Bondi bearings

“There is nowhere else I’d rather be, nothing else I’d rather be doing.I am at the beach looking west with the continent behind me as the sun tracks down to the sea. I have my bearings.” (Tim Winton, Land’s Edge)

“Please, no more beautiful beaches!”

Tina B. is gone, but her words remain with me. Uttered under her laboured breath up the steep Barrenjoey Lighthouse Walk, surrounded by the beauty of yet another gorgeous beach. Half joking, half serious – I get it.

How many pictures of the beach can you take – the beach in the morning, the beach in the evening, the beach at night. Beach walks, beach talks, beautiful beaches. I don’t get tired of it, but I have a feeling my audience back home might. Tired of the beauty around me. The Good, the Bad, the Ugly… one day I’ll write about the ugly side of Sydney. Like the decomposing wallabie on the side of the road on my way to school. Or that darn kookaburra!

But for now, here’s one more beautiful beach. THE beach! Bondi Beach!

Sydney has more than 100 beaches. Bondi is alpha. A crescent of blonde sand, supposedly one of the best beaches in the world, definitely an Australian icon. Cafes, restaurants, lifeguards, the surf and saltwater pools … did I mention lifeguards? I too watch Bondi Rescue! I know what I’m talking about. 

So, to celebrate the eve of my 50th year, I decided to dedicate the weekend to the “Bondi Bubble” and beyond. Surround myself with things I love – books, good food and drinks, friends, and the three Ss: sun, sea and sculptures.

Sculptures by the Sea. The largest free to the public outdoor sculpture exhibition in the world. On its 23rd year. Attracting more than half a million visitors every year. And I was going to be one of them.

More than 100 sculptures from Australia and abroad transform the Bondi Coastal Walk into a temporary sculpture park. To get a little taste of Sydney’s favourite art event, we decided to take our grade 1 and 2 classes to see the sculptures. 64 children, 6 teachers, and a lot of people. A LOT!!!

Bondi Coastal walk is Sydney’s best known walk along the sea shore. Spectacular ocean views, towering sandstone cliffs, crashing waves, and yes, more golden sand beaches. Nice and tranquil, this usually is a place to relax, go for an early morning swim or a jog along the cliff top trail. 

No such luck today. A never ending stream of visitors snailing along the 2km from Bondi to Tamarama Beach, our classes amongst them. 

“Keep to the left! Stay together! Look another sculpture! Don’t stop! Keep going! Don’t touch!” Me barking orders to keep my students together, sounding like your stereotype German villain constantly shouting “Schnell! Schnell!” People say Germans always sound like they are angry and shouting. I was shouting. Shouting by the Sea. 

But it got us to where we needed to be – Tamarama Beach at the end of our Sculpture walk. A very, very long walk, the kids later complained. Kids these days… Saw amazing sculptures along the way though – mini clay houses perched on sandstone cliffs, towering pencils, winding golden swirls, pink metal tanks and – the kids’ favourite – woven bamboo huts. “I like it when you can go inside art and touch it.” Out of the mouth of babes. I agree.

Our very, very long walk finished with a focused tour of a few specific sculptures on Tamarama Beach and a visit of one of the local artists. Blue fiberglass pods in the sand, rusty metal views of the sky, prickely zip tie statues to touch.. The warm white sand between our fingers, the azure blue ocean waves rolling behind us… ” There is nowhere else I’d rather be, nothing else I’d rather be doing.”

As interesting our excursion to Sculptures by the Sea was, I am looking forward to revisiting Bondi’s Sculptures on my own. Maybe earlier, much earlier during the day, with hopefully less people around. Watch the sunrise over the South Pacific Ocean. Continue on, past the frenzy of Bondi Beach, along the stunning path that hugs the cliff tops and beaches all the way to Coogee. Colorful wildflowers and crazy rock formations along the way, iconic Waverley cemetery and breaching whales out on the sea…. Ok, maybe not. But breakfast at a beachside cafe for sure. Bacon and egg roll, here I come.

I have found my bearings. Bondi bearings.

P.S. Easy like Bondi morning

Sculptures by the Sea early Sunday morning – what a difference a day makes