On the 333

Rituals: Bondi Summers

I spent the weekend gurneying — a Paddington ritual in early spring to blast the winter moss from sun-starved pavers. After hours of labour, it was a beautiful 24C Sunday afternoon, the kids were occupied, so I decided to catch the 333 from Oxford St to North Bondi to get in the ocean and let the salty water cleanse me of millions of minute mould particles.

The double bendy bus was packed. It was chaos. The driver spent the whole trip yelling at passengers. People entering had the doors closed on them as they got on.

I can normally handle the zoo that is Bondi on a beautiful warm Sunday. If you put the blinkers on, you can have a swim and enjoy a piece of paradise, even if 40,000 others are there.

But this day, it wasn’t a zoo, it was Animal House. Restaurants, cafés, bars, ice-cream shops, the lot, were jammed. Muscle men were strutting around the exercise equipment near North Bondi Surf Club. Hippies were practising fire dancing, presumably before a trip to Byron.

Sitting on the hill near the North Bondi RSL was not an option. First, there wasn’t a spare blade of grass, second, I wasn’t vaping and third, I don’t have tattoos.

The beach and water were lovely — and the only place the blinkers worked. My wife was picking me up at 4.30pm so I headed to the roundabout in front of North Bondi Fish. People and cars were everywhere. I sat on the wall, watching people hassling others to leave their car spaces.

To my left, I noticed a dog exit the stairs that come down the hill toward the roundabout near North Bondi Fish. It was a lovely little grey terrier. I immediately thought: “That dog’s off its lead.” I got off the wall, worried about the dog. But it headed toward the beach over the crossing and I thought he’d be OK. I saw no owner.

In that moment, an SUV rolled very slowly over the crossing. It wouldn’t have been travelling 10km per hour. Nice and slow.

What happened next was like in slow motion — yet it happened so fast. The dog propped, and turned around, looking for its owner. It went straight under the front right and rear wheels.

There is no way the driver saw it. I screamed out. The dog lay paralysed on the crossing. It couldn’t move. The driver pulled over. Stunned people tried to help. The owner appeared with the lead around his neck. He went to the dog momentarily, but then went with an angry strut to abuse the driver.

Staff from North Bondi Fish brought out towels to wrap the dog. He was carried away, but he was gone.

Days later, I can’t wipe this scene from my head. That poor little dog who’d never done anything but love life. How could that owner have had his dog off leash on a day like that? I went to Bondi to feel good. And left feeling rotten. And angry. About stupid people and the selfishness of some who can’t responsibly share such a magnificent natural beauty.

At the very least, please keep your dog on its lead.