Locals in Sydney’s east woke up on Wednesday to find some of the city’s most famous beaches and walkways battered and damaged by powerful overnight swells. Beaches such as Bondi, Bronte, Clovelly, and Cronulla were among those worst affected by the 5.5-meter swells. Bondi’s iconic Icebergs pool was particularly hit hard, with some of its glass fences shattered and railings twisted. The wreckage of a water tank washed up on Bondi beach.
Wylie’s baths, located a few suburbs south of Bondi, managed to avoid the worst of the damage thanks to their elevated position. Sam Bebb, the operations manager at Wylie’s baths, reported some broken seating on the pool deck and damage to the fencing but noted they were “lucky” compared to Icebergs.
Waverley council workers wasted no time in removing a large water tank washed up on Bondi beach. Wylie’s has been closed for swimming since Sunday and remained so on Wednesday, along with many eastern beaches. A section of the Cronulla esplanade was cordoned off due to damage from four-meter waves, while brick walls at Bronte buckled under the force of the powerful waves. Bayside council shared photos of extensive damage at Dolls Point, including broken footpaths, fallen debris, and crushed bike lanes.
Several tourist popular beaches in the city’s north, such as Dee Why, were also impacted and remain closed. Despite the hazardous conditions, some adventurous swimmers still braved the rough waters in ocean pools overlooking Cronulla beach on Wednesday morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a hazardous surf warning for the entire New South Wales coast, cautioning against swimming, rock fishing, and boating in affected areas. NSW police advised people to stay out of the water and away from surf-exposed areas. Waves up to 6.3 meters were recorded at the Eden wave buoy on Tuesday morning, with 5.1 meters at Batemans Bay in the afternoon. A 5.9-meter wave was registered at the Port Kembla buoy early on Wednesday morning. The heavy swells were expected to continue for most of the week along the NSW and southern Queensland coasts.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/02/sydney-bondi-swells-waves-beaches-damage
