Beautiful weather today, and the clouds were something else. Sculpture by the Sea is one of my favourite things in Sydney every year, so I went on Sunday, even though Sunday was packed.
The walk runs along the coastal path from Bondi Beach to Tamarama Beach, about two kilometres one way. There’s a bit of distance to cover, but it’s not hard or tiring. It’s a proper seaside walk, and the views are worth seeing every year whether there’s art on it or not.
There are some steps along the way, so wear comfortable shoes. Allow around two hours if you want to stop and take photos, or a bit more if you’re lingering.
What I thought of this year
A few sculptures along the way were good, but honestly that wasn’t the point. What I came for was an early taste of a Sydney summer, with sun and sand. The best of it is at Tamarama Beach, where every piece is worth a photo, and I had a great time taking them. The ones near Bondi Beach I’d just glance at.
The mood this year felt cheerful. Not many heavy works, a lot of the artists seemed to be having fun. My favourite was DREAM_N by Emma Anna, giant Scrabble-style letter tiles sitting on the rocks above the surf, spelling out DREAM with a gap where a letter should be and a lone N at the end. The missing letter is deliberate, it’s in the title. I’m probably biased as someone who likes words, but it’s the one I’d vote for, and the sea behind it does half the work. I’ve read that the tiles light up at twilight too.
The other one I liked was called “Oh”. A few had Chinese elements, and there was a fish with Chinese characters on it that I thought was really cute. One of the figures was well placed too, with the sea filling the gap between its glasses and arm, so the face seemed to change as the colour of the water changed.
Crowds, flies and fewer works
It was very busy on Sunday. Last year there were lots of flies, but this year there weren’t any, thankfully. The one thing I’d mention is that there are noticeably fewer works this year, and a few of them were here last year.
Getting there
You can drive and probably find street parking nearby eventually, but the official advice is public transport, because parking around Bondi and Tamarama is scarce during the exhibition. Take the T4 train to Bondi Junction, then the 333 bus to Bondi Beach. The 333 also runs direct from Circular Quay and Martin Place. When you’ve finished at Tamarama, a 381 bus takes you back to Bondi Junction, so you don’t need to walk back.
Worth it
Free, no booking, and it runs until 2 November. It’s the 30th year, with more than 100 sculptures along the coast, and there’s also a free indoor show, Sculpture Inside, at Marks Park. It deserves more attention than it gets. Blue sky, white clouds, sea, rocks and art all on one of the best coastal walks in the city, and I feel like I get something extra out of it every year.
For more of Sydney in spring, have a look at our best places to see jacaranda in Sydney and our guide to the best museums in Sydney.