Several times today, I thought there would be a break in the rain long enough to perform my morning rituals and capture Bondi Beach.  Yeahhh,Nahh. This damn rain just won’t let up! I thought we were out of Nino, Nina, and Nonna. Surely! We’ve been tossed into Winter (unwillingly), and I’m currently browsing airline websites looking for […]

Wasn’t that a relief, a morning of glorious sunshine after all the constant downpours in Sydney? The forecast is calling for another week or more of rain, so I really hope you got out, as it’s now raining again. Surprisingly, the waves were good, head high and clean. The junior Dutch surf team was out […]

People’s perception of Bondi is always postcard sunny skies, 3-footers (straight), large glamourous crowds, Bondi Rescue, outdoor gyms, and record-breakingly priced luxury apartments. Sometimes, not today. The grime is still in Scum Valley; we have stormy days, and waves are bigger in your bathtub. The beach was quiet as most started to retreat into the […]

I’m back in the hood and enjoying the glorious sunshine. Lap it up my friends, as starting tomorrow, the weather will decline into showers, and from Friday onwards, it will be super wet! A pink hue surrounded Ben Buckler’s pre-rise as unsurfable 1-2 footers shut down—straight as a ruler. Several people tried to negotiate the […]

We’ve arrived at the Noonu Atoll, Maldives, searching for the bluest water on the planet. We’re on the island of Medhufaru where Soneva Jani lies. It’s a dreamy, idyllic place where two long jetties into a giant lagoon connect your room to the land. It’s like living on a boat; everywhere you look, there is […]

It’s been 14 years since my last visit to the world’s lowest islands – Maldives (mol·deevz). I love this place; it’s a giant aquatic playground with 1192 islands (only a fifth are inhabited). Try scrolling through Instagram without seeing an idyllic image of crystal blue water and tiny islands in the Maldives—impossible. So many come […]

And just like that, the switch has been flicked; we’ve got chilly mornings with large southerly winter swells. Bring out the jumpers from storage. Bondi was relatively empty compared to a few weeks ago. Two surfers were out, but there were not many people on the sand. The waves are 6 feet solid, maybe bigger, […]

As I write this, a south change is moving from stage right. It’s bringing wind and waves – lots of wind. Tonight expect SSW 30 knots plus. The wave energy will ramp, and tomorrow, you’ll see conditions similar to last Saturday’s 8-footers. It will be very messy with all that wind, but interesting nonetheless. Have […]

It’s been quite dramatic around here lately. The storm (like a Typhoon) that ripped Sydney on Friday night passed quickly, leaving a string of days with glorious weather and waves. Saturday was solid, 10ft, yesterday 4-6, today 2-3….as the swell energy downshifts through its gears. It’s surfable now, and the morning was sunny and warm…before […]

We’re all freaking out cause it’s gonna rain for a few days – some say 100mm tomorrow (so stoked as there’s no roof on most of my house currently under reno). Those dreamy after-work scorchers spent dunking in the ocean are over – for now. The beach and waves looked dire this morning—onshore, dark grey, […]

It’s rare for Bondi to be this flat. There’s always something. This morning the ocean was motionless, still, level…like a lake. It is good for a swim, but not so good for a surf. Tomorrow, there will be more wave energy, but the weekend will host the biggest waves of the week. Friday will be […]

The Easter break is over, and the Bondi sunrise colours resume. It’s a beautiful warm morning in Sydney as we head to a top of 29 degrees. There is a high chance of rain today, with tiny surf. It will be tiny all week until a big kahuna swell arrives over the weekend. Bells are […]

I’ve been waiting for a lame, grey, onshore day to show you a few pics from my recent adventures. In contrast to today’s bland flavour, recently, we’ve been blessed with epic ocean colours and endless beach weather. I didn’t shoot anything today, which is rare for me. It’s a great day to be inside and […]

Bronte, that little cove bay around the corner where plenty amass before work. It’s always good when the southerly is howling, having a big protecting cliff face on the south side. Bogey Hole, the rock pool next to the ocean pool, is one of Sydney’s busiest little water patches. It’s always a good angle on […]

At 7:03 a.m., the sun is rising on Bondi. It’s late. Big crowds were early, though, awaiting a glimpse of how today would begin. It was onshore, and the tide was too low when I shot this morning. I rated it very poorly as it appeared opportunityless for surfers. Go for a swim, hula, medi or […]

Autumn light is a photographer’s delight! There’s something special about this time of year when the sun tucks around the back of Ben Buckler, the morning humid haze has gone, leaving crispy, clean, warm sun rays to illuminate my favourite subject—Bondi! There are waves, head high on sets, gentle NW winds and a clear sky […]

As we shift deeper into autumn, most of the morning was covered in darkness. I waited around for sufficient light, looking forward to the time change. In the middle, Onewave celebrated its 11th Birthday – congrats, Grant and crew, for spreading the good vibes down at Bondi on Friday for so long! There are plenty […]

It blew a gale all night as a cold front swept through Sydney. It’s calmed down a little now, but it’s still unpleasant down the beach. The wind was flanked with swell, double head high on sets. Only the Bondi Brothers out this morning, the rest of the beach was deserted. It was a great […]

Hanging at Bondi, I was having major FOMO with all this ENE swell town. It’s like when your neighbours are having a massive party, and you’re at home, watching Wozzle heat reruns, drifting off to sleep at 8pm. Basically, Bondi is facing the wrong way for the current swell setup. Go to a beach facing […]

The weather has been patchy around here lately; today’s no different. I’m not quite sure if it’s gonna rain or not – but there are definitely some beach moments mixed in. It’s cooler as we transition into autumn. We’ve got a decent period south swell in town dumping on Bondi. It’s the same old usual […]

The predicted southerly is here, and the beach has been blown out. The surf was useless, a rare unsurfable day at Bondi. Go have a coffee. Overnight, we had a few MM of rain, but nothing substantial. The winds got some easterly in it and blew onshore all morning, narrowing the regular Friday masses to […]

It was a dreamy morning with solid wave options. A mixture of swells provided clean waves at most Sydney beaches – some sets in the 4-5ft range! It’s about to flip as the encroaching southerly makes its way up the coast to us…my prediction is that between 3-4 pm today, it will be all over […]

It was a pretty stock-standard Bondi morning with 2-3ft waves, shallow banks, decent rips, large crowds and patchy sunrise light. The tide is low around 5 am, making most waves break straight, opportunityless. Kinda frustrating to be honest. It looks like a light northerly is feathering but not having much impact on the surf quality. […]

These are the days worth savouring. Today, Sydney has perfect conditions with little wind, endless warmth, and sublime brine. We even have a little east swell, which was not great at Bondi but better around the corner. (Probably head high on incoming tides) There is a helluva lot of ‘working from home’ going on. Even […]

I love this time of year; it’s such a good temperature in and out of the water. There’s also a great vibe, and many tourists enjoying our beaches. While the swell is predominantly east and not great on south-facing beaches, South Bondi was drip-fed a few little bumps (1-2ft), making it great for kids and […]

Bondi is a crazy place, but it’s particularly crazy on a Friday around sunrise (6:30 a.m.). There was just so much activity down there this morning—keep in mind, it’s a small beach, only 900 metres long—so we’re packed in tight. 9am – a completely different story, and back to the quiet times – feels like […]

What a morning! Optimal temperatures in and out of the water, while the bay was glassy and windless—for a moment at sunrise. There was an enormous early morning crowd again. The lineup was jammed, ice bathers were packed, and Bergs was full as Bondi was in high gear. Did you miss it? It’s too late […]

Yesterday wasn’t right, but it significantly improved today (at Sunrise). It’s calmed down a lot, and now we have some diamonds in the rough. Don’t be fooled—there are still plenty of closeouts—but one in six was running at sunrise, and you’ve got a nice little pocket to flaunt your skills in the golden light. As […]

Big swells are wasted around here. We don’t have the proper infrastructure to make it break in a rideable fashion when it gets over head-high. Such a shame, ’cause there’s virtually NO wind and conditions are optimal. Somewhere with a reef would be cooking right now. It’s a dead south swell at 180 degrees, so […]

It’s big and getting bigger. It’s windy – howling onshore!After a five-minute ride, I’ve concluded it’s not a beach day—a write-off, a day inside. Tomorrow will be triple head high, and winds will be variable, so I am sure some reefs down south will be cooking for the hell-riders. I hope this hefty swell pounds […]

There was so much going on at Bondi this morning. All the tourists are walking around thinking – why is everyone up so damn early! Aussies are weirdos. The waves were not very interesting, especially on the morning lower tides. Perhaps a log during higher tides (middle of the day). The skies are filled with […]

It’s the last day of summer (boo!), and we’re finishing it in stereotypical fashion – NE winds, 35 degrees and a tiny swell. It was a super warm morning with a MASSIVE sunrise crowd. So many people from overseas enjoying the morning vibes. Morning low tides created a little exposed sandbar, good for swimmers and […]

Under dark and gloomy skies, clean waves broke in the waist-to-chest vicinity. It’s a south swell, so it’s biggest at Bondi but also the most crowded. Big numbers littered the entire beach at sunrise as most waves closed out straight. More tide would be helpful. High tide: 11:11 amLow tide: 5:28 pmMax Temp. Land: 28 […]

Sydney’s city beaches are divided by the deepest harbour in the world. As the crow flies, there’s nothing in it – it’s all relatively close and a short ferry ride to either side. By car, wow, on a busy, sunny day, it’s an hour, schlepping bumper to bumper to cross the bridge. It’s a different […]

It was a sensational morning in Sydney, with pink bits scattered across our dawn skies. The water was warm as two footers broke straight. Under the surface, the clarity was decent – recently, the northerlies have brought an unwelcome green-brown murk. Winds are currently very gentle and from the west. The southerly will arrive any […]

Bondi is gearing up for a party this weekend as 15,000 people hit the beach for the annual Pride party. This morning was a good prelude as the beach was absolutely packed at 6 am. I overheard a British tourist say, “What on earth is going on geezer? I mean, it’s 6am; why is everyone […]

The rips were on turbo, and the water was a worrying green-brown. Post-rain swims are always a bit dodge. It took me a few goes to get back to the beach, wearing flippers – ramp 2 rip is lethal. Today is brilliantly warm and humid, and it is my Ma’s birthday! Waves were tidy this […]

It was freakishly warm and comfortable in the brine this morning. Usually, I’m hesitant to swim after so much rain, but today, it was just too damn seductive! It must have been 24 degrees at sunrise. I swam happily in the rips, mouth closed, for an hour—the rip between ramp 2 & 3 was HECTIC. […]

The volatile wet weather continues today; it’s pouring as I tap this out. Around 7:10 am there was a brief moment of sunshine, illuminating our bay – I got busy for 30 minutes capturing these images. The surf is small but doable. Waves breaking around waist to shoulder high, uncrowded. Winds are currently SSE with […]

The northerlies blow, sun and crowds ram into the beaches (e.g. yesterday). The southerlies rock up, and it’s a ghost town (e.g. today). How good was yesterday; wow, Bondi and the surrounding bays were packed. Today, it’s cooler and threatening rain but deserted. No waves. A big weekend is coming up for the LGBTIQ community […]