This title is meant to help you to pronounce the famed beach of Sydney:

Bondi Beach

I would have pronounced it Bond-ee. I mean, especially when Aussies tend to shorten words and make them cute by adding an “ie” or a “y.” For example:

Australian = Aussie (a given)
barbecue = barbie (you already knew this one, too!!)
mosquito = mozzie
football = footie/footy
breakfast = brekkie
sunglasses = sunnies

Adorable, no?!

But now get those out of your head because Bondi Beach is pronounced Bond-eye Beach!

What a beautiful day we had the morning we took the train and bus to Bondi. A nice gentleman on the bus noticed Rob’s Michigan hat and started a conversation. He was accompanying his daughter to school. That year, he had just returned to his home near Bondi Beach after years of living in Japan. He recommended that we pass the Bondi Beach bus stop and get off just one further. That way, we could walk back to the beach and get a beautiful view.

And so we did.

It truly was a beautiful walk.

Listening to the waves pound on the rocks was so peaceful.

For part of the way, there was a bit of a trail to follow along to the beach.

With great viewing points.

Then, a view of the beach. 

But the trail and this handrail didn’t last for long!

Once we turned the corner around the building in the photo below, we were climbing the rocks on the shore!

I put away my camera, not only to keep it safe, but also to just enjoy the rest of the hike along the rocks. It was a bit slippery, but I enjoyed every step. There was a separate little roped off area where dogs were swimming. We stopped to watch for a while. And then, this:

We walked along the beach. The water was cold! Then we sat on the boardwalk and watched the surfers. I’m guessing most were newbies since the waves weren’t too big. We watched runners jog past. How jealous we were to have such a beautiful place to run! And we counted pupper dogs, giving them names that sounded appropriate. My brother and I started this fun, silly game when we went on a trip to NYC together back in 2004.

Then we went for coffee.

It was time for me to try a long black, which is the Aussie slang for an Americano, my coffee shop beverage of choice. It was a bit chilly that day, so it was perfect to sit out in the sun and sip a cuppa {more Aussie slang} with the view of the beach in the distance and the smell of the sea in the air. Truthfully, though, this coffee made me jittery. I may have already had one flat white earlier that day… 😉

It’s surprising that I never grew up near water; because it’s by the sea where I always feel the most content and happy. Or maybe it’s just being out in nature without a care in the world? In any case, these were happy moments that have become happy memories.

Where do you feel most content?

Read more about our trip to Australia here:

The One Thing I Didn’t Need to Bring to Australia

The Wattle and Bush Tucker

Scenes from Sydney

Cheers~
Carrie