Things to do in Bondi

No Lights No Lycra

There are no nightclubs at Bondi Beach, but on Monday night at around 8.30pm you’d be forgiven for thinking there was a secret, sweaty rave taking place at the Pavilion as hundreds of drenched, red-faced partygoers emerge from the Seagull Room on the second floor. It’s a weekly ritual for locals who want to work up a sweat after work and shake off that feeling of always being on show (an ailment particular to those who live in a suburb of beautiful people). This is No Lights No Lycra – the weekly, one-hour dance class that takes place in the dark. And we mean dark! It’s pitch black in the room. Our arms are stretched out in front of us so we don’t collide with another dancer. “It is dark enough that people lose their inhibitions,” says Ash Maher, one of the founders of NLNL Sydney. “We tape the blinds to the wall, especially in summer. And we’re going to start bringing black tape because even people’s FitBits give off light.” Maher and her friend Jodie Fisher started running NLNL classes in Newtown four years ago, and their Bondi nights around two-and-a-half years ago. On the night we visited they played a bit of Kylie, Destiny’s Child, the Presets, DJ Sammy and Kanye. “The darkness allows people to lose themselves. When it’s dark, you’re anyone in there!” EJ Ò Bondi Pavilion (Seagull Room), Queen Elizabeth Dr, Bondi Beach 2026. nolightsnolycra.com. Mon 7.30-8.30pm. $7.

Yoga by the Sea

“If you spot a dolphin during class your next session is free of charge,” says Sasha Hawley, founder and teacher at Bondi’s Yoga by the Sea, on a Sunday morning. Hawley’s offer gets a giggle from the locals and tourists trying to hold their balance in tree pose as they squint into the morning sun and focus on the horizon – but she’s totally serious. “We see so many! We like to keep the students’ eyeline on the ocean. It’s been proven to relax the brain waves and it helps nurture the practice.” Hawley has been practising yoga for 15 years. Her roster of teachers varies from those who use chants to open and close the class to those who describe the medical benefits of each posture. “We get a lot of people with aches and pains, injuries, and pregnant and postnatal ladies. We’ve taught professional sports teams like the Roosters, the NSW cricket team, soccer FC, and even Australia’s Next Top Models down here. Everyone comes for a different reason but essentially what they find is a sense of balance, physically and emotionally, and a sense that they’ve re-harmonised with nature.” The Icebergs crowd tends to include travellers and locals who enjoy being out in the sun. During the winter months (when you’re likely to spot whales out at sea) they get more mums with their kids (under tens come for free). “It’s a lot of people who don’t mind sharing the space. That’s what Bondi is all about – sharing the waves, the beach, the cafés – thankfully, it’s big enough to fit us all.” ■ EJ Ò1 Notts Ave, Bondi 2026. www. yogabythesea.com.au. $18 for a casual class; $7 additional Icebergs entry fee (includes access to the pool).