just make sure to stay safe out on the water and you will have the time of your life.
Bondi Beach is a beautiful beach that has some of the best surfing conditions on the planet. If you ever find yourself in Australia, visiting Bondi Beach is a must visit destination.
Wow. You definitely grabbed my attention when you said it was a surfing destination. I recently got one of my skateboards stolen off the beach while I was on the ocean. Theft does occur on the sand… surprisingly! I like how you mentioned the shark population. Always a thought in the back of the mind when surfing…
I felt offended when you converted the distance to miles for us Americans. The location looks beautiful though. I know there are very few shark attacks globally each year so hearing that there have been that many attacks in this small part of Australia.
This was a great post. I never knew that sharks attacked people because they thought they were seals.
Once again I loved the Australian blog! Its so interesting! This beach is so cool! If I were to visit Australia I would definitely try to go to this beach. I love the beach and especially ones that look as pretty as those photos show. But I have to say, I am going to have to be extra careful with those sharks. I’m not a huge fan of all those attacks!