Full website coming soon
Bronte to Bondi · Independent · Fortnightly

The full picture, from the beach to your inbox.

What's happening, what it means, and which places are worth your time. A calm letter every second Thursday. First issue: early November.

No spam · Unsubscribe any time · Privacy

1,000+

locals signed up and counting

@brontelocal

Turquoise surf below a headland with houses

White-fenced path down to the ocean pool and beach

Cliffs and houses along the coast at dusk

Silhouette leaping from the rocks at sunset

Beach at sunset below a headland of apartments

The news

What's happening, and what it means

Checked against council and organiser pages. Updated 16 October 2026. Every item links to its source.

Cliffs and houses along the Bondi coast at dusk

The Lead · On now

Sculpture by the Sea turns 30

The free outdoor exhibition opened on Friday 16 October and runs until Monday 2 November. This year it's a 2km sculpture park along the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk, with 100 works by artists from 14 countries, 30 of them showing here for the first time.

FreeNo tickets or bookings

16 Oct to 2 NovBondi to Tamarama walk

Weekdays, earlyQuietest time to go

More than 450,000 visitors are expected over the 18 days, so the walk is crowded at peak times, roughly 11am to 3pm. Free artist talks run from 10am to 3pm on 17, 18, 24, 25 and 31 October, and 1 November.

Sources: Sculpture by the Sea · sydney.com · Arts Review · Sydney Travel Guide (artist talks, best times)

The Lead · Bronte Pool

One more summer at the pool

Waverley Council has pushed Stage 2 of the Bronte Ocean Pool upgrade back to March 2027, to avoid the warmer months. The pool stays open in the meantime.

NowPool open

Nov 2026 – Jan 2027No construction works

Early Mar 2027Stage 2 closure begins

Council says it will notify the community again in early 2027, with details of the works and how long the pool will be closed. Stage 3 (stairs, paths, safety barriers) follows Stage 2.

Source: Waverley Council, Have Your Say

Coming up

Bondi to Bronte turns 25, a month early

One-off move to Sunday 8 November. Swimmers finish at Bronte, so expect closed streets and a packed beach around the finish.

Event page

Good to know

Pool cleaning is every Wednesday

Closed for four hours before low tide, from 5am or 10am depending on the tide. Check the gate sign if you're travelling for a swim.

Waverley schedule

Weather and water

Before you go down

Forecast for Bronte, with swell and sea temperature for the nearby coast.

Next five days

Right now

Wind
Gusts
UV index
Feels like
Rain chance today

TidesSydney (Fort Denison)

Today

Sydney Harbour times. The open coast at Bronte runs a few minutes different, and weather can shift real tides. Check the pool gate and Bronte SLSC flags for conditions.

Tide predictions: Sydney (Fort Denison). Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, Bureau of Meteorology. The Bureau of Meteorology gives no representation or warranty of any kind whether express, implied, statutory or otherwise in respect to the availability, accuracy, currency, completeness, quality, reliability or suitability of the information or that the information will be fit for any particular purpose or will not infringe any third party Intellectual Property rights. The Bureau's liability for any loss, damage, cost or expense resulting from use of, or reliance on, the information is entirely excluded.

Get the first issue.

The lead story, one photo essay, one place we love, and what's coming up. About seven minutes. Forward it to a neighbour.

Join free →

Optional text alerts for the rare time-sensitive update. You choose after signing up.

The full website, with news, weather and a local directory, is coming soon. Join now to hear first.