Just like last year we went down to Bondi Beach to the Bondi Winter Festival.
It’s a lovely way to spend a cold winter evening, eating yummy (but not particularly healthy) foods, and drinking hot chocolate and gluhwein, and if you’re so inclined you can try your hand at ice-skating, or you can do what we did and watch the ice-skaters fall over! 
Last year the festival was on the grassy hill in front of the beach. This year it was actually on the beach, which made more sense considering that it is flatter, and at night the sand kind of looks like snow. Over all I think this year’s set up was better – flatter, wider pathways etc, but I preferred the alpine hut from last year, and some of the food choices from last year were better in my opinion (I missed the kransky sausage stand this year!)
This year’s alpine hut was brighter and less intimate than last years, but they did have a guy playing an accordion and ‘oompah’ music.
On to the food! This year did see the arrival of the Grill’d Airstream trailer.
The Alpine Hut from the outside.
The stalls selling lovely foody wares.
At the Grill’d trailer we ordered a burger ($10.90) which of course was very nice.
Which was followed by a wonderful pretzel ($3) from King Of Cakes.
And a Bratwurst roll ($8) from Ein Prosit. To be honest I wasn’t too impressed with the bratwurst roll. Caro wanted a bockwurst and I talked her into a bratwurst as we were sharing all our meals – I wish I hadn’t. The bratwurst was a bit bland, and the onions, which should have been nice and sweet were instead very peppery. A shame.
All the happy people skating!
At Mini Pancakes they had a Sydney Harbour Bridge made our of poffertjes. The sign says “Display Only” - I wonder if people had been trying to sample the bridge?
So of course we had to get some poffetjes ($7), which were sprinkled with icing sugar and drizzled with maple syrup. They were very nice!
Of course after seeing a photo of Adam Liaw‘s doughnut in this tweet, I had to get one myself. It was wonderfully soft inside, but it was nowhere as big as I was hoping for! That’s the problem with perspective in photography I guess! In all fairness, it was a big doughnut, just not *that* big! The doughnut came from Devine Doughnuts and cost $4.
Finally we went and got an Apple, cinnamon, cream and caramel sauce waffle from Waffle Bite ($9), which was also very nice! We sat by the ice rink and watched the skaters while we ate our waffle.
Of course a trip to the Winter Festival would not be complete without a hot chocolate with marshmallows ($3.50)
I of course must not forget to thank Lipton for providing free Chai Latte during the Festival, it was much appreciated on the cold evening!
A view from the top of the steps, you can see the Lipton stand, the ice rink and the Alpine hut.
And in the other direction, a barren Bondi beach – it’s only current inhabitants were a large flock of seagulls!
And a view across the road of the Bondi Beach shops.
The Bondi Bergstation Winter Festival continues until 17 July, but if you miss it there’s another one in the city from 22 July – 12 August (which we’re also going to). And if you miss that too, or are not in Sydney, there’ll be one in Melbourne too from 18 August – 4 September.
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