Miss Marmalade, Bondi Junction

"Decaf coffee is like kissing your sister!" The wall, Miss Marmalade

8am, Monday morning. I walk briskly to Bondi Junction station to catch the train to work, an icy wind biting the tip of my nose. At 8 degrees Celsius, my head is down, scarf tightly wound and gloved hands jammed into my pockets. Oxford St is a peripheral blur of sleepy shops, loud buses and early morning commuters. 

 

A warm blast of air and chilled music jolts me out of my determined stride as I pass Miss Marmalade. An oasis of warmth in the Sydney chill, Miss Marmalade is a surprisingly cozy vintage haven, chalk scribbled all over the walls with irreverent quotes amongst the art. The walls may be cheeky but this establishment is clearly serious about its coffee, and appeals to the demand for organic and fair-trade that is flourishing in Bondi but surprisingly scarce in the junction itself. 

I break my mad rush to order a coffee from the dimpled waiter who grins and banters with me while I wait. A laugh, a sensational coffee and a moment of serenity in an otherwise routine trip to work; thanks to Miss Marmalade for a gentle reminder to stop and smell the coffee beans.

 

Bondi boot camp

Pop down to Bondi at 5.45am, and you would be forgiven for thinking you had entered an alternate universe where the gym has hit the beach. Yogis perform downward dog, surfers catch waves, as soft sand runners count laps. Couples walk dogs, as goggled swimmers breast stroke from north to south. Muscled men compete to see who can complete the most pull ups on the outdoor bars, while backpackers doze on the sand in an attempt to recover from the previous night.

There may be a winter chill in the air, but that hasn’t stopped the perky crew at Bottoms Up Fitness and their trademark girly boot camp on the sand. One of only two fitness groups allowed to exercise on the beach itself, the signature red and white of the group’s trainers is a familiarly cheerful sight to locals in the morning.

Providing motivation for heeding an inhumanly early alarm clock, Head Trainer Libby is always ready to greet the “Bottoms” with smiley enthusiasm. With wrenching myself out of bed proving the most challenging part of my ordeal, watching the sun rise over the ocean as we run through a variety of drills is an uplifting reward to kick-start the day.

Tailored specifically to ladies, the Bottoms Up crew provide a series of high intensity workouts that continually keep the body guessing. They recognise that girls have unique goals and physiology, and focus on making the sessions fun to generate a positive association with exercise and fitness.

They mix cardio, movement, boxing and weights with yoga and dance classes, targeting the problem areas of women’s bodies and focusing on health and well being.

With a mission to get us fit and healthy, Libby, Ali, Jay and the crew have found an effective combination of ingredients to encourage exercise during the colder months – fun and different workouts to keep us guessing, spectacular sunrises to make us smile, and constant contagious energy and enthusiasm.

My first early start feels like torture, but after a week of jumping, burpies and boxing on the sand, I’m feeling motivated, energised and ready to join the alternate universe of fitness on the beach!

Read fitness tips from Head Trainer Libby Babet, and the full article at liveeverylastminute.com.au.

Libby is the founder of Bottoms Up! Social Fitness and is a passionate advocate of health, nutrition and fitness. You can read more from Libby and her team at bottomsupfitness.com.au

Mini Coupe & Roadster launch @ Bucket List

Bucket List – the hot new pop up bar that’s quintessentially Bondi…a Hamptons-style combination of funky beats, casual cool and breezy outdoor setting...

Eclectic mix of guests in standard Bondi style, from glamarama girls to boys in boardies…

Colourful deck chairs, cheeky Mini Coupes posing like models, jugs of Pimms & Lemonade...

A fitting location for a car that’s more a commitment to playfulness than a mode of transport

For more pics of the event, visit the Lifeafterfive* facebook page.

Bondi Pavilion Bondi Beach
11am-Midnight every day
http://thebucketlistbondi.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thebucketlistbondi

Guest Post: We all scream for ice cream at Ben & Jerry's Sundae Sessions

Guest post by Amanda Barbera

I used to think a choc-top at Hoyts was a treat. But now I’ve been spoilt - by Ben, and by Jerry.

The Ben & Jerry’s annual “Sundae Sessions” Big Charity Launch, held on 5 February by the Bondi Pavilion, shook up the ‘Sunday night at the movies’ tradition which, up until now, I knew no better than to love.

Gone are the 40 minutes of commercials and yet-to-be classified previews of movies starting sometime next year. Left behind are the rip-off buckets of popcorn, Malteasers & other confectionary you’ll get venomously ‘shhh-ed’ at just to open. And no longer do you need to glaciate in cinema sub-zero temperatures and worry that the person you’ll sit down next to after a bathroom break is not the date you arrived with at all.

Pre-movie entertainment is a festival in itself, with sunset performances by the Winter People, Hungry Kids of Hungary and The Cat Empire perfect choices to get the audience grooving. The vibe was as playful, carefree and fun as, well, a sunny Bondi Sunday afternoon! Maybe it was the sun coming out and the magical beach backdrop; maybe it was the free games & charity prizes. And it’s a sure bet it was the free scoops of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream handed out all evening long. Like the Strawberry Cheesecake? Try Chocolate Fudge Brownie! Demolished Sweet Cream & Cookies? You’ll love New York Super Fudge Chunk. There’s no better way to test every flavour out there than with a licence to keep coming back for more. If you hadn’t realised what the finest, super premium ice-cream tastes like before, you’ll be screaming for the stuff after. 

When it’s time to sit down and watch the inspiring documentary, ‘Life in a Day’, we grab a beanbag, super warm blanket and cocoon under the stars.

And the best part? There’s a story behind every brand and this one’s driven by a social conscience and dedicated activism towards tackling some big global issues. Working alongside ‘Tunes for Change’ and The Cat Empire, the evening raised $20,000 for Australians for Cambodian Education (ACE) to help educate severely disadvantaged children and break the poverty cycle in Cambodia. The proof really is in the ice-cream. 

Johnny Hammond (Ben & Jerry's), Chloe Hamersley and Rich Coombes (Batlow Cider)

It’s another Ben & Jerry’s reminder that ‘capitalism can cure’, and support for the message couldn’t have been easier tonight – EAT YOUR HEART OUT!

Bondi Openair is running from 29 January to 4 March on the Dolphin Lawn next to the Bondi Pavilion.  Ben & Jerry's are hosting Sundae Sessions with free ice cream each Sunday.  The full film schedule can be accessed here.  

Lifeafterfive* attended as a guest of Ben & Jerry's Australia.

Are you a man or a mollusc? Crabbe Hole cafe, Icebergs

“Be a man - not a mollusc” declares a membership rule emblazoned on the wall of Bondi Icebergs, reflecting the tough constitution drawn up by founders in 1929. To become a true Iceberg, one must spend three of four Winter Sundays doing laps of the pool for five years, completing a minimum total of 75 during the period. The individuals overcome races in icy conditions, rough swells and actual ice blocks to achieve the hard-earned, highly sought after membership.

Crabbe Hole cafe

For those of us content with mere mollusc status, the Crabbe Hole café is an oft overlooked Bondi gem that allows enjoyment of billionaire views with top-notch coffee and artisan bread. A blend of poolside casual and Bondi chic, the laidback friendly service and plastic chairs common at any suburban public pool kiosk accompany a menu of Pat and Stick's gourmet ice creams and Sonoma sandwiches. A mirror above the counter reflects the paintbox blue of the ocean pool, framed by rocks and set above the beach. Large yellow umbrellas provide ample respite from the sun, and clientele of every demographic avail themselves of the well-priced yet selectively premium fare.

Perched on the ledge above the pool and below the RSL, one can watch the colourful caps of swimmers traverse the lanes while an equal number of tanned bodies stake prime poolside real estate, clustering on the steps and surrounds to worship the sun while avoiding the sand.

Fig and walnut bread ($5 with jam), a coffee ($3.50) and the Sunday paper may not be a fortuitous beginning for those preparing for five years of Iceberg initiation, but if you’re content to be a mere mollusc, this is a hole in the wall worth a visit.

Mocha $3.50

Fig & Walnut toast $5

Steak Night @ North Bondi RSL

Paulo Coehlo wrote that ‘the simplest things in life are often the most extraordinary’. While it’s a slight stretch from profound musings of an exotic Brazilian author to Wednesday night at the local R’ie (pronounced Aah-rie), it is a reminder that the best experiences can be found in unexpected places.

Packed every Wednesday

Prime balcony tables

A generous steak and chips for eight bucks is a mid-week highlight for locals accustomed to paying what is wryly referred to as the ‘Bondi premium’. Cross the Bondi Rd / Old South Head Rd border to find that rent is higher for pokier rooms, coffee is at least $4 a pop, and if you want non-organic bread for less than $8 a loaf you’ll have to venture out of the bubble. 

Breezy ocean views, readily available tables and a cheesy selection of 80’s pop, the North Bondi RSL Steak night is a treasured tradition of locals, maintaining popularity throughout the summer heat and winter chill. The queue for steaks snakes around the tables as the essential decisions are made by patient queuers. Whether peppercorn or tomato basil, mash or fries, vegies or salad, the steak is decent quality and the delivery is super speedy.

Sal Giblin...very excited about her steak

My steak's bigger than your steak

Punters travel half way across the world to enjoy the five star views, shared with the snazzier North Bondi Italian downstairs. Buzzing with young and old, the plastic chairs and RSL paraphernalia keep the crowd casual as they admire the sunset views. In all their simplicity, combining steak, mates and spectacular sunsets on a hump day can turn out to be surprisingly extraordinary.

Sunday sessions at the grassy knoll

A two piece band assembles in front of the beach as dusk settles, the tide waning in the background. The small patch of grass in North Bondi – known to locals as the grassy knoll – is a kaleidoscope of tanned bodies, tattoos and towels.

Sarongs form makeshift picnic rugs as the uber-chilled crowd mingles in small groups. Batlow ciders, coronas and the occasional jug of home made sangria bolster the festive atmosphere, an extension of the weekend and a celebration of sun and surf. Plates of cheese, berries and dips are arranged with style on paper plates as wine is poured generously into plastic cups. 

Classy (plastic) wine glasses

Skinny Bondi hipsters ogle fake-breasted girls in bikinis, while puppies are the latest accessory (aka makeshift pick up tools) for unshaven surfers. Buff tattooed men flex their muscles as their girlfriends figure out which pose appears most flattering from the pavement. Rows of one speed bikes are parked haphazardly against the railing as trendy locals dismount and stake their exclusive spot on the rapidly filling grass. 

As surfers catch the last waves of the day, an equally trendy but slightly glossier crowd spills out of North Bondi Italian across the road. Havaiianas are traded for wedge heels, heavy duty lip gloss replaces invisible zinc, and ruffled beach hair is created by hairspray instead of salty waves. The deck provides prime sunset viewing while enjoying summery cocktails of freshly squeezed grapefruit and campari and snacking on unshelled peanuts.

Back at the knoll, the guitarist and singer create a Jack Johnson-esque sound, music that floats powerfully over the natural amphitheatre of grass and sand. Dress: sandy feet, oversized sunnies and colourful cozzies, BYO apple ciders and ward off the Sunday blues with the Bondi vibe. Simply another reason not to leave the Bondi bubble.

Loving the Batlow ciders

Fave mode of transport

Puppy pick up attempt appears to be failing

Click here for more photos.

Breakfast on Bondi

Didgeridoos break the silence of Bondi’s early waves, welcoming the dawn as the light grey clouds allow the sun to gingerly peek through.  The majestic music of a 55 piece orchestra floats over the beach. Waves crash and tumble during each timely pause, a heady reminder of the outdoor elements.  Surfers catch the rolling swell as the crescendos of Beethoven’s fifth symphony mesmerise the crowd.

It’s a warm, overcast morning as approximately 5000 people set up their towels, picnics and line up for much needed coffees in anticipation of a spectacular sunrise experience – all before 6am.  A new initiative of the Crave Festival, the Breakfast at Bondi creatively combined Sydney’s love of beaches and brekky in an unusual blend of boardies and bowties.  Sydneysiders were able to embrace the natural beauty of our town while appreciating inspiring musical talent and organic muesli, coffees and muffins.

The Strathfield Symphony Orchestra took us on an arousing journey from Mozart to Beethoven, enjoying the novelty feeling of sand between our toes while listening to the majestic classics.  Between boardies and havaiianas, skateboards and picnic baskets, the atmosphere was festive as Crave director Joanna Savill welcomed the crowd.  While celebrity chef Bill Granger described Sydney as a cross between a city and a resort, Masterchef’s Northern Beaches boy Hayden Quinn roved the beach to spot the best picnic brekkies on offer.

Gabrielle Upton, Bill Granger and Hayden Quinn

Bill Granger signs copies of his new book

Local Bondi institutions such as Katipo, the Fruitologist and Ariel Bookshop catered to early bird demands of fruit salad, coffees and Bill’s latest recipe book.  The moving Pachelbel’s canon – described by the conductor as “the one-hit wonder of the classical world” – had the audience spellbound as the gentle sun started to win over the clouds.

The Breakfast on Bondi was a pertinent reminder of Sydney’s uniquely sensational surrounds, even in the heart of the city.  Forcing one back to the present through artfully executed music, the wafting aroma of coffee and the relaxed beach location, the brekky was a reminder to pause; smell the coffee beans and listen to the waves.

Check out more photos on the Lifeafterfive* facebook page.

Save the whales

http://marinemammalresearch.com/