Bondi Beach- Sydney, NSW, Australia

When Jon’s parents visited we showed them around Alice for a few days (you can read all about our time here) and then flew to Sydney with them to hit Bondi Beach before they flew back to the States.

We had a great visit and Emmylou was a great traveler.

Jon’s face is too funny in this picture- we were saying how different she was on the plane this time- she was SO busy! She loved exploring everything and quickly wore herself out.  She ended up napping most of the flight.

So long as we had her bunny along, she was a happy and easy traveler (don’t worry, she was not moving when this picture was taken).

When we arrived, Sydney was expecting an unusual storm the next day- heavy rains and strong winds were predicted for our first beach day!  We arrived at our apartment and hit the beach right away to enjoy the last bit of sunlight and dry weather before dinner.  It was a beautiful first impression but the beach only got more gorgeous as our trip went on.

You can see the storm rolling in.

The next day the weather was terrible, as predicted.  We hunkered down and relaxed for most of the day, which was nice after traveling the day before.  We did get out and do a little shopping and eat dinner.  Bondi has fantastic shops and resturants!  These were our favorite places: Da Orazio Pizza and Porchetta took us right back to Italy and was SO good!  North Bondi Fish was great at sunset and had yummy and creative dishes.  Macelleria had the best hamburger and was super casual- it’s actually a butcher shop/restaurant where you choose your meat and they cook it for you. We ate lunch at Fish Bowl multiple times- think Asian-style Chipotle bowls with fish- so yummy!  The best ice cream was at Messina– we would know since we had gelato every night…We loved Le Paris Go Cafe for breakfast; I had the typical Australian breakfast of poached eggs on smash avocado and it was gorgeous (and delicious)!

Once the stormy weather cleared out, our days on the beach were perfect.  The weather was beautiful and we all enjoyed swimming and playing with Emmylou in the sand.

She ate SO much sand and loved the beach!

She was also really easy-going the entire trip.  Whether we were on the beach or at a meal, she would hang out or pass out, as needed.  It was so nice!

Because the sun is so intense, we used all of the SPF gear- her bathing suit, hat and blanket were all SPF 50.

One of the best parts about Bondi Beach is the coastal walk!  We did just a small portion of the 6K walk but it was breathtaking!

You begin and end the walk going past the Icebergs pool, which was absolutely beautiful!  We didn’t end up going to swim because the waves were pretty rough (they crash into the pool) and it didn’t exactly look baby-friendly, but someday I will swim in that pool!

It’s a very prestigious swim club- to join you have to swim 3 Sundays a month for 5 years- no matter the weather.  Sydney gets pretty cool in the winter and the pool is filled by the ocean- so it’s chilly!  They call the members “icebergs” because of that.  It’s right on the south end of Bondi and overlooks the beach.  If you have to freeze to join, at least it’s so beautiful!

The walking path goes along the rocky coast and is filled with amazing views.  It’s a must-see in Sydney, if you ask me!

We all really enjoyed our walk (Emmylou napped)!

 On our last night in Bondi, we went out on the beach before dinner to take some pictures.  They turned out so well!

We had such a great visit to Bondi.  Experiencing the waves and sand with Emmylou for the first time was so much fun; we had a wonderful time together on the beach!

We were so sad to see Tom and Linda go but are so grateful for their travels and spending time in both Alice and Bondi with us!  We would not trade our time with them for anything and we’re looking forward to their next visit!

Happy Trails,

J, K, EL & P