Bondiesta is hitting the beach suburb’s shores, bringing with it Latin culture, music and plenty of dancing.
The popular event is scheduled for Sunday February 13 at Bondi Beach. Previously known as the South American festival, the celebration of all things Latin will be driven in a new direction this year.
Festival organiser Dan Mor said: “Bondi is already a magical location so we couldn’t think of a better place to have it. We have improved the sound system, will have two main stages, and an array of bands and dancers.”
Mr Mor is the creative mind behind Sydney’s legendary white parties, and has taken the reigns as Bondiesta’s new strategic director. He is promising an uplifting, tribal and lively event.
This year the event will cater not just to the Latin community, introducing its energy to the general public.
Not to be confused with the dance focused Sydney Latin Festival which took place at Olympic Park February 2-5, Bondiesta offers a different experience to festival goers.
“It’s less serious,” said Jaime Jesus of Latin Dance Australia. “It’s an outdoor festival on the beach and has a really inclusive feel. People are more inclined to get up and dance.”
Headlining the event will be Mi Tierra, widely regarded as Australia’s leading Latin band. Afrocuban influences, house music, and a variety of DJ’s will also be performing to offer a fusion style to the festivities.
Free workshops in Latin dance including salsa, Cuban rumba, and capoeira are scheduled for those who want to learn the basics before hitting the dance floor. Authentic food from Cuba, Brazil, and Mexico will also be available to entice the senses. With a theme of tropical colours and exotic allure and prizes on offer, organisers challenge attendees to be bold and get creative.
Sashya Jayawardena of Rhythm Brazil is thrilled to be performing at the revamped festival. She said it’s as close as Sydney gets to Brazil’s Carnival.
“I am expecting big things from this crowd. In the past they have tended to go all out and this year I am expecting even more so.”
And what about that other festival? Brazil’s Carnival follows suit, beginning February 18 in Rio Di Janero. If you ask Dan Mor and those behind Bondiesta, they’ll tell you that the party begins in Sydney.
Produced in tandem with Waverley council, Bondiesta kicks off on Sunday February 12 at 1pm. Tickets are available at the door.

By Rachel Zerr

What better location for exercise than the breezy shores of Bondi? January promises a rush of new faces pounding the pavements, hoping to make good on their fitness resolutions for the New Year.

Personal trainer at Bondi Gym, Nathan Page, tells new starters to forget about dietary fads and “quick fixes”.

“Everybody in this day and age is looking for the easy way out,” he said. “The truth is – you can do as many crunches as you want, but you are never going to see your abs unless you get lean enough. And the only way to get lean enough is if you eat less calories than you burn. It’s calories in versus calories out.”

Celebrity trainer Jenny Jafari says it can take up to three months for people to settle in to a new habit.

“You need to start goal setting, that’s number one,” she said. “Second of all, like any sort of coaching you do, you need a personal trainer, or else you won’t have any motivation.”

Serious dieters would do well to cut out the booze too.

“It is number one for ruining the body,” Ms Jafari said.

For those not keen on personal training, it is possible to develop your own successful fitness regimen without setting foot in the gym. Mr Page, an International Federation of Bodybuilding professional judge and a two-time Mr Australia champion, said you simply need to create a routine which is fun and burns the calories.

“I’ve seen many people acquire great results just by getting outdoors, playing a local sport, getting involved in some physical activity with your kids or your family,” he said.

Those in the Bondi area are spoilt for choice, according to Mr Page.

“We’re very lucky. We’re close to one of the most famous beaches in the world – it’s almost a kilometre long, so everyone comes down here to do soft-sand walking and running. We’ve got a local outdoor gym here in North Bondi, and people can get involved in the Surf Life Saving Club.”

There are also plenty of options for participating in team sports, Ms Jafari said, including cricket, volleyball and watersports.

However, the trainers agreed that the Eastern Suburbs can be an intimidating place for those trying to shed the kilos.

“Bondi is the Hollywood of Australia; there’s a lot of beautiful people, a lot of beautiful bodies,” Mr Page said. “I’ve travelled all over the world, I’ve been doing this for the last two decades – I’ve probably never been to a place that relies more on looks than here. This is the vainest place on the planet.”

“People in this area will judge you in the first 45 seconds [based] on what you look like, and then they’ll spend the next five minutes reconfirming their first thoughts.”

New clients of Bondi Gym who mention this article will receive a 7-day free trial.

Local business owners say the bad weather in recent months, likely caused by the La Nina event, has kept people away from Bondi and taken a significant toll on their profits. La Nina brings cool and wet weather conditions to the Eastern seaboard.

Spokesperson for the Bondi Chamber of Commerce and owner of Max’s Shoes, Max Siano said:  “When it’s overcast, there are more seagulls at Bondi Beach than there are people.”

“The whole front suffers when it rains. And it doesn’t have to rain, actually – all it has to do is become overcast and … everyone disappears.”

Bondi retailers often derive their annual profit solely from the summer months. At Max’s Shoes, trading was down 50 to 60 per cent on a rainy day. That meant inevitable stock surpluses.

“As far as fashion is concerned, if you don’t sell it during November and December, you have to go on sale to clear the decks,” Mr Siano said.

Yvonne Kral of Sussan Bondi on Oxford St agrees the weather has shifted consumer spending patterns. Due to the cold summer temperatures, the women’s fashion retailer ordered its winter stock much earlier than expected, with a variety of discounts introduced before the traditional post-Christmas sales.

However, not all business owners felt the La Nina pinch. Carole Hart, from the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Bondi Junction, said her business was not deeply affected by the weather because yoga is based on long-term commitment and dedication.

“Despite the fact that the weather has been miserable, our business has remained constant and unchanged,” she said.

Sunny Singh of Sweetheart Florist said a downturn in Christmas sales was more closely linked to poor consumer confidence.

“It has been fairly consistent but people don’t want to spend that much anymore,” he said. “Overall, people are starting to decrease their spending around Christmas time.”

Mr Siano said the wet summer was most damaging for hospitality businesses along the Campbell Pde strip.

“Council charges for outside seating $780 per square metre per annum, and whether it rains or shines, you’re going to pay it,” he said. “So if you’ve had six weeks of bad weather, and nobody’s sitting there, you’ve made a major loss.”

These losses also mean inevitable cut backs in employment.

“If you know the weather is going to be this bad, you don’t have locals and tourists come to work. You ring them up and you cancel them, especially if they’re casuals. So we all suffer.”

While La Nina may be unavoidable, Mr Siano believes Waverley Council could do more to support local businesses during the difficult winter months. He told The Bondi View that parking meters should be turned off during May, June and July to encourage more visitors to Bondi.

“The only way we can survive and get people coming down, is to turn off the meters,” he said. “They’re not going to pay for parking if the weather’s inclement.

“And take it easy with the parking fines. If people come down in winter, they don’t deserve a fine, they deserve a medal.”

By Michael Koziol & Daniel Paperny

SCG just “for people from Eastern Suburbs”

The O’Farrell government has approved a $186 million upgrade of the Sydney Cricket Ground, which will refurbish three stands and add almost 2000 seats. $86 million will come from state coffers and another $100 million from the federal government and the SCG Trust.

But a former NSW minister told The Sydney Morning Herald that Labor previously rejected an SCG revamp because it did not want to spend taxpayer money on a facility “for people from Sydney’s eastern suburbs and north shore’”.

A spokesperson for the SCG Trust told The Bondi View: “The SCG is a facility for everyone, not just people from the eastern suburbs.” They could not supply attendance data,  but said the SCG was an international sporting venue which attracted visitors from across Sydney and NSW.

Waverley councillor Sally Betts agreed. “If you love cricket, then you love cricket at the SCG,” she said. “It doesn’t matter where you live.”

Migration to the Surf

Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club’s next “Migration To The Surf” program will held on Sunday, February 5. The half-day program is designed to assist anyone unfamiliar with the surf, specifically adult migrants. The course enables participants to develop a greater understanding of the surf in a safe and informed way.

The program will commence at 9 am and include a presentation from the Cancer Council and a practical component with a Bondi lifesaver, helping each participant become comfortable in the water. For more information or to register, email: bondieducationmanager@gmail.com

Lifesavers honoured

REUNION: Bondi life member lifesavers (from left) David Hoggett, Peter Murphy, Peter Stapleton, Les Hawkins, Rod Harvey, Andrew Winters, Bob Leach, Allan Scott, Cyril Baldock and Keiran Speed.

Club president Andrew Winters and life member Peter Stapleton presented awards for 60 years of service to Michael Guider, Les Hawkins, Pat Toolan and Warden Williams. An award for 70 years of service was accepted on behalf of Frank Jenkings by his niece, Dr Patricia Pollard.

Exhibition opening

Former Bronte-based artist Anthony Morrison will open his first major Sydney exhibition for 2012 on February 4 at Harrison Galleries in Paddington. Mr Morrison, a contemporary abstract artist who graduated from the Sydney College of the Arts in 1986, has entitled this set of works Illumination.

“For me, it refers to a deeper process of viewing, responding to and intuiting our surroundings whereby we allow ourselves to awaken – and thus become illuminated by light, love and truth,” he said. International playwright, director and author Wendy Beckett will officially open the exhibition, which runs until February 23.

Home invasion

A woman aged in her 60s was threatened by a man  in a home invasion on Military Rd, Dover Heights. Police were called to the scene at about 2.15am on Wednesday January 4. The woman said the man woke her and demanded property.

The woman was unhurt, but the intruder escaped with items of jewellery. Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) has responded to an outcry from the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia (DSAA) who protested on Monday at Bondi Beach over the SLSC’s alleged ban on amphibious wheelchairs.

In a press release, the SLSA said they can confirm that no ban on beach wheelchairs is in place and all beach wheelchairs currently operated by clubs are covered under SLSA’s insurance.

This statement comes after an email, dated November 30, gave directions to clubs to destroy, dispose of or return beach wheelchairs to organisations that donated them because they were not insured.

‘‘Considerable problems have occurred with these in the past and NO cover will be granted,’’ the email said.

This sparked outrage and spokesperson for DSAA, Jim Bradley, said “Surf Life can insure jetskis, helicopters, 4-wheel-drive vehicles and even dangerous national surf carnivals.

“It would be laughable to suggest that beach wheelchairs present anywhere near the same level of insurance risk.”

Surf Life Saving Australia chief operating officer Peter George said on Monday the email had been retracted after they became aware of the issue just after Christmas.

Mr George said Surf Life Saving was an inclusive organisation and no wheelchairs had been destroyed.

The SLSA is now working to ensure national operational procedures are in place for the safe use of beach wheelchairs.

By Kira Sprucys-Tahar and Kristie Beattie

Bondi Beach residents have voiced concern over a proposed Liquorland outlet on Campbell Parade. Locals say it goes against council efforts to minimise alcohol related anti-social behaviour in the area.

Hely Horne Architects Pty Ltd has submitted a development application to Waverley Council for a Liquorland Express retail outlet at 138 Campbell Pde, previously the site of an Aboriginal art gallery.

As part of their Statement of Environmental Effects, the applicants claim: “[Liquorland Express Bondi] will not have any adverse social impact upon the local community as the proposed liquor store is surrounded by restaurants and food outlets along Campbell Pde.”

The application is within council’s planning guidelines, but residents object to the proposed location and operating hours: Monday to Saturday 8am to midnight and Sundays 10am to 10pm.

Convenor of the Bondi Beach Precinct committee, Lenore Kulakauskas, said: “We have enough liquor outlets here at Bondi Beach. We do not need another one.”

The committee believes the proximity to the beach will harm council efforts to maintain the alcohol-free zones. Ms Kulakauskas said the Precinct committee is strongly opposed to the proposal and is lodging an objection with council.

“It’s hard enough to police as it is. The last thing we need is having young people buying cheap grog, then crossing the road and going to drink it in the park.”

According to Waverley Council’s Community Safety Plan, alcohol free zones are “clearly signposted” but only strictly enforced when “problems have been identified or as part of preventative campaigns such as ‘Safe Summer’.” Residents maintain disruptive behaviour from intoxicated young people continues throughout the year.

Head of Communications for the Coles Group, which owns Liquorland, Jon Church said: “Coles takes its responsibilities as a responsible retailer of alcohol very seriously. The community consultation notification period for this proposed store has just ended and we’re currently reviewing the responses before responding to concerns raised.”

One local resident who contacted The Bondi View said Campbell Parade was already overrun by fast food chains and minimarts, and questioned the need for another “tacky” addition to what he called “the front door to Bondi Beach”.

“I feel, and I’m not alone, that this is not the first impression our community wants to give to the visiting world. It’s more likely to attract more anti-social behaviour on the beach front,” he said.

By Kira Spucys-Tahar

Free valet bike parking was offered at the Sydney Festival’s opening night, on behalf of the City of Sydney. The not-for-profit organisation BIKESydney developed the initiative to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

Prior to the event, Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said: “Up to 200,000 people are expected in Sydney this Saturday for the spectacular opening night of Sydney Festival and we’re encouraging everyone to take advantage of our valet bike parking and bike network.”

“Many of our city’s streets will be given over to pedestrians and bike riders on the night, and parks and public spaces will be filled with creativity and culture,” Ms Moore said.

“Our free valet bike parking in Hyde Park is in the heart of the action and has enough space for up to 300 bikes to be safely stored while their owners enjoy the entertainment.”

The valet parking, located at Hyde Park North on the corner of Park and Elizabeth Sts, saw attendants on site from 1pm until midnight. Patrons were issued claim checks in exchange for their bikes and BIKESydney staff guarded them in a secure corral.

BIKESydney hoped the service would encourage Sydneysiders to rediscover both their bikes and the outdoors, as well as cease driving to and from short distances.

President of BIKESydney, David Borella said: “The parking was an unqualified success by all accounts. There was a great turn out, great participation. People are really starting to get the idea, which is terrific.”

“We parked over 200 bikes in Hyde Park and over 130 in The Domain.

“Everyone knows how terrific it feels to be out and about in the car-free, public spaces of the Sydney Festival events,” he said.

The City Of Sydney council is also developing a 200-kilometre bike network, made up of bike paths including 55 kilometres of separated cycleways.

With bikes increasingly in the news, the City has developed Streetshare, a project aiming to foster harmony on the roads. The project, currently in development, will educate drivers, pedestrians and bike riders in sharing the streets.

“Streetshare is critically important in promoting the change we need to encourage cycling,” Mr Borella said. “Behaviour change is the most important part of it; everybody needs to play well together on our roads.”

Those caring for someone with depression or bipolar disorder are at the forefront of the latest Black Dog Institute Writing Competition.
The eighth annual contest is themed “Walking the Tightrope – Caring for Someone with Depression or Bipolar Disorder”.

Entries from the Australasian region are welcome, with a first prize of $2000 awarded to the best essay.

Essays must focus on the questions of what worked best, what didn’t work and what they learnt through experience.

Black Dog Media Manager, Ian Dose, said: “Most books on depression and bipolar disorder have been written from the outside looking in.”

“’Inside out’ views offer rich information that assists in breaking down their mysteries and their management and are particularly appreciated by general readers,” he said.

“Drawing together perceptions and personal accounts from those who have experienced such mood disorders – whether personally or in this case, as a Carer – allows us to reverse this approach.

“While depression can be very isolating, individuals fighting this private battle are often surrounded by those who love them, with friends, family and colleagues all looking for practical and sensitive ways to show their support.”

The Black Dog Institute Writing Competition has previously explored mood disorders in adolescents and the elderly, postnatal depression and tackling mood disorders in the workplace, as well as mastering depression and bipolar disorder.

An independent judging panel will select the winning entries and announce them in early 2012.

“One in five Australians will experience clinical depression over their lifetime, but this figure doesn’t take into account the families, partners, friends and work colleagues who are also drawn into the crisis,” Mr Dose said.

“Often, it is these people on the perimeter that selflessly reach out to assist those who are living with a mood disorder, offering their time, their acceptance, support and hope.”

The competition will be conducted in association with Carers Australia, Mental Health Carers ARAFMI NSW Inc. and Hunter Institute of Mental Health’s national initiative Partners in Depression.

With the New Year comes an eclectic assortment of art, music and performance at Carriageworks in Redfern.

The creative space has raised the curtain on its 2012 program which includes I Am Eora , a collaboration of Aboriginal artists and musicians, and Sound Kapital, a peek into Beijing’s underground music scene.

Artistic director at Carriageworks, Lisa Havilah said that in forming the program the notion of context was key. Carriageworks’ location within Redfern is important.

“[Redfern] has this strong urban, Aboriginal political history,” she said.

“I really wanted to, in an ongoing way, not only engage with the local Aboriginal community but for the program to engage with contemporary urban Aboriginal Australia.”

The program is not exclusively situated within Redfern.

Ms Havilah said: “The other part of context is that Carriageworks is located in this major international, very multicultural city.”

As an example she cited Sound Kapital, which, she said “is a starting point to develop a contemporary program that reflects the demographic of Sydney.”

The issue of architecture is also significant. Ms Havilah is aware that she is dealing with a large working space, which creates both opportunities and difficulties.

“The third thing is trying to develop or commission projects that respect and respond to the scale of the building.”

Brooke Andrew’s project Travelling Colonies – showing from now to the beginning of March – involves caravans parked throughout the building.

“Those caravans really respond to how big the spaces are,” Ms Havilah said.

The size of the complex brings its own complications. Ms Havilah said it supports artistic ambition but there is also the problem of getting overwhelmed.

“We either have to compete with it or let it win, in a way.”

The 2012 program is one step in the further development of the Carriageworks’ artistic personality.

“As an institution we’re only at the beginning stage. We don’t have a fully formed artistic identity yet,” Ms Havilah said.

Ultimately, she hopes that the program will reflect the audiences’ contemporary experiences, introduce them to differing perspectives and show a different side to Sydney, one that “isn’t a harbor experience; it’s a real urban experience”.

Photo: Li Yu

A street in Surry Hills will sprout three pop-up gardens to facilitate community gatherings and add greenery to its industrial landscape.

Volunteers and organisers will meet on Foster St to plant the first seedlings of the temporary city-funded installation on Monday, January 16.

Sam Crawford Architects, a long-standing tenant on the street, was awarded the project. Director of the firm, Sam Crawford said the aim is make the commercial street more pedestrian friendly. “We want to transform the street from a way to get from A to B to being a destination itself,” he said. The firm dreamt up the project called the Edible Outdoor Rooms. Each garden occupies the area of a car space and will feature planted vegetables and fruit.

The green pockets will feature sections of recycled concrete pipes supplied by Humes, with some doubling as benches. While the idea was conceived by Sam Crawford and his team, Bates Landscape will roll out the installation using a selection of produce-bearing vegetation chosen by Jane Irwin Landscape Architects.

The 14-week trial will rely on volunteers from the neighbourhood to maintain the gardens by hand-watering. “Twenty-five people would be adequate … they would be rostered,” he said. “We need to make sure there’s no rubbish left behind. We will also document the construction, do a photographic survey and also survey the people who use it and get feedback from the community.” If all goes well, Mr Crawford said the project period could be extended.

Foster St has traditionally been dominated by four- to six-storey art deco buildings used for storing bulk goods or as design showrooms. “There are a lot of creative industries in this pocket and it’s a reasonable walk to the nearest park,” the architect said. “Lots of people on the street have no space to hang out and enjoy a cup of coffee.” The street’s width, spanning 12 metres, is ideal for such a project. It is hoped the gardens will invite people who live and work nearby to care for the plants. Construction costs for the vegetable patches are covered by a City of Sydney grant amounting to $20,000. “Essentially it’s going to all the materials, bitumen, soil, plants, sundry items, steel gutter covers, permits, transport costs and traffic control during construction,” Mr Crawford said.

Local chef and Foster St business owner, Hamish Ingham will also host a series of free workshops on the street. The chef of Bar H said he plans to invite people on either Saturday or Sunday mornings to discuss green tips and cooking ideas.

“I would love to see 25-30 people in each session,” he said. “We will have a talk around the gardens and discuss how to look after them.” He will also create a recipe using the plants and invite guests to execute it in the restaurant. “It’s fantastic for the local community. I think everyone should have a little garden in their backyard – everyone should know where their fresh produce is coming from,” Mr Ingham said.

To maintain his own garden of capsicum, Myer lemons, chili, red radish, cucumber and cherry tomatoes, the chef scours the internet for tips. “Orange peel around the plants gets rid of pests, also old coffee grounds.” Foster Street’s Edible Outdoor Rooms will feature strawberries, lettuce, spinach, beetroot, parsley, thyme, rosemary and sage.