Bondi to Bronte Ocean Swim

words by james phillips

Summer’s well and truly arrived in Bondi! A piece of sand is hot property and with the water temp notching up day by day, it’s prime time for a frolic in the ocean! It’s time to ditch the joggers & active wear and swap it in for the wetty or at best a pair of budgie smugglers. Forget the Bondi to Bronte walk, it’s time for the Bondi to Bronte Swim.

On December 4, the 16^th annual Macquarie Bondi to Bondi Ocean swim will be kicking off from the Bondi Beach Pavillion. The 2.2km swim along our breathtaking coastal waters is considered the most iconic ocean swim in Australia. With the mercury tipped to be in the top 20’s, it’s set to be the perfect day to dive in and give the swimming challenge a crack!

The course sets out from the front of the Bondi Pavillion, runs out from the beach, around Mackenzie’s Point and down the picturesque coast into the finish line at the world’s first surf lifesaving club, Bronte SLSC.

Competitors come from all strokes of life – some are hunting for the trophy, others are there for the workout and there’s plenty of punters that are just there for a splash around on a hot sunny day in some of the world’s best looking beaches.

This year’s action will see a series of events take place for any skill level. The Bondi Bay Swim will be the first – an 800m dash, starting and finishing from the same spot on Bondi Beach so you can have your cheer squad there for the whole race.

For the Thorpedo’s of you out there, this event will be the ultimate Back to Back challenge as you follow it up with the big swim to Bronte.

There’s also one for the groms, with the kids battling it out in the Banana Boat Junior Ocean Swim in Bondi Beach. The Mini Course of 400m for will be the go for the Under 9-10’s comp & a combined Under 11-Under 13’s challenge. For the tougher kids wanting to take on the just-teens, there’s also the 800m Maxi Course for U11-U13’s.

You can sign up on the day but for all the event info, click HERE

Good luck and as Dory’s wise words once went, just keep swimming!