Bondi
Beach (pronounced "Bond-eye"
with a long i) is a hugely popular beach
and suburb of Sydney, Australia. It is
situated in the Eastern Suburbs, roughly
seven kilometres from the centre of the
city. Large numbers of tourists visit
Bondi Beach throughout the year, and many
Irish and British tourists spend Christmas
Day there. Saving Australia has given
different hazard ratings to Bondi Beach
in 2004. While the northern end has been
rated a gentle 4, the southern side is
rated as a 7 (with 10 as the most hazardous)
due to a famous rip current known as the
"Backpackers Express" (also
known as "Bronte Express" because
you would supposedly end up at Bronte
- two beaches south - if caught in it).
In actual fact, there are up to five rip
currents operating along the beach, the
Backpackers' Express being the one closest
to the designated swimming area.
There
is an underwater shark net shared, during
the summer months, with other beaches
along the southern part of the coast.
Bondi Beach hosted the beach volleyball
competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Bondi Beach is the end point of the City
to Surf Fun Run which is held each year
in August. Until the mid 1990s, the run
was held in October and late spring, until
a number of heat-related deaths forced
organisers to reshedule the event in the
cooler month of August. The race attracts
over 60,000 entrants who complete the
14 km run from the central business district
of Sydney to Bondi Beach. Other annual
activities at Bondi Beach include Flickerfest,
Australia's premier international short
film festival in January, World Environment
Day in June, and Sculpture By The Seawalk
in November. In addition to many activities,
the Bondi Beach Markets is open every
Sunday. This market is for the trendy
bargain shopper.
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