From Deseret News archives:
Bondi Beach decides to go with the flow
Bondi Beach and I do mean the beach is hosting the beach volleyball portion of the Olympics. Set square in the middle of what is billed as Australia's most famous beach, about 40 feet from the ocean, is a 10,000-seat arena with one sandy volleyball court in the middle of it.
When Sydney's organizers announced that Bondi say it Bond-eye (it's an Aboriginal word describing the sound of the waves hitting the shore) would be an Olympic venue, news of widespread murmuring immediately hit the headlines and the airwaves. Bondi didn't want to give up its beach for the Games, the reports said. The people who live here didn't want the Olympics, didn't need them and besides, that patch of sand is exactly where a lot of them like to throw down their towels.
On Wednesday, I took the subway to Bondi, a city beach not unlike Venice Beach in Los Angeles but with a lot fewer tattoo stands. I was in the search of local vocal criticism. A little controversy. I wanted to see what a town full of Stephen Paces (Most Vocal Critic of the Salt Lake Games) looked like.
Judging from the "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi" banners and the "Go U Aussies" signs and the numerous flags flying from the balconies, Bondi and the Olympics seem to be coexisting just fine.
"The only complaining was from a few very vocal people who just moved in," said a longtime Bondi resident named Russ as he waited for a bus.
"They have a lot of money and they move here and then they think they own the beach," he said.
The funny part, Russ said, is that it was most of those people who left town to escape the Olympics and now the Olympics have been a resounding success in Bondi without them.
"I reckon at the end of the day even those who didn't think it was such a good idea will think it was," he said.
Bear in mind, Russ isn't with the chamber of commerce or anything remotely close. He moved to Bondi from inner Sydney in 1975, back when it wasn't the trendy move it is now. He bought a place for peanuts. "Used to be cheap as chips to live here" is how Russ put it.
Gradually, the ocean views with city proximity became desirable, and up went the prices. Now, a one-bedroom studio with an ocean view is half a million, at least, and if you don't see Tom Cruise and his Aussie wife, Nicole Kidman, strolling by, you might see Pamela Anderson or the world's richest Australian, Kerry Pecker.
Comments
- Soccer MVPs know how to win 1:56 a.m.
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009 1:56 a.m.
- High school soccer: Past MVPs 1:37 a.m.
- Senators want food tax restored 1:27 a.m.
- Utah women lag in higher education 1:16 a.m.
- Hatch empathizes with Muslims 1:14 a.m.
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP 1:13 a.m.
- Mitchell seeks to block witnesses 1:12 a.m.
- Party insiders may take on Bennett 1:11 a.m.
- Input sought on nondiscrimination 1:11 a.m.
- TCU showdown has big implications
- Seniors helped BYU regroup
- Lambert surprisingly tops news
- Hope for single moms
- Bystanders framed for child porn
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated
- Soccer MVPs know how to win
- Utah Jazz Extra: Whose hot/not
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP
- Newhouse Hotel, an explosive end
- House passes health care bill
228 - TCU showdown has big implications
183 - Lobo suspended
182 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
154 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
118 - Thousands protest health bill
114 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
97 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
Sounds like a good option if you can't or won't switch to AT&T for the...
I worked with and around Bill Sederburg for 5 years while he was at...
hand. He needs to work on his moves to the basket and rebounding. Lateral...
play Fez or Koufos tonight. He went with a smaller line up and Boozer, Okur...
I've met Bennett before and he is a nice man. He also knows the Constitution...
That's never been a secret. Everyone will pay for it except those that don't...
I agree with NonMormon. I am active LDS, and I enjoy Ash's articles, and I...
I kept saying don't resign Milsap, especially after Portland offered that...
BYU is the slowest team that has ever been in the top 25. Utah will put up a...
i think u have the cowboys ranked too low! at least an A- LOL nice work!


You can be the first to comment on this story.