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Sculpture By The Sea 2017

October 22, 2017 / Beaches, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

It’s time for the 21st annual Sculpture by the Sea, the largest free to the public sculpture exhibition in the world. This year in Sydney, Sculpture by the Sea runs from 19 October – 5 November 2017, along the cliff top walk from Tamarama Beach to Bondi Beach.

While the majority of the sculptures are not able to be touched, each year there are several that are designed to be interacted with by visitors, be it walking through them, on them or climbing over them – the placards in front of the sculptures let people know which ones are able to be touched and which ones are too fragile.

This year we found that there weren’t any interactive sculptures like in previous years sadly, but still some that could be crawled through and touched.

Please enjoy the photos of this spectacular exhibition, and scroll down to the bottom for tips on attending.

Tips for attending Sculpture By The Sea

Go early, like 6am early. Last year we arrived at 7am and it was perfect. This year we arrived at 9:45am and it was absolutely packed.
Parking is a nightmare. Go early and look for a spot around Tamarama or Bronte.
Bring lots of water, sunscreen and a hat. The sun is brutal on the walk and there is no shade.
Bathrooms are located at Tamarama Beach, Mark’s Place and Bondi Beach.
Food is also located at Tamarama, Bondi and Mark’s Place. In 2017 there is a new fast food service at St Mark’s Place serving basic breakfast food from 7am-10am like granola, fruit salad, croissants and quiche, and, from 10am, pies, sausage rolls and quiche plus burgers, gnocchi and fries. There are also sweet treats and drinks including freshly squeeze juice. Kids meals: nuggets and chips, tuna wrap, ham and cheese toastie.
The walk is not stroller friendly at all. If you cannot bring your child in a baby carrier, walk/drive to Mark’s Place – it’s the only stroller accessible point of the walk.
Try for dawn or sunset for pictures with truly stunning light and less people around.
There are two kids’ playgrounds on the walk – one at Tamarama Beach and one at Mark’s Place.
Week days are much less busy than weekends.
Keep an eye on small children. Not only is the walk crowded, it runs along the cliff tops where there are no guard rails or barriers to stop children from falling over the edge.
Not all sculptures are designed to be touched. Please respect the signs and only touch those that are designated for interaction.

Photography tip: It might look like we were pretty much by ourselves on the walk but this was thanks to careful shooting and editing. For pics like these, be extremely patient and wait until other people leave the frame, or step around them and find an angle with no-one in it. If you can’t do either, then crop in close.

Sculpture By The Sea

Best Sydney Day Trips: Bondi Beach With Kids

September 13, 2015 / Bondi, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney / 2 Comments

I usually say that Bondi Beach is for tourists and avoid it like the plague. The massive crowds make me super frustrated and trying to find somewhere to park makes my husband homicidal. Bondi does, however, have a lot going for it – there’s a reason it’s the most popular beach in Sydney, after all. If you’re prepared to brave the crowds, you’re in for a bit of a treat.

Getting there
You have two options – drive or catch the bus. Driving is faster and pretty easy, but parking is crazy, particularly on weekends. We’ve never not found somewhere to park, but it can often be a good 20 minutes walk from the beach. Catching the bus obviously means no parking, but the queues to catch the bus out of Bondi can get out of control. Either way, be prepared and allow lots of time on both ends.

Where to eat
This is always my first thought when I go basically anywhere: “What is there to eat?”. Bondi is full of great dining options, depending what you’re in the mood for.

Something fancy: Bills
Bills has the most mazing ricotta hotcakes. They are also super kid friendly, but a bit on the pricer side. Read the full review here.
Bills Bondi: 79 Hall St, Bondi Beach

Something fast: Harry’s Cafe de Wheels
Makers of delicious pies, this is my favourite option when we want to grab something and keep walking. Their pies with potato and mushy peas are legendary, and also make for a cheap lunch.
Harry’s Cafe de Wheels: 2/152 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach

Something away from the crowds: Paradise Road Diner
This is a new place that just opened. They serve basic bagels, burgers and breakfast dishes, with old school milkshakes. Reasonable prices and far from the tourist crowd. The vibe is relaxed, the staff friendly and welcoming to small children.
Paradise Road Diner: 296 Campbell Pde, North Bondi

Something with a view: Lamrock Cafe
Lamrock Cafe serves really solid breakfast and lunch meals with a killer view. They have a big menu with all the brekkie dishes you’d expect (think pancakes, eggs and “big breakfasts”). Friendly staff, a bit squishy and service can be a bit slow. The price you pay for breakfast with a view. Read the full review here.
Lamrock Cafe: 72-76 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach

Something sweet: Gelato Messina
There are lots of choices for ice cream in Bondi, but our favourite is Gelato Messina for their busting-with-flavour inventive creations. A “tiny” scoop is the perfect size for kids ($4). My favourite flavours are Salted Caramel with White Chocolate Chip and Yogurt Berry.
Gelato Messina: 6/61 Hall St, Bondi Beach

Where to swim
If you have older kids, head to the flagged section where the life guards are on patrol. Bondi gets big rips so it’s not safe to swim in the surf outside of this area.

Smaller kids will love splashing in the waves in the north end of the beach as they roll onto the shore. The area is partially protected by Ben Buckler headland, making the waves smaller. Kids can sit on the sand banks with small waves rolling up to their feet.

At the very north end of Bondi Beach is a free, outdoor children’s pool The graduated pool has no waves, so is very safe for children to swim. The shallow end is particularly great for young toddlers and preschoolers.

Where to play
Bondi Beach Playground is right behind the beach promenade, giving it one of the best views of any playground in Sydney. It’s fenced and gated, with decent shade. Nearby is the Bondi Pavillion where you’ll find toilets and change tables.

Kids will also love climbing the rocks behind the Bondi Beach Children’s Pool, scooting up and down the promenade, and, if they’re either in strollers or strong enough to scoot or walk longer distances, attempt the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk (picture above of Tamarama Beach, along the walk). Note: the coastal walk has lots of stairs.

Enjoy your trip to Bondi! Where are you planning to visit now the weather is warming up?

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi

November 3, 2014 / Sydney, Sydney Life / 8 Comments

Sculpture By The Sea is always a highlight on the Sydney calendar. Not only is it a fantastic day out at the beach, checking out gorgeous sculptures, it also signifies that summer is just around the corner.

Every year, over 100 sculptures are put on display along the iconic coastal walkway between Bondi and Tamarama beaches. The exhibition is free and the sculptures are marked with either “do not touch” or “be gentle”, or encourage the public to experience them interactively. While the exhibition is very kid-friendly, the crowds on weekends and big stairs make it a bit stroller-prohibitive, so bring a carrier and be prepared to carry toddlers to keep them safe if you go on a busy day.

This was the first year that I’d taken Missy E, however, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. While I’ve taken her to a lot of art galleries and exhibitions in the past, we haven’t gone to see anything not specifically kid-focussed in a while. Miss E actually blew us away with how into the sculptures she was. She loved that we had to hunt for each art work, and took a lot of joy in being the first to spot each new piece. She ran up to each one and touched it (when possible), taking her time looking at the details in each piece, before declaring she was done and ready to look for the next sculpture. She also enjoyed running in front of the big groups of people trying to take photos of the sculptures and posing for them like she was a star in front of the paparazzi. Lucky she’s so cute.

The exhibition this year was beautiful, inspiring, unexpected and entertaining. Take a look at the photos below for our Sculpture By The Sea highlights.

Does your child like art? I’d love to hear about how you share a love of art with your family.

Sculpture By The Sea runs until November 9, 2014.

Ice Skating on the Beach at Bondi Winter Magic

July 6, 2014 / Bondi, Eastern Suburbs, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

A gorgeous, sunny winter day calls for … ice skating, of course! We tried one of the many pop up ice skating rinks over the weekend at Bondi Beach as part of their Winter Magic event. We had a fantastic time, and little E took to ice skating like a natural. The penguin aid that we rented certainly helped her confidence.

Thinking of trying a pop up rink this winter? Here are our tips:

Book in advance (the sessions usually sell out).
Rent a penguin aid for littlies where possible — they only have limited numbers and they go fast.
Arrive at least 30 minutes early to ensure you are able to secure a pair of kid-sized skates (only limited double-bladed kid skates are available).

That’s it! We all had so much fun, and would absolutely go again if it wasn’t quite so expensive ($22 for adults, $10 for kids under 5 and $8 penguin aid hire).

The Bondi Winter Magic ice skating rink is located in front of the Bondi Beach Pavillion, and is open from 27 June to 13 July, between 10am to 9pm each day. Skating sessions start on the hour and each skating session is 45 mins long. Book tickets online.