I’ve only visited Sydney’s Bondi beach a few times and every time I find the visual spectacle of surf, beach and thousands of people quite amazing.

After walking the water’s edge from one end to the other and back again I was reminded just how seriously the surf lifesavers were taking their responsibility. Fortunately we saw no incidents but I can imagine that the combination of Bondi Beach’s attraction to tourists and unfamiliarity with a surf beach’s local conditions could easy lead to tragedy.

All surf lifesavers I noticed had their eyes pealed to the water, from the swimmers playing in the inshore break to those further out. Every one of them had a sense of readiness about them.

As we left I noticed the bronze statue, ‘Surf Life Saver, 1998’, sculpted by Sydney artist Diana Webber and dedicated to the Surf Life Saving Movement recognising the voluntary contribution of surf lifesavers.