Bondi Beach: the world famous hotspot that's continued to enchant locals and tourists alike
Amaury Treguer is an unlikely ambassador for the most famous beach in Australia but through his hit Instagram account @morningbondi, that’s exactly what he has become.
Most mornings, the French-born social media guru posts images of the beach, from pink-flecked clouds at sunrise to dolphins frolicking in the surf.
“I never intended to become a photographer,” Treguer says.
“I was in training for an obstacle course [and] witnessing the sunrise, it was so nice, so I started to take photos with my old iPhone 3G. The images were horrendously pixelated and not very well taken, either.”
Determined to do the scenery justice, he upgraded his equipment and, over time, found an audience of more than 27,000 beach lovers.
The photos – including his most popular shot, showing the first swimmer of the day at the Bondi Icebergs pool – are available for purchase.
“I receive so many messages from around the world,” he says.
“People will write to say, ‘It’s so miserable in the UK. I would like to visit or live in Australia.’”
Once a thoroughly working-class neighbourhood, the suburb has emerged as a trendsetter in food (Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, China Diner, Bondi Hardware), fashion (Venroy, Tuchuzy, Jac + Jack) and eastern-suburbs style.
“When I was studying my master’s in Sydney 15 years ago, you couldn’t get much more than fish and chips and burgers here,” Treguer says.
“Now, there are all these amazing, unique offerings, from restaurants to shops and cafes. It’s almost bringing the best of what I’m missing from Europe.”
Nearly 12,000 people called Bondi Beach home in the 2016 census.
Seven kilometres east of the Sydney CBD, the suburb is bordered by North Bondi, Bellevue Hill, Bondi and Tamarama.
More than 80 per cent of the homes are apartments.
The median house price soared from $1.445 million in 2011 to $3.8 million in the 12 months to June 2012, according to a recent Domain report.
The average unit price nearly doubled over the same period.
Bondi Beach is a magnet for trophy-home hunters.
In March, a four-bedroom penthouse on Notts Avenue became the most expensive apartment ever auctioned in Australia when it traded for $20.1 million.
Outside the super-prime market, buyers can find elegant art-deco apartments, ’70s blonde and red-brick blocks and more contemporary houses and units.
Ian Wallace has witnessed the changes over the years.
As a boy, he used to surf at the beach.
For the past 25 years, he has worked as an agent at Richardson & Wrench Bondi Beach.
“Bondi Beach has always been busy and always will be busy – you can trace it back to old photos from the 1920s,” Wallace says.
“What’s changed dramatically is the streets off the beachfront, where there are lots of cool nooks and crannies with restaurants, cafes and clothing stores that have opened up. It really appeals to so many people.”
Top two
2/36-38 Beach Road
Sleek glass stacker doors in the living room open onto a private, palm-fringed garden at this 96-square-metre apartment that’s a level 500-metre walk from the beach.
The flexible layout includes a second living area which could be used as a dining room or home office.
Ray White Woollahra’s Clay Brodie takes the home to auction on September 2 with a guide of $1.8 million-$1.9 million.
141 Wellington Street
Beyond the traditional facade, this renovated home embraces a coastal-cool minimalist aesthetic befitting its beachfront neighbourhood.
Natural light streams through a bank of glass bricks in the living area. Timber, terrazzo and sea-green joinery complete the look.
Raine & Horne Bondi Beach/Double Bay’s Conrad Panebianco takes the home to auction on September 21 with a guide of $3.2 million.
