The third icon of Sydney after the Opera House and Harbour Bridge is probably Bondi Beach. Located just 4 miles from the city centre and easily accessible by bus (routes 333 or 380 from the city centre) it has become a must visit beach for tourists and backpackers. It is such a popular meeting place on Christmas Day and for New Years Eve fireworks that tickets have to be purchased.
The beach is an arc of white sand approximately one kilometre in length. It is protected by a shark net to keep unwanted visitors at bay. On the day of our visit the beach was relatively quiet but it can host up to several thousand visitors at busy times.
The lifesaving club at Bondi Beach was the worlds first. The southern end of the beach has a dangerous rip tide which is known as the Backpackers Rip, partly due to the nearby backpackers hostel at that end of the beach but also because of the large number of tourists and backpackers that have got into difficulty. The actor Hugh Jackman rescued swimmers in difficulty in 2016.
