Hola. Fair chance most of you were down the beach on the weekend. Who wasn’t. You probably didn’t take a board with you (flat as), just the baby oil and the reflecto sunnies (spinin’ rims and all mate).
Bondi Road was gridlock all weekend long. It was also the conclusion of Sculpture by the Sea yesterday, yep…you can come out now. 500,000 people visited the art walk in the past 2 weeks. That probably doesn’t surprise you. I’ve never seen the paths so packed.
This week the weather looks unsettled. Swell will come on Wednesday (4ft) but will be onshore. (who cares, I will surf anything right now). Until then, Lake Bondi will be nice and calm for your morning swim.
Andreas Gursky sold a photograph for $4.3 million last week. So I’ve just revised all our gallery pricelists and we’re open today at 151 Curlewis Street Bondi beach until 6pm. Telephone 9130 7788. If you want to buy a present and can’t decide on which one (common problem as people look through our catalogue of 1,000 images), well … order a gift card pack online and we will post it to you. Remember, Christmas is close to 4 weeks away – so time to get organised.
A d i o s :: U g i o s
Talking about the pilgrims..
I was walking on the promenade on Sat around 6pm with my wife and our baby,and I felt sick looking at the amount of rubbish the “pilgrims” left on the beach: empty plastic bottles, McDonalds bags etc.
It is disgusting, witnessing people leaving the beach not picking up their sh#t.
Seriously, how hard is it ?
People do not repsect anything, it is really sad !
Could not agree more Mr. Angry Birds. One of the most frustrating things about living in Bondi – to watch all the people come in from all over and treat the beach so badly. I do think the council do a great job of cleaning up though. I see them down there from 5am cleaning up. Shame it has to be this way, but I am not sure how to change it as the offenders are mostly tourists. Often I tell the pissheads to pick up their crap when I see them down there in the morning surrounded by beer bottles in the sand (in their Inebriated state). Sometimes they arc up, sometimes they pick their rubbish up. Also I notice many morning joggers are kind enough to help pick up rubbish – which is so good.
Agree. The tractor was down cleaning the beach the next morning at 6:30 when I was walking my daughter. Thumbs up for the Council on this one !
Colourful volunteer patrols to walk through the crowds with a loudspeaker, naming and shaming anyone who gets up and leaves their rubbish behind – that’s the only thing that’ll work. Embarrass the offenders into action. Or do you think that the offenders probably don’t have an ounce of conscience given the fact they’re happy to litter everywhere?
Waverley Council holds a monthly (??) precinct meeting – maybe this would be a good forum to raise at.
On the flip side, I know the litter keeps the characterful council workers in a job – truly part of the Bondi landscape!
Totally agree re the rubbish dumped on the beach and along Campbell Pde, esp outside McDonalds. As a resident and rate payer I am glad the Council cleans it up, but I’m not happy it is at my cost (higher rates). I have written to McDonalds on Campbell Pde suggesting they hire someone to go around picking up the Macca’s litter after their thoughtless patrons eat and drop their rubbish, even outside their “cafe”…guess what, I got no reply and they haven’t done anything to help the cleanup. I’d like the Council to be visible and fine people litttering, and maybe also introduce fines for the outlets that add to the problem.
Building shots!!!
Yes
Dylan – I like em too. Working my way around Bondi…slowly.
Try a photo of 148 Warners Ave, the last house before it becomes Campbell Pde. My Aunt and Uncle have lived there since 1966. You’ll see my name out the front on the footpath circa 1970. If you have a penchant for modernist/art deco/neo Italian influence you’ll love this one. Oh I forgot the yellow and green, very popular during the 70’s.
The buildings are interesting but what’s more interesting are the Bondi characters that have lived around the traps for soooooooo long. How long is a long time? That depends on how old you are.
Love your work.
Good discussion topic. A surfer gave me a pop bottle that was floating in the water on sunday (I was on life saving patrol), litter makes it’s way off the beach and into the water, where they don’t have cleanup trucks.
How can you fine thousands of people…..although I wish you could and very heavily. It’s the attitude of tourists and non locals and the ‘it’s not where I live so why should I care mentality’.
Very depressing
…and all the visitors that come to Bondi in their cards have no idea how to drive – i was stuck in traffic for 25 mins on beach road…what the??? and re: rubbish on the beach – we need more patrols on the beach to fine the slackers who dump their crap and cigarette butts on the sand. More money for the council and it will keep our home clean. I love Bondi but not the visitors who show no respect.
On a positive note…love love love the Wahalla Court & Mayfair pictures. You’ve brought beauty to these buildings which are so old and taken for granted by dozens who walk past everyday.
PS – Uge, are any of these shots from your chopper ride, or did the weekend’s fog get in the way of your plans?
Got foggged out…boo. Will be trying again soon. uge
That BMW in Walhallala Court is fully sick bro!
Sick as bro…
Unfortunately, it’s the same story here on the west coast. At Scarbough (my local) the crap is everywhere after Saturdays and Sundays. Stirling Council also does a good job (starting at 5sm, too). Heck, even the lifeguards here wear the same gera as Waverley’s (and are still employed by the council – the other councils use contracted staff). I’d put on people to issue fines. It’d pay for itself quick-smart, I reckon). But it’s a sad indictment on society.
Hard to put rubbish in a bin that has been taken away
Take it with you then Ed until you find one, a simple concept
I agree with Ed, it’s not a matter of simple concepts, but a matter of a concept that works.. and bins on the beach has proven to work better worldwide.
Other than that, and most sadly, it’s also parents education that is failing or has failed.
Yuri and Ed,
So no bins means its acceptable to litter – utter rubbish.
yeah having a bin makes it convenient and there are bins on the promonade, but a conscious and some intelligence helps a heap load more.
‘If you bring it on to the beach make sure you take it away’ – how is that so difficult to grasp
Love Tamarama shorey cool off – i think it deserves gallery space!
Hey Uge,
Can you give me a good explanation as to why that Gursky sold for over 4 million? I am not farmilar with the history of the artist or the shot, but your bank account should be as large as the MCG and you lighting cigars with pineapples if that photo is worth that amount.
I have looked at it for a good few minutes and I am yet to find anything positive about it. Get your mirror wave over to Christies and watch that money pile in.
Please help
Corks
Hey Dee
I dont know how to drive a card either
I think you mean car, its Bondi get over it
PS power to my Westies
Uge, why is that photo worth so much? I think all your photos today are better than that???
If you can carry it down onto the beach you can carry it off, leaving rubbish is just pure laziness, it’s sad to see people abuse a resource so beautiful, I wonder if the tourists were charged to use the beach because of the clean up cost if they would be more conscious of their waste, it always amazes me what people will do to save them selves a bit of money
Waverley council should hire highly skilled snipers to pick off the litter bugs…. serial drop in artists…people wearing trucker caps after 5pm, loud irish people, anyone from rose bay, neo hipsters who recently bought a vintage camera and call themselves creatives…anyone who lives west of old south head road, north of blair street or south of fletcher….