bondi

 

One place everyone must visit once is the iconic Bondi Beach- even on an overcast day, it has appeal. Yes there are cooler beaches around - Clovelly, Bronte- but Bondi is the quintessential Aussie beach and I don't mind sharing it with everyone and their dog. Plenty of Australian films and television series have used Bondi as a backdrop. The home of the famous Bondi lifesavers, and the Art Deco 'Bathers Pavilion'. Take the #382 Dover Heights bus from the city, and see scenic winding backstreets of Darlinghurst, Paddington and Woollahra with all their historic terrace houses and bijoux boutiques. I made time to visit Axel Mano, a bespoke hat shop on cosmopolitan Queen Street in Woollahra, to get measured for a Milanese straw by milliner Susie Meekin. While I was there I spotted an irresistable 'garage sale' sign on a house a couple of doors down, where I snapped up a Persian rug hanging outside for a bargain $35. The only problem was lugging it back on the bus....