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Bondi Media

Local Bondi 🤩 Media News

Heaps happens around the world's best beach …


Waverley Art Prize

Posted: 19 June, 2024

The 38th Waverley Art Prize celebrates the local arts community and visual arts in Australia. Since 1986, the prize is for painting and drawing.

waverley art prize

Waverley Council’s Mayor (Paula Masselos) will announce the $15,000 winner and launch the finalist exhibition at the Bondi Pavilion Gallery 5 July, 2024.

This year's Waverley Art Prize finalists are …

Joel Arthur, Peter Berner, Amber Boardman, Sophie Bray, Will Cooke, Brenton Drechsler, Ella Dunn, Steven Durbach, Jaye Early, Sarah Edmondson, Nic Fern, Tim Gregory, Simon Grennan, Blake Griffiths, Graziela Guardino, Taylah Hasaballah, Lleigh Hellier, Dylan Jones, Tracey Jones, Xavier Lane, Bronte Leighton-Dore, Belem Lett, Eric Lobbecke, Gigi Malherbe, Wendy Miller, Jasmine Mowbray, Lisa Patroni, Joel Picklum, James Rhodes, An Sheng, Elliot Sofaea, Dave Sparkes, Julie Vinci, Myles Young, Chris Zanko.

The Waverley Art Prize runs from 5 July to 18 August, 2024 and is presented in partnership with Bondi Road's the Waverley Woollahra Art School.


Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi

Posted: 12 May, 2024

Sculpture by the Sea returns to the Bondi to Tamarama Beach coastal walk running from 18 October to 4 November 2024. 👏

sculpture by the sea 2024
@sculpturebythesea

It's the the world’s biggest free to the public sculptural exhibition where our very own spectacular coastal walk becomes a 2km sculpture park featuring over 100 sculptures by Australian and international artists!

See you there! 👍


Movies in the Park — Wet Weather Update

Posted: 11 May, 2024

Wonka
11 May, at Varna Park, has been cancelled.

Saturday 📽️ 18 May
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Waverley Park, Training Field 3 (enter via Birrell Street).

Saturday 📽️ 25 May
Happy Feet
Kimberley Park, Vaucluse.

Free popcorn 🍿 after 5pm! Movies screen at 🌅 sunset. Bring a picnic rug and BYO picnic/dinner — but there's no glass or alcohol permitted.


Community Update

Posted: 15 April, 2024

Waverley Council has responded to Saturday's Bondi Junction Westfield attack and on Facebook.

🌹 🌸 🌻 💐 🌺 🌷 🌼


North Bondi Village Upgrade

Posted: 24 March, 2024

Waverley Council is doing up the North Bondi shops and bus terminus area as ‘an important transport, tourist and local hub’. They're looking to ‘substantially enhance the public amenity of the area’ because it is a ‘key tourism, leisure and burgeoning shopping spot with diverse eateries, hair and beauty salons and clothing retail outlets’ 😅 Whatever they do, it's a mouthful! 😃

artists impression of more trees around north bondi bus terminus
@waverley_council>

The project's goals include:

There's a Community Information Session with Council officers and representatives of urban design and landscape architecture firm ASPECT Studios:

4.00 - 6.00pm, Tuesday 26 March
High Tide Room, Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach

Locals can contact Council to view plans and/or share thoughts or by majorprojects@waverley.nsw.gov.au because …

New apartment buildings with street-level retail shops have been built on the north-western side of the strip … but more needs to be done to transform the whole terminus and shops area into a thriving, aesthetically pleasing and more functional village.

artists impression of new village precinct
@waverley

The project will be funded via Council's Long Term Financial Plan with, potentially, some additional funding coming from state or federal grants.


Gold 🏙️ Coast 🏙️ Bondi

Posted: 19 February, 2024

Our very own Waverley Council is now warning that eight-storey apartment blocks (aka monolithic fucking monstrosities) could be built right next to one-storey houses under the NSW state Labor government’s low to mid rise housing proposals and ruin our beloved Bondi Beach in the process. 😱

buildings along beachfront
@facebook

The proposals might also triple Bondi Beach’s population and see concrete edifices casting grim shadows over the beach sand — like the hideous Gold Coast, pictured above. The Minns government wants these reforms implemented to address NSW's housing crisis.

There will be substantial suboptimal outcomes — including unplanned development and for the amenity of neighbours such as increased overshadowing, loss of trees and privacy with a 300% increase in residential addresses. Waverley Council staff report into proposed building density changes, summary.

The report also indicates that local councils could lose the power to refuse property developments that are too tall, too dense or have other unreasonable impacts on surrounding areas such as likely view loss or heritage.

Non-left leaning councillors, especially, want to see any government backed property development enhance, rather than compromise the amenities and character of iconic suburbs like Bondi. People like them have paid millions 💰 to live here and should not be put out any more than is absolutely necessary.

Suggested strategies include strengthening short-term rental regulations and requiring units and houses to be occupied for specific timeframes to prevent them from remaining empty and, potentially, devaluing some locales. 😧

In fact, some residents say Bondi is already a ‘constant construction zone’ due to multimillion-dollar apartment (over)developments and the conversion of housing to Airbnb-style rentals creating concerns that we will become an enclave for the wealthy which raises the obvious fucking retort …

We already fucking are!


Truth Sets Fool Free in Bondi 🌊

Posted: 11 February, 2024

Former Wallaby 🏉 Kurtley Beale is not a sex offender. A criminal court case has proven this to be fact. But, while he's not a congenital cretin of Israel Folau's ilk, he's still a bit of a dumb cunt who put himself in a fucking (no pun intended 😝) terrible fucking position — because, potentially, he could have been included in Australia's over-represented Indigenous prison population and that would have been a real tragedy.

beach road hotel
@jack ballinger

Beale was accused of groping a woman in the bar of the Beach Road Hotel and force 🍼 feeding her his ballarat 🍆 in a cubicle of the men's brasco 🚻 and grabbing her hips, in December 2022. The defence argued the action was consensual and he pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of sexual touching. A 12-day trial in Sydney’s Downing Centre Court saw him looking very fucking forlorn for much of the fucking time.

However, the jury of seven women and five men deliberated for less than an hour before returning verdicts of not guilty to all charges. 🆓

But spare a thought for the true victim — his wife, Maddi, who's had to sit through graphic undisputed evidence of her husband getting some chick to suck his dick in a public fucking 🚽 toilet. Shame? Degredation? Anyone? Not to mention, he'd just had a fucking kid. Jesus H tapdancing christ

Fortunately, for him, it turned out the woman was drunk, coked up, flirting and frantic to save her own (impending) marriage. And police 👮‍♀️ have a lot to answer for bringing charges in the first place. Would they have even charged a white 🤷‍♂️ bloke? How many Blak Australians can afford a fucking Margaret 👩🏼‍⚖️ Cunneen? What is it about these fucking footballers? If we've said it once, we've said it a million fucking times …

Dumb is for fucking ever!


Thirty 💰 Zimmillion

Posted: 5 February, 2024

Uber fashionista Simone Zimmermann has bought a $30 million ‘fixer-upper’ 😂 Bondi trophy home — no mortgage required — sitting over the Bondi to Bronte walk and north-facing towards her current Ben Buckler homestead. The house at 60 Fletcher Street, Bondi has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a study, a gourmet kitchen with stainless steel benchtop, ‘sweeping’ ocean views and a double 🚗 🚗 car garage!

view from fletcher st., over bondi basin
@realestate.com.au

Winners in the sale are genius investors Mr and Mrs Vaughan Blank who paid $5.75 million for the joint in 2008. Where do people get all this fucking money? 🤑 Money makes fucking money! Zimmermann and her sister Nicky made over a billion dollars after investment firm Advent International bought a majority stake in their fashion label Zimmerman.

The median house price for Bondi is now $3,750,000. For units it's $1,330,000. You couldn't give Bondi away once upon a fucking time! Jesus H tapdancing christ


C❄️ked to the Coast!

Posted: 24 January, 2024

A local Bondi Beach lifesaver has filmed a $200,000 cocaine brick he says he found in the surf ‘between the heads’ on one of the rescue jet skis. He also lets the apparent recipient — Zoé — know that she's missed out on her chrissy prezzy! 🤣 But, this brick is just one of more than 250 kilos recovered from NSW beaches recently. Don't Sydneysiders just love their blow!? 🎉

Authorities have been receiving reports that packages of coke were washing up on beaches north of Sydney since December 2023 — places like Sydney’s northern beaches, the Central Coast, the Mid North Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong, the South Coast and, now, Sydney's east.

Although retrieved just before chrissy day, the brick, apparently, wasn't delivered to the girls and boys in (Bondi) blue until after new years. But, there is no suggestion it is lighter now than when first found.

However, NSW Police are warning punters to not spoil a day at the beach by taking home any ‘stumbled upon’ packages because that might, given the quantity, lead to serious ‘possession with intent …’ charges.

Plus, we've all watched enough Netflix to also know what could happen if the door bell rings and there's some prick called Pablo asking for the return of his ‘product’. Looks like at least one big shipment has gone astray sometime in late 2023 and someone's probably already met with the fucking pointy end of a fucking chainsaw over that little fuckup!


Gosh, Thanks 👨‍👧‍👧 Dad!

Posted: 24 December, 2023

Yes, a big thanks to our dear ol’ dad who's forked out over $7,100,000 for a four-bed Bondi Beach shithole apartment. We knows he love 🥰 us ‘cause the reserve was $4,000,000 and, while it has 270-degree views of the archdiocese, there's an additional $1,000,000 ‘special levy’ and it's unliveable. 🤣

wilga st., block of flats
@google

The top-floor Wilga St., flat hadn't traded since 1990s. So, yeah, thanks! 🙏 Check out how un-fucking-affordable Bondi's become over at Domain.


Charges Laid in FriendlyJordies Fire 🔥 Bombing 🧨

Posted: 22 December, 2023

The ABC has reported that a man linked to the Alameddine organised crime network has been charged in relation to the firebombing of standup comic Jordan Shanks’ (aka FriendlyJordies) Bondi home, 23 November 2022, when the rented house, where Mr Shanks no longer lives, was badly damaged.

No injuries were reported and Mr Shanks was not at home but it was the second time the house had suffered an arson attack.

A Silverwater Correctional Complex regular was charged with two counts of ‘destroy or damage property by fire in company’ and had to front Waverley Local Court, 20 December, just in time for 🎄 christmas. These muppets are a bit like the Sapranos but even fucking dumber and with worse haircuts. 💇‍♀️


The Price 💰 is Right!

Posted: 5 December, 2023

A teeny tiny Bondi beach flat on Gould Street, has sold for $511,000. It has no car parking space and, at 17 square fucking metres, you can't swing a fucking cat 🐱 in it. But, some nonlocal ‘investor’ thought it was well worth it.

68 gould street flat
@google

These cunts make rents go 🆙 🆙 🆙 ‘till we can't even afford in Hall Street!


North Bondi Cliff Party 🎉 Closed

Posted: 4 December, 2023

NSW Police 🚔 and Waverly council rangers closed a Ben Buckler rave party down because they considered the 26 November gathering illegal and dangerous in a place where alcohol consumtion is strictly prohibited. Due to run from 3pm to 7pm, police moved party-goers on around 4.30pm. The attending officers were chill but and they did not arrest or fine anyone.

insomnia.syd dj
@AdrianoCarlo

The @insomnia.syd music event saw several hundred party goers gather at Ben Buckler Point overlooking the beach and rock on to some sweet DJ vibes.

However, still upset about a similar 12 November rave, local rich cunts complained, leading to police attending and turning the music off. 😭


Bondi Lifeguard Buggy Stolen!

Posted: 2 December, 2023

Some dogrooters have stolen one of the lifeguard buggies locked under the lifeguard tower. After smashing the roller door in, the early bird (0230) thieves bogged one of the buggies before taking the other vehicle.

bogged bondi lifeguard buggy
@chanel9

If you happen to see it or know where it is now — please let the clubbies know on 9083 8888 — ASAP!


Hammerhead Shark Hooked on Bondi Drum Line

Posted: 1 December, 2023

A hammerhead shark — known to Bondi Beach locals as Homer — has been hooked on a NSW Smart Drumline. Hopefully, the contractors will be able to rescue him. Hammerheads are generally not aggressive towards humans.

shark app drone footage of hammerhead shark caught on a drumline
@drone_shark_app">@drone_shark_app

Shark 🦈 sightings — of endangered grey nurse and others — have been more common along the Bondi Beach shoreline since August of this year …

Stay safe peeps! 😘


Sunday Supercar 🏁 Smashup on Bondi Road

Posted: 27 November, 2023

WhichCar? and others have reported that a new Corvette Stingray crashed into another car — and put two people in hospital — causing complete fucking chaos to Sunday morning peak traffic on busy Bondi Road!

supercar smashed into cars bondi road
@whichcar.com.au

Apparently, the ‘Vette first hit a Subaru Forester pulling out of the driveway at 313 Bondi Road which then caused damage to the other vehicles including a red Vespa scooter — causing the rider multiple compound leg fractures.

The owner of the three-week old supercar wasn't driving as he'd swapped cars with the owner of a Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder for a Sunday spin around the archdiocese.

Both men are (supposedly) Bondi locals and the ‘Vette's owner drove off in the Lamborghini — the owner of which, despite returning a negative blood alcohol test, was put in the police paddy 🚓 wagon.


Rooftop 🛖 Recalcitrant Removed!

Posted: 23 November, 2023

Yesterday, our normally calm Curlewis Street was the epicentre of chaos as the girls 👮 and boys 👮‍♂️ in (Bondi!) blue swooped on a Central Coast fugitive.

helicopter in flight
@danielklein

In a chase originating in Roscoe Street and worthy of free-to-air TV (complete with an LAPD style chopper 😂) uniformed and plain clothes police jumped fences and scaled local ladders to get hold of 48 year old Paul Sargon Kelaita who was finally arrested after hiding out on a house 🏠 rooftop!

Kelaita is accused of a string of sex offences from Killarney Vale, The Entrance and Londonderry. He is also charged with numerous counts of intimidation. Finally in custody, he was wisked 🚓 away to Waverley Police Station.


Dwarf Body Builder Beaten by Stool & Court

Posted: 17 November, 2023

Diminutive muscle man Clint Chadwick who was charged with choking a woman and assaulting a female police officer (the arrest for which, he livestreamed on Instagram) in 2020, was awarded $200,706.40 in March 2023 after a fight with some disagreeable drunk cunt in the Bondi Beach bar The Bucket List saw him boinked on the noggin by a bar stool.

Anyway, a NSW appellate court has increased Clint's contributory negligence for escalting the altercation and reduced the amount owed to $112,941.50.

Free advice — stay out of blues boys ‘n’ girls, because you can get yourself seriously hurt and/or arrested and it's just not worth it — especially if you're a midget who hits the heavy bag like a … well, like a … midget.


Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi

Posted: 26 August, 2023

From 18 October – 4 November, 2023, the Bondi to Tamarama (aka Glamarama 😎) walk will once again host the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. The event — started in 1997 — displays the work of 100 local, national and international artists in a spectacular 2km outdoor gallery!

Can't wait! 👍