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Monday, 16 July 2012
Bondi Beach, New South Wales
Bondi Beach or Bondi Bay ( /ˈbɒndaɪ/ bon-dy) is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Beach is located 7 km (4 mi) east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council, in the Eastern Suburbs. Bondi, North Bondi and Bondi Junction are neighbouring suburbs.
History
"Bondi" or "Boondi" is an Aboriginal word meaning water breaking over rocks or noise of water breaking over rocks. The Australian Museum records that Bondi means place where a flight of nullas took place.
In 1809, the road builder William Roberts received a grant of land in the area. In 1851, Edward Smith Hall and Francis O'Brien purchased 200 acres (0.81 km2) of the Bondi area that included most of the beach frontage, which was named the "The Bondi Estate." Hall was O'Brien's father-in-law. Between 1855 and 1877 O'Brien purchased his father-in-law's share of the land, renamed the land the "O'Brien Estate," and made the beach and the surrounding land available to the public as a picnic ground and amusement resort. As the beach became increasingly popular, O'Brien threatened to stop public beach access. However, the Municipal Council believed that the Government needed to intervene to make the beach a public reserve. On 9 June 1882, the Bondi Beach became a public beach.
On 6 February 1938, 5 people drowned and over 250 people were rescued or resuscitated after a series of large waves struck the beach and pulled people back into the sea, a day that became known as "Black Sunday"..
Bondi Beach was a working class suburb throughout most of the twentieth century. Following World War II, Bondi Beach and the Eastern Suburbs became home for Jewish migrants from Poland, Russia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Germany, while a steady stream of Jewish immigration continues into the 21st century mainly from South Africa, Russia and Israel, and the area has a number of synagogues, a kosher butcher and the Hakoah Club. The migration funded and drove gentrification of the suburb throughout the 90's into the turn of the century, moving it steadily from its working class roots towards upper/middle class enclave similar to its neighbors of Rose Bay and Bellevue Hill which was listed as the most expensive zip code in the country in 2003, 2004, 2005.
The Local Government Act, Ordinance No. 52 (1935) governed the decency of swimming costumes and was in force between 1935 and 1961, and resulted in public controversy as the two-piece "bikini" became popular after World War II. Waverley Council's beach inspectors, including the legendary Aub Laidlaw, were responsible for enforcing the law and were required to measure the dimensions of swimwear and order offenders against public decency off the beach. While vacationing in Australia during 1951, American movie actress Jean Parker made international headlines when she was escorted off the beach after Laidlaw determined her bikini was too skimpy. The rule became increasingly anachronistic during the 1950s and was replaced in 1961 with one requiring bathers be "clad in a proper and adequate bathing costume", allowing for more subjective judgement of decency. By the 1980s topless bathing had become common at Bondi Beach, especially at the southern end.
Sydney's Water Board maintained an untreated sewage outlet not far from the north end of the beach which was closed in the mid 1990s when a deep water ocean outfall was completed.
The beach
Bondi Beach is about one kilometre long (≈0.6 miles) and receives many visitors throughout the year. Surf Life Saving Australia has given different hazard ratings to Bondi Beach in 2004. While the northern end has been rated a gentle 4 (with 10 as the most hazardous), the southern side is rated as a 7 due to a famous rip current known as the "Backpackers' Express" because of its proximity to the bus stop, and the unwillingness of tourists to walk the length of the beach to safer swimming. The south end of the beach is generally reserved for surfboard riding. Yellow and red flags define safe swimming areas, and visitors are advised to swim between them.
There is an underwater shark net shared, during the summer months, with other beaches along the southern part of the coast. Pods of whales and dolphins have been sighted in the bay during the months of migration. Fairy penguins, while uncommon, are sometimes also seen swimming close to shore or amongst surfers in southern line-up.
In 2007, the Guinness World Record for the largest swimsuit photo shoot was set at Bondi Beach, with 1,010 women wearing bikinis taking part.
Bondi Beach was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2008.
Sport and recreation
Bondi Beach is the end point of the City to Surf Fun Run which is held each year in August. The race attracts over 63,000 entrants who complete the 14 km run from the central business district of Sydney to Bondi Beach. Other annual activities at Bondi Beach include Flickerfest, Australia's premier international short film festival in January, World Environment Day in June, and Sculpture By The Sea in November. In addition to many activities, the Bondi Beach Markets is open every Sunday. Many Irish and British tourists spend Christmas Day at the beach.
An Oceanway connects Bondi to South Head to the north and other beaches to the south up to Coogee.
Bondi Beach hosted the beach volleyball competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics. A temporary 10,000-seat stadium, a much smaller stadium, 2 warm-up courts, and 3 training courts were set up to host the tournament.
Lifesaving clubs
Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club is the world's first surf lifesaving club and North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club is a federation club. Both clubs were founded in 1907. Bondi members invented the surf reel and many other icons of lifesaving. Surf Lifesavers from both clubs were involved in the largest rescue ever on a single day, known as 'Black Sunday'. Bondi holds the most Australian Surf Lifesaving Championship gold medals in R&R (rescue & resuscitation) and North Bondi hold the most gold medals in March Past.
Bondi Icebergs
The Swimming Club's origin dates back to 1929 and owes its origins to the desire of a band of dedicated local lifesavers who wished to maintain their fitness during the winter months. They formed the Bondi Icebergs Winter Swimming Club and drew up a constitution and elected office bearers. Included in the constitution was a rule that to maintain membership it was mandatory that swimmers compete on three Sundays out of four for a period of five years.
The Icebergs became licensed in 1960 and the members moved from a tin shed into comfortable premises with Bar and Poker Machines. A further update took place in the 1970s enabling the Club to operate on two floors. In 1994, female members were admitted and in 2002 the Club opened their new premises.
Commercial area
Bondi Beach has a commercial area along Campbell Parade and adjacent side streets. Bondi Beach features many popular cafes, restaurants and hotels, with spectacular views of the beach.
The Hotel Bondi is a landmark on Campbell Parade. It was built from 1915-1920s and was designed by E.Lindsay Thompson. It combines Italianate, Federation and Free Classical elements and has been described as an "important landmark building in the Bondi Beach townscape." It has a state heritage listing.
The nearby Swiss Grand Hotel is also a landmark development on Campbell Parade, opposite the beach. It was built on the site of an old service station that had been derelict for many years.
Bondi Pavilion is a community cultural centre, located right on Bondi Beach, which features a theatre, gallery, rehearsal, meeting and function rooms, art workshop, studios. Bondi Pavilion is the centre for major festivals performances throughout the year. It has a state heritage listing.
Does your routine life feel like an old broken record that keeps repeating itself over and over again? Imagine a cool sea breeze brushing against your face as you stretch lazily under the umbrella. Change of mood? Take a dip in the bracing water and rejuvenate your senses. Sydney offers you the prospect to break free from the monotonous, stagnant life and live it up a little. Bondi Beach is undeniably the dreamland for beach lover’s out there.
It is situated in the suburb of Bondi, seven km from Sydney. Characterized by stretches of while, sandy beaches and audacious surfing, this trendy coastline is definitely a tourist. It would be unfair to say that Bondi is just a beach; it has much more to offer than the obvious. Tourists from all around the world book cheap flights to Sydney, Australia to experience the enviably breath taking beach of Bondi.
The word Bondi may sound peculiar to many. However the name Bondi derived from an aboriginal word that means ‘surf’. The surfing conditions can differ from clam quiet waves to very big surf able ones, all varying from one day to the other. For the convenience of tourists, precise areas have been marked for swimming board riders and body surfing. Two rock pools are available at the beach’s either ends just in case the surf gets too great for ones enjoyment.
Throw on a casual t-shirt along with flip flops and you are good to go. At Bondi, there is no need to dress up all fancy in order to enjoy the excellent places that feature some of the most magnificent views. Tired of the water? You can find plenty of eateries, great restaurants, happening clubs and pubs. Often hosting exhibitions and entertainment, the Bondi Pavilion is located on the beachfront. This provides a marvelous backdrop as these events continue to entertain the visitors. Roller bladders, skaters and cyclists visit the parkland which lies near the beach. Home to numerous aboriginals, the beach’s northern part holds a handful figure of the rock engravings.
Furthermore, there is a spectacular great coastal walk of about 6km that starts at the beach’s south end, taking in soul stirring ocean sights. All the way to the beach of Coogee, this refreshing stroll allows you to experience a number of comparatively smaller but picturesque beaches. The southern headland coves will surely mesmerize you. All it requires is a lot of patience and a bit of physical work. This arduous journey is without a doubt an enjoyable one. As you reach the entertainment and commercial capital of Australia Coogee, you will have ample of fulfilled choices to engage in or have a tranquil dinner if you wish. There are us services available for those who only want to saunter part of the way, these regular buses will take you back to City or Bondi.
The once sleepy city has now been transformed into an entity that is super- glam. It is one of the preferred destinations for tourists to visit, especially in summer when they can unwind themselves. Also myriad of people visit the Bondi beach to taste an Aussie Christmas essence- an ideal occasion to fest and pamper in merry making. Break the curse of dull, monotonous life and indulge in the captivating sights and sounds of Bondi beach in Sydney.
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. It was established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the United States. The park encompasses 236,381 acres (369.35 sq mi; 956.60 km2) including all of Mount Rainier, a 14,410-foot (4,390 m) stratovolcano. The mountain rises abruptly from the surrounding land with elevations in the park ranging from 1,600 feet (490 m) to over 14,000 feet (4,300 m). The highest point in the Cascade Range, around it are valleys, waterfalls, subalpine wildflower meadows, old growth forest and more than 25 glaciers. The volcano is often shrouded in clouds that dump enormous amounts of rain and snow on the peak every year and hide it from the crowds that head to the park on weekends.
Mount Rainier is circled by the Wonderland Trail and is covered by several glaciers and snowfields totaling some 35 square miles (91 km2). Carbon Glacier is the largest glacier by volume in the continental United States, while Emmons Glacier is the largest glacier by area. About 1.8 million people visit Mount Rainier National Park each year. Mount Rainier is a popular peak for mountain climbing with some 10,000 attempts per year with approximately 50% making it to the summit.
The park contains outstanding subalpine meadows and 91,000 acres (370 km2) of old growth forests.
History
Ninety-seven percent of the park is preserved as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System, including Clearwater Wilderness and Mount Rainier Wilderness, a designation it received in 1988. It is abutted by the Tatoosh Wilderness. The park was designated a National Historic Landmark on 18 February 1997 as a showcase for the National Park Service Rustic style architecture (or parkitecture) of the 1920s and 1930s, exemplified by the Paradise Inn and a masterpiece of early NPS master planning. As an Historic Landmark district, the park was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In January 1, 2012 Park Ranger Margaret Anderson was shot dead at while stopping a vehicle. The suspected assailant Benjamin Colton Barnes fled and hid in the park, prompting the authorities to close the park and launch a manhunt. Barnes' body was found the following day.
Native Americans
The earliest evidence of human activity in the area which is now Mount Rainier National Park is a projectile point dated to circa 4,000-5,800 BP (before present) found along Bench Lake Trail (the first section of Snow Lake Trail).
A more substantial archeological find was a rock shelter near Fryingpan Creek, east of Goat Island Mountain. Hunting artifacts were found in the shelter. The shelter would not have been used all year round. Cultural affinities suggest the site was used by Columbia Plateau Tribes from 1000 to 300 BP.
In 1963 the National Park Service contracted the Washington State University to study Native American use of the Mount Rainier area. Richard D. Daugherty lead an archeological study of the area and concluded that prehistoric humans used the area most heavily between 8000 and 4500 BP. Allan H. Smith interviewed elderly Native Americans and studied ethnographic literature. He found no evidence of permanent habitation in the park area. The park was used for hunting and gathering and for occasional spirit quests. Smith also came to tentative conclusions that the park was divided among five tribes along watershed boundaries; the Nisqually, Puyallup, Muckleshoot, Yakama, and Taidnapam (Upper Cowlitz). Subsequent studies cast doubt on Smith's theory that the tribes had agreed upon boundaries before they entered into treaties with the United States in 1854-55.
Park creation
On March 2, 1899, President William McKinley signed a bill passed by Congress authorizing the creation of Mount Rainier National Park, the nation's fifth national park. It was the first national park created from a national forest. The Pacific Forest Reserve had been created in 1893 and included Mount Rainier. It was enlarged in 1897 and renamed Mount Rainier Forest Reserve. John Muir had visited Mount Rainier in 1888. Muir and nine others, including Edward Sturgis Ingraham, Charles Piper, and P. B. Van Trump, climbed to the summit in what became the fifth recorded ascent. The trip to Mount Rainier had played a role in reinvigorating Muir and convincing him to rededicate his life to the preservation of nature as national parks. At the time national forests, called forest reserves at first, were being created throughout the American West, under the utilitarian "conservation-through-use" view of Gifford Pinchot. Muir was what came to be known as a "preservationist". He wanted nature preserved under the more protected status of national parks. But during the 1890s there was more public support for creating national forests than national parks. During that decade, Muir and his supporters were only able to protect one national forest as a national park. When the Pacific Forest Reserve was created in 1893, Muir quickly persuaded the newly formed Sierra Club to support a movement to protect Rainier as a national park. Other groups soon joined, such as the National Geographic Society and scientific associations wanting Mount Rainier preserved as a place to study volcanism and glaciology. Commercial leaders in Tacoma and Seattle were also in support, as was the Northern Pacific Railway. The effort lasted over five years and involved six different attempts to push a bill through Congress. Congress eventually agreed, but only after acquiring assurances that none of the new park was suitable for farming or mining and that no federal appropriations would be necessary for its management.
2006 flooding
Mount Rainier National Park closed because of extensive flooding as a result of the 6 November 2006 Pineapple Express rainstorm when 18 inches (460 mm) of rain fell in a 36 hour period. Campsites and roads throughout the park were washed away. Power to Paradise and Longmire was disrupted. On 5 May 2007, the park reopened to automobile traffic via State Route 706 at the Nisqually Entrance.
Major attractions
The entire park was designated a National Historic Landmark District on February 18, 1997, in recognition of the consistently high standard of design and preservation the park's National Park Service Rustic-style architecture. The park contains 42 locations designated on the National Register of Historic Places, including four National Historic Landmarks.
Paradise
Paradise (46.79°N 121.74°W) is the name of an area at approximately 5,400 feet (1,600 m) on the south slope of Mount Rainier in the national park. Paradise is the most popular destination for visitors to Mount Rainier National Park. 62% of the over 1.3 million people who visited the park in 2000 went to Paradise. Paradise is the location of the historic Paradise Inn (built 1916), Paradise Guide House (built 1920) and Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center (built 1966; demolished and replaced, 2008). The National Park Service says that "Paradise is the snowiest place on Earth where snowfall is measured regularly." 1,122 inches (93.5 ft, 28.5 m) of snow fell during the winter of 1971/72, setting a world record for that year Subsequently, in the winter of 1998/99, Mount Baker Ski Area received 1140 inches (95 ft, 29 m) Paradise holds the Cascade Range record for most snow on the ground with 367 inches (9.32 m) on 10 March 1956.
Longmire
Longmire (46.75°N 121.81°W) is a visitor center in Mount Rainier National Park, located 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east of the Nisqually Entrance. The area is in the Nisqually River valley at an elevation of 2,761 feet (842 m) between The Ramparts Ridge and the Tatoosh Range. Longmire is surrounded by old-growth Douglas fir, western red cedar and western hemlock.
Longmire is the location of Mount Rainier's National Park Inn, the Longmire Museum, and the 1928 National Park Service Administration Building, which is now a Wilderness Information Center. The National Park Inn is the only accommodation in the park open all year round.
Longmire is the second most popular destination for visitors to Mount Rainier National Park after Paradise. Of the more than 1.3 million people who visited the park in 2000, 38% visited Longmire. The Cougar Rock Campground is about 2 miles (3 km) north west of Longmire. Longmire is one of the starting points of the Wonderland Trail.
Sunrise
Sunrise (46.91°N 121.64°W) is a lodge and visitor center located in the northeastern part of the park. At an elevation of 6,400 feet (1,950 m), it is the highest point in the park that is accessible by vehicle. There are miles of trails located all around Sunrise, such as Mount Fremont and Sourdough Ridge. The lodge is reachable via a 10-mile (16 km) turnoff from SR 410 near the White River entrance.
Other developed areas
Ohanapecosh ( /oʊˈhænəpɨkɔːʃ/) is a campground, visitor center, and ranger station located in the southeastern portion of the park, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from the park boundary off Highway 123. Located in a deep valley among old growth forest at an elevation below 2,000 feet (610 m), it is the only developed area of the park without a view of Mount Rainier. The Ohanapecosh Hot Springs, Grove of the Patriarchs, and Silver Falls are all located in the Ohanapecosh area.
The Carbon River Entrance Station is located in the northwest corner of the park off Highway 165 and is the site of the only rainforest at Mount Rainier. There is a campground and a short trail through the rainforest, as well as a trail to the Carbon Glacier, one of the lowest glaciers in the contiguous United States.
Mowich Lake is the largest and deepest lake in the park, located south of Carbon at the south end of Highway 165. A campground, picnic area, and hiking trail are located near the lake.
The two major roads into the northwest quadrant of the Park were severely damaged by the floods of 2006. The ranger station at the Carbon River entrance is staffed during the summer. No motor vehicles are permitted beyond that point.
Frosted tree on a beautiful clear day in North Northumberland.
Frosted tree on a beautiful clear day in North Northumberland.
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