That's pronounced "BON-d-EYE"   (05/16/04)

Last updated 08/02/04                                                                                                                               

One of my first experiences in Sydney was being told by our cabbie (an affable South Indian guy from Hyderabad) that the district of Sydney we were interested in was pronounced "Bond-EYE" -- by this time I wasn't as shocked since nearly everything in Oz is pronounced not at all like it's spelled. Case in point: bondi = BON-d-EYE. Anyhow, Bondi beach (regardless of how you pronounce it) happens to be the HAPPENING beach in Sydney and is supposedly home to numerous rich and famous Aussies. It's a nice enough place but the surf was nowhere near as kind as the waves in Surfers Paradise -- this place certainly wasn't meant for amateur, wannabe surfers like yours truly. Sydney happens to be a beautiful placce with all the bustle of a major metropolis -- imagine NY or SF only with a great beach to boot! It also happens to be quite sprawled, so getting around is much like getting around a big city -- expensive and slow! Other than checking out some of the famous sites around Sydney (Harbor Bridge and the Opera house) we didn't think there was much to do here... overall I think I found Melbourne to be a nicer (calmer/saner) place to live than Sydney, though I did stay longer (and in a house at that) in Melbourne so my view might be a bit skewed. Oh, almost forgot to mention this -- one of the coolest things about the beach (since I sucked at surfing) was a beautiful beach-trail that went from Bondi to a nearby beach (about 5km total). The trail offered gorgeous views of the ocean and expensive homes that surrounded it -- and a cemetary. That's right. In the middle of all this beauty and prime real-estate they had a large cemetary -- I imagine that's one way to blow a big chunk of cash -> "I want to be buried and take up space where people would absolutely love to live". Actually, doesn't sound like a bad idea. =)

Pictures

Yup, that's Bondi beach                Another beach right next to Bondi                 Pretty rock on the beach trail             Cool eroded rocks that lined the beach trail   

Nice spot for pictures                Puneet gets in the action                The cemetary                

Above: some pictures from Bondi beach
Below: Other sights from Sydney

In front of the Harbor Bridge                People climbing the Harbor Bridge                Ready for some opera?             Impressive Skyline