Sunday dawned hot and clear at Bondi - not a cloud in the sky, the sun shining as the waves crashed onto the sand.
It was a day made for the beach. By midday, the entire stretch was heaving with thousands of people and the sea was full of swimmers and surfers. Our family of four, on holiday at Bondi Beach, was among them.
As we headed to the beach, crossing on a footbridge from the carpark of Campbell Parade, I noticed people were setting up white tents on the grass next to a children's playground.
A truck arrived, carrying a climbing wall. Later we would learn they were preparing for a Jewish community event, called Chanukah by the Sea, to celebrate the start of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
In the late afternoon, loud upbeat music boomed from the speakers and across the beach. The event had begun. Our family packed up our things at the beach at about 18:00 local time (07:00 GMT) to go back to the holiday home we had rented nearby.
