Best 10 Reasons Why to Visit Bondi Beach

 Bondi Beach, Australia

Bondi Beach at a Glance

Bondi Beach is one of the most iconic beaches in Australia. It's famous for its dazzling ocean, immaculately white sands, consistent surf and seaside spirit. Even its carefree coastal lifestyle, boutique shops, cafe culture, and flourishing, diverse community is equally appealing.

Bondi Beach is several things to Australia and visitors arrive from all around the world to stroll, play, eat, surf, swim, and have a general fun time here. For Locals it's a source of pride and for tourists it's a must-stop destination. But what is it precisely that drives anyone to come so far from home to Bondi Beach?

Below you'll find 10 of the best reasons to visit this amazing place that'll have you yearning for lovely sandy beaches, stunning views, and refreshing hikes.

Best 10 Reasons Why to Visit Bondi Beach

Reason #1:  Surfing Paradise

Several surfers come to Bondi Beach to try their surfing skills at the waves due to its legendary breaks. But you do not need to be a pro. In fact, there are even booths situated on the beach to aid beginners and novices get their start. All you have to do is gaze out into the white waves to learn why surfing is one of Australia's most popular sports.

 

Reason #2:  Warm Weather Year-Round

On account of the dominantly warm weather prevailing in this niche of the world, Bondi Beach is open the entire year. For sure, summertime is naturally best for delighting in the whole range of water activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, and surfing. Even in the winter months, you could ride the waves if you could handle the barely cooler temperature. An added bonus for coming by in the winter is a lot less crowded scene on the beach.

Reason #3:  Entertaining Beachside Festivals

The beach hosts annual cultural events and festivals, which are significant to learn far more about Australia and its people who reside here. There are many types of festivals and arriving when one of them is happening is definitely the treat.  

A few of the best known and more popular festivals are the following:

• Vans Bowl-A-Rama.  A tradition for nearly 30 years, this is a skateboarding contest which includes a 12-foot ramp. The best skateboarders come from all around the world to watch and also compete in this event.
• Festival of the Winds.  A family-oriented festival where folks come together to construct and fly kites.
• Bondi Winter Magic Festival.  In the wintertime from June through August months, this festival hosts ice skating, a big ferris wheel as well as one of the largest exciting runs in the world that draws more than 80,000 people annually.
• Sculptures By The Sea.  Designed as an open-air gallery, the festival features more than 100 various sculptures along the shoreline from October to November.

Reason #4:  Spectacular Scenery

Bondi Beach is famous for some of the world's most iconic vistas and watching a sunset or sunrise will not only make you appreciate but also endear you to this destination forever. Several of the hikes to nearby beaches from Bondi Beach have stunning views to look out for, too.

Reason #5:  Dining Options, Great Shopping, & Hotels

Here, you'll find several fine restaurants, shops, and hotels close to the beach having superb vistas of the ocean. The bar and food scene here is vibrant and exciting. The fashion boutiques dotting Gould Street have largely contributed in making Bondi Beach a favorite shopping destination. Each Saturday there's a farmer's market selling tasty produce, and each Sunday the Bondi Markets provide locally-made jewelry, home goods, and vintage clothing. You could also find other stuff from jewelry, food to music at these markets.

Reason #6:  Bondi Pavilion Theater

If you love culture, Bondi Pavilion offers it. This is a great place to watch art galleries, musical and theatrical performances. Explore the balcony to see an incredible sight of the beach.  You can even scan the pavilion's calendar of events to learn what's happening during your next visit.

Reason #7:  Bondi to Coogee Walk

A hiker's pleasure and a tourist's sightseeing dream, this particular cliff top coastal stroll, the Bondi to Coogee Walk continues for 3.7 miles within Sydney's eastern suburbs. The walk reveals incredible vistas, rock formations, cliffs, beaches, and parks.

There are a lot of sites to see, places to eat, and great stops to take a break and recharge before you resume to your next walk's destination. This is a very good way to catch several various sights and to experience the beautiful coastline.

Reason #8:  Visit the Bondi Icebergs Club

Open throughout the year, the world-renowned icebergs swimming club provides access to ocean-sourced lap pools that are a sight worth seeing if it's your first time. While you take a seat in the pool, the realization of noticing it going out into the endless ocean will stun you.

The sensation of submerging yourself in these famous pools as you delight in the sunshine and observe wave after wave roll past you is an astonishing experience that you won't soon forget. The icebergs' history is quite unique and the club is a fine place to lay back and absorb all the surroundings.

Reason #9:  Swimming & Surf Lessons

If you're ready for a swim, consider learning to surf. Bondi Beach is the ideal place to become a surfer, for you'll find groups as well as private lessons being given here at all skill levels. It has the world's oldest lifesaving club, eliminating the groundless fear of being in the ocean.

Reason #10:  Sun Soaking, Relaxing, and Socializing

There's a pleasant grassy knoll located on the north end of the beach where tourists and locals alike gather for barbecues and picnics.

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28 Fascinating Facts about the Sydney Opera House

 Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House at a Glance

The Sydney Opera House, located on the banks of Sydney Harbor, is considered as one of the most renowned and unique structures in the world and a 20th century architectural masterpiece. 

If further interested, learn more about the Sydney Opera House with my list of 28 fascinating facts.

28 Fascinating Facts about the Sydney Opera House

1.  Its construction was estimated to take only 4 years. But it soon grew quite obvious that it would take longer. It actually took 14 years to complete, with the help of more than 10,000 workers.

2.  The temperatures inside the building must be kept exactly at 22.5 degrees Celsius to make sure the instruments for the orchestra stay finely in tune.

3.  The opera house's design was initially an international competition where 233 designs were submitted. Jorn Utzon from Denmark won the contest and was awarded 5,000 pounds.

4.  Utzon became the main architect for the opera house's construction. But, in 1966 he resigned due to the local government ceasing to pay him. He never came back to the project.

5.  The present Queen Elizabeth ll of England opened the opera house on October 20, 1973.

6.  The project was initially budgeted to cost only $7 million to complete. However, it actually cost $102 million, of which the Australian Lottery mostly paid for.

7.  Its roof consists of 2,194 pre-cast roof sections totaling 15 tons each and covered in 1 million tiles created by the Swedish company Hoganas.

8.  Its cooling system uses seawater from the nearby harbor. It circulates the cold water taken from the harbor via pipes extending 35 kilometers, behaving as thermal fluid in the warming and cooling of the structure.

9.  Each year the opera house hosts around 3,000 events. The building is always in high use.

10.  Over 10 million people come through its halls every year.

11.  The opera house comprises 7 different venues and the biggest has 2,679 seats.

12.  The smallest room, called the Utzon room, has only 210 seats.

13.  The tallest roof point on the building is the same or similar height of a 22-story structure.

14.  Each year, 15,500 light bulbs are changed in order to keep the whole place lit properly.

15.  The opera house is home to 3 restaurants, a cafe, espresso bar, and bars in the opera and theater.

16.  The entire building is definitely massive. For example, the site itself could fit seven A380s lying wing to wing, and the structure has 1,000 rooms.

17.  The grand organ that sits in the Concert Hall is the world's largest mechanical organ. It consists of 10,154 pipes and took 10 years to build.

18.  Arnold Schwarzenegger won his very last Mr. Olympia title for bodybuilding in 1980 in the orchestra's halls.

19.  The opera house has more than 6,000 square meters of custom-made glass from France and 650 kilometers of cabling for electronics and electricity throughout.

20.  The structure received UNESCO World Heritage status in 2007, being described as a "great urban sculpture set in a remarkable waterscape, at the tip of a peninsula projecting into Sydney Harbour."

21.  Paul Robeson was the first person who performed inside the opera house's halls in 1960, before the construction was ever completed. The singer visited the workers during lunch break and sang Ol' Man River to them.

22.  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll has graced Sydney Opera House 5 times.

23.  A net was installed over the orchestra area in the Opera Theater in the 1980s after Boris Godunov featured live chickens, one of them walked off the stage and landed on top of a cellist.

24.  The crime novel, Helga's Web, by author Jon Cleary, was set at Sydney Opera House with a body being found in the structure's basement. The book was turned into a movie called Scobie Malone, starring Jack Thompson.

25.  In May 2003, its chief architect Jorn Utzon received the famous Pritzker Prize -- the Nobel Prize of the architectural community.

26.  Because of the modifications done to the structure after Utzon abandoned the project in the year 1966, this will be the first ever only 100% genuine Utzon interior.

27.  It took over 8 months to make the new Utzon Room tapestry.

28.  If unwound, the wool in the Utzon Room tapestry, tribute to CPE Bach, would extend 4,500 kilometers.

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9 Great Reasons Why to Visit Fraser Island

 Fraser Island

Fraser Island at a Glance

Fraser Island lies along the southeastern coast in the Wide Bay--Burnett region, Queensland, Australia. Less than 200 actually reside here and half of them were itinerant residents living temporarily on the island.

Each year Fraser Island draws around 400,000 visitors. The island has it all. It's where adventure feels as rejuvenating as it does thrilling, with no WiFi, no sealed roads. Only nature and a ton of it.

Roam here and you'll be strolling into the land of the Butchalla people, who boast about 20,000 years of history on K'gari. 

That's only the start of why you should visit Fraser Island.

9 Great Reasons Why to Visit Fraser Island

1.  It's has World Heritage status

Do not take my word for it: Fraser Island's importance runs so deep that UNESCO has listed it as a World Heritage Site. The island is one of the world's most unique islands. This is largely due to its thriving beauty and wildlife and the only location on Earth where rainforest grows on sand dunes; where there are more than half of the world's perched freshwater dune lakes, and huge dunes which tower higher than the Sydney House. 

2.  It's the Earth's biggest sand island

Extending 123 kilometers in length and 22 kilometers wide off the Fraser Coast, Fraser Island measures as the largest sand island in the world. A bit further south, off the coast of Brisbane, Minjerribah and Moorgumpin clock in as two and three.

3.  Taking the off-road "path" is part of the adventure

Wild and rugged, Fraser Island is best experienced by 4WD along its beach roads and sandy inland tracks. In addition, it's one of Australia's best places to enjoy a beach camping trip. So work on your beach driving skills prior to coming here or learn from the pros when you're here.

If you do not have a 4DW, don't worry. There are many tours that will show you the natural attractions in day trips and multi-day adventures.

4.  There are countless places to take a dip

This may be an island, but the top swimming locations are situated off the beach because of the strong surf and currents which regularly strike the shores of the island.

Sink into the natural Jacuzzi which is Champagne Pools, absorb a little serenity floating down Eli Creek, or spend a couple of hours basking in the glittering surroundings of Lake McKenzie, which is only one of the hundreds of freshwater lakes located on the island.

With water this appealing, you'll dream up any excuse to jump in.

5.  It's a hiker's heaven

Although 4WD is the most favorite way to travel around here, hikers shall be more than pleased after putting on their boots. There are trails of all lengths, from short trails to day hikes leading through the ancient Valley of the Giants, Lake Wabby, Central Station and more. Or experience it all while taking the 90 kilometer Great Walk.

6.  It's the location for adventure

If you wish to pursue thrills and natural wonders, Fraser Island is your destination. From Jet Ski safaris and sailing trips to scenic flights and kayaking the island's wild side, there are many unique ways to explore every niche and corner.

7.  You'll spot a dingo

Although wildlife thrives on Fraser Island, the dingo is one of its most renowned residents. As cute as they appear, it's a very good idea to maintain your distance and they're protected here. 

8.  You'll see shipwrecks on the sand

No dive gear is necessary to admire this shipwreck: the S.S. Maheno beached in the island since 1935, and its rusting wreck makes for a fine stop along the sandy route.

9.  Visit the island during winter to watch whales play

From the months August to October, you could observe humpback whales nurture their playful calves in the island's protective waters. Although Hervey Bay on the mainland offers the biggest share of whale watching tours, you could yet board a wildlife cruise from the island. You can frequently spot blowholes and breaches from shore, too.

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