Bronte to Bondi

I start class tomorrow, yay! Is that an oxymoron? I'm actually really excited, though, and today was so much fun but so exhausting I'm glad to be curled up in sweats blogging.

We got up early and loaded on the bus to take us to Bronte Beach. It was about an hour bus ride out there but once we arrived it was breathtaking. Bronte is beautiful, the beach was in full swing with people having brunch and parties, kids and dogs everywhere. The beach was amazing, soft sand and gorgeous aqua water. It was chilly but so worth the wind. Then we walked the 2.5 kilometers to Bondi Beach but it wasn't just a quick walk, it was probably the most beautiful 2.5k I've ever seen. First you walk up these cliffs that look down into the crashing surf for a couple meters. Then you hit Tamarama Beach where everybody is playing beach volleyball and there are even more surfers. Did I mention that this is surf paradise? Fearless surfers in wet suits braving "winter" water for big waves. Then, you hit more and more cliffs that look straight down and out over the ocean. I've realized the definition of sea foam - color and occurrence. Then you walk down more and more cliffs until all of a sudden a huge salt water swimming pool juts out from the cliffs - that's The Icebreakers, a huge swim club right on the water. During high tide the waves crash into the pool mingling the waters. But, from the Icebreakers you get a huge, panoramic view of one of the most famous beaches in the world - Bondi Beach. The sand was so soft! Like powdered sugar but not sticky. We had lunch at the Surfish, a fish and chips bar that was delicious. A bunch of us sat on the beach for about an hour, talking and laughing at the couple people who decided to brave the icy water, but with no towels when they got back! I thought they were crazy, but I'll for sure go back to Bondi and swim when it's warmer. It was really great to just relax on the beach. Then we walked up and down the street closest to Bondi looking at all of the little surf shops and cafes. It was a long walk, especially when we decided to head back to Bronte to catch the bus. The walk back was just as gorgeous, especially because the sun was going down over the water, high tide was in, all the rocks were getting beaten with the surf, and it was much less crowded. These beaches are just breathtakingly beautiful, I can't even believe I'm here. I'm going to start posting my actual pictures on Flickr soon, so I'll post the link, but for now I'm going to organize for class, possibly have some dinner (food is expensive here! I've been skipping meals to save money for travel {and my ring} so I'll probably just pop wasabi peas) and then head to bed! :)

G'night from down under!