Today’s Posts

Colleen O’Neil, Black Cockatoo, NOT NOT’s Bees, Jonathan with the Book, Love, Bondi

Sep 10, 2026

Colleen O’Neil

Colleen is very community-minded. When she was asked by the NBSLSC to write the biographies of its members she didn’t hesitate. That was 250 people she got to know very well.

“Having grown up in between Newcastle Beach and Nobby’s Beach, I have to be near the ocean.
Being an ocean swimmer, my day doesn’t start unless I have a swim. Bronte is really my beach, but as we all know it’s not always swimmable, hence the transition to Bondi. I swim every day, regardless of the weather – unless there is a tsunami!
Bronte and North Bondi Surf Clubs are a big part of my life, and through these two fabulous clubs, I have really become part of the community. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone come out of the surf without a smile - it really sets a great platform for the day.
A small group of nipper parents from Bondi and Bronte Surf Clubs started talking about what we do in winter at the end of the Surf Life Saving season and came up with the idea to meet every Saturday and Sunday morning @ 8am and swim the length of Bondi Beach - this was the beginning of the North Bondi/Bronte Winter Swim group (NBSW). This is now all year round and is followed by coffee and great chats. The NBSW has been going for over 20 years, and some amazing friendships have been formed.
All I can say if you want a great start to your day come to Bondi and have a swim. There is always someone there to have a chat to and you will always learn something.”

Black Cockatoo

This was very exciting. Our part of the street in North Bondi is usually over run by Indian myna birds but yesterday there were three native yellow-tailed black cockatoos feeding on the seeds of the local banksias.

Thanks Sarah K for alerting us to this magnificence.