Bondi Beach – An iPhone of a Beach?

Hello Readers.
Today we all rocked up to Bondi Beach to see what all the fuss was about. Why was it so famous and why is it on most people’s tongues when you ask them to name something Australia is known for?
After a frantic and rollicking ride on a bus from Circular Key (where the Opera House is situated) we arrived at Bondi and headed for the beach in some glorious sunshine. Pictures were taken of the impressive shoreline and the lifeguards that have been made famous by the documentary series ‘Bondi Rescue’ (who, cheekily, ordered me to get out of my speedos because I was upsetting some of the bathers).
Then there was time to take it easy and admire the surroundings as Lucy and her friends splashed in the surf (between the safety flags), and it was during this lull I began to question why Bondi was bigger than its name. Was it the beach? Not really, there are plenty of others around and a lot of them are far better too. Was it the food? Nope. The beachside eateries weren’t anything spectacular. Could it be the surfing? Maybe, but I’ve seen other places that are just as busy with surfers. What about the weather? Nah.
So what makes Bondi so special? Simple really: the name. It’s all in the name. Over the course of many decades Bondi’s fame has been multi-faceted. Fame comes and goes but the reputation it helps create doesn’t vanish, it sticks and gets built upon and over the course of many decades this can become quite powerful. Bondi is a legend because of the stories is has been privvy to, not because it makes stories.
So why do I think Bondi is the iPhone of the beach world? Simple really. Bondi, like the iPhone, is an average commodity that has become bigger than its real worth for no obvious reason.

Posted to WordPress from my Windows Phone.

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Hello readers. We Cassons are on school holiday for the next two weeks which also means we have time for some adventuring, which is exactly what we’re doing.
Now, although the destination of Sydney isn’t new to us the journey here was because we decided to go via the coast. This route involved taking a ferry (accompanied by a dolphin or two swimming in front of it), a night’s stay in Lake’s Entrance, another early morning start followed by a 700km trek through some stunning locations and NSW scenery. This journey also gave us the chance to test out our new(ish) 7 seater AWD Holden Captiva to see how it faired on a long journey; and boy did it do well. It pinged along and roared its way through the seaside towns and rolling countryside. Grrrrrrrr! Hopefully no fines will be coming my way.
We have nearly a week in Sydney and can’t wait to see its familiar sites. So, keep coming back to see what we’ve been doing.
Write ya soon =P

Posted to WordPress from my Windows Phone.

Same Bread, Different Filling

Hello good readers. Our apologies for taking a bit too long to update the blog but, unfortunately, we haven’t really been up to that much. We have had the odd day out here-and-there, a weekend away and a few events to attend but pretty much the past few weeks have been taken up by the hum-drum: work, work and more work. However, we are only three weeks away from the end of term and a much welcome two-week holiday which, if all goes well, we aim to spend some of in Sydney (we love holidaying up there). We also plan to take a different route there and will be going via the coast and staying overnight in Lake’s Entrance and Bateman’s Bay.

Weather wise winter has just left us and the warmer grip of spring has finally arrived. On a good day we are getting temperatures around the high teens and early twenties for a few days at a time. Rain is still about and overnight temperatures still drop to the five or six degree mark, but summer isn’t far away which means Christmas is on the horizon and once that’s been and gone we Cassons will be heading back to Sydney to embark on a two week cruise around New Zealand. Lovely!

So there you have it. Being on the other side of the world is still great fun and we still marvel at the everyday stuff that Aussies take for granted, but no matter where you are the ordinary always sticks by your side. It just happens that the ordinary over here still feels extraordinary.

Until the next time, bye from us.