In the 1950s and ‘60s when immigrants poured into Australia in their thousands, many of them headed straight for the warm, sometimes wild, surf of Bondi Beach. The symbolic act of plunging into the water was the equivalent of accepting their new Australian way of life.

Today little has changed. One of the first acts most tourists perform, after visiting the Opera House, is to head for Australia’s most famous beach, strip off and run excitedly into the blue, inviting surf. When you plunge into the water, you realise you have finally arrived “Down Under”.

My first impression of Bondi though, was one of slight disappointment. The reality before my eyes didn’t completely live up to my expectations. The visions of a wild ocean beach stretching for miles, bordered by palm trees and populated by tall gorgeous women proved a little exaggerated. The beautiful girls were there, but on a smaller beach surrounded by houses and a promenade of restaurants, bars and ice-cream parlours. Over the weeks though, as the special Bondi atmosphere slowly sunk in, my appreciation of it grew until in the end I almost wanted to live there.

As a piece of “True Blue” Australia, Bondi Beach is everything you ever imagined. On a hot summers day there can be few venues to equal Bondi for sheer entertainment value. A stroll along the beach reveals a fascinating insight into today’s Australians.

The sheer number of bodies soaking up the sun is at first a surprise. Although quite a sizeable beach, by mid-morning during the weekend you may have to squeeze in between groups of topless beauties. More than ample recompense for anyone suffering from claustrophobia!

The girls who populate Bondi are a mixed bunch of very admirable bronzed glamour. Tall, leggy Swedes compete with the local Aussie lovelies in a catwalk fashion show minus most of the clothes. People do come to the beach just to pose and be admired and the show is certainly worth watching. Only the shyer Greek and Italian girls seem to keep their bikini tops on, on a beach where topless is definitely in.

Well-oiled attractive men grace the beach, complete with long hair, stubble and the tight black swim trunks favoured by the Mediterranean males. The local Australian guys are also quite unmistakable, with their fit bodies and mop of blonde hair.

The popular pastime of people-watching is the highlight of a visit to Bondi, but it extends past just the young and beautiful. Dozens of gorgeous little kids splash about in the water’s edge and many wonderfully fit veterans exercise along the sand.

Every Sunday a group of Brazilian musicians come down to the beach with their guitars and samba drums to add a South American flavour to the scene. Some Australian sun-worshippers even copy the Brazilian by wearing the “dental floss” bikinis made famous by the girls of Ipanema and Copacabana. Bus loads of Japanese tourists arrive regularly with their cameras at the ready. Fully clothed in jackets and trousers or skirts and tights, they look totally out of place amongst a near naked public.

If you are of a more active nature then Bondi certainly provides a few alternatives to sitting and watching the world go by. Water sports are well catered for with surfing the main attraction. Surfing in Australia is very big business, with the handful of top surfers reaching cult status amongst a sport crazy nation.

On Bondi, the faithful are out on the surf at first light, forever searching for that ultimate ride in. As a gentler introduction to the sport, “boogie boards” can be hired from the beach shop to go body surfing. In fact, in the beach shop you can hire a wide assortment of beach requirements, including bikinis and trunks. If you forgot your sun oil you can get an all-over jet spray to keep the fierce Sydney sun at bay.

Swimming in the surf at Bondi is generally a no-no as the large rollers and water sport activities make it too dangerous. There are however, saltwater pools at both ends of the beach catering for adults and children. At the southern end is the famous Bondi Icebergs’ Club where the “icebergs” (Australian for thick skinned, insensitive to cold water, man or woman!) swim all year round, even in the icy conditions of mid-winter. During the summer months the beach and surf are patrolled by volunteer numbers from the Surf Life Saving Club and many a poor swimmer has been glad to see those multi-coloured skull caps come racing to their rescue on those massive surf skis.

The highlight of the year’s sporting activities is the annual Bondi Surf Carnival which is Sydney’s aquatic equivalent of the FA Cup Final. The Iron Man Contest is the main event given to finding Sydney’s best all-round beach and sea athlete. The winners are feted in the city’s media, as being on a par with the better surfers.

Australia’s best known stretch of sand has something for everyone and the resultant mèlange of people and movement is a truly kaleidoscopic vision. If you leave Sydney without experiencing Bondi Beach then you simply haven’t seen the city.

Fact File