‘I reside in Bondi and it all the time felt protected – however yesterday modified every part’

Bondi boasts an unmatched sense of warmth and community spirit.

It’s become a sanctuary for countless people from both nearby and distant shores precisely because of this welcoming atmosphere, yet yesterday that precious feeling was brutally torn away.

The noises that echoed through the streets were absolutely chilling.

Since relocating from England last year, I’d never once doubted my personal security, but the devastating incidents that occurred on my doorstep on Sunday demonstrated that darkness exists in every corner of the world.

Just minutes before the gunfire erupted, the beach was absolutely heaving.

It was a packed summer’s evening with glorious sunshine beaming down.

The streets were absolutely rammed.

I’d nipped down to the beach for a quick swim with my mates and departed around 6.20pm.

During my stroll back home, merely 10 minutes from the shoreline, I observed people enjoying drinks, live bands performing and cheerful faces everywhere.

I fired off a text to my mate saying: “It’s such nice vibes everywhere tonight.”

My following message was frantically checking if she was alright.

What we’ve since discovered is that what we initially assumed were fireworks, like most people living nearby, were actually gunshots.

Within moments, a flood of urgent messages arrived urging everyone to ‘stay inside’.

Then came the sheer terror of frantically checking on every person you care about.

When you’re living far from home, your friends truly become your family.

The minutes that came next turned into a complete haze as I rang and texted all my loved ones who might have been affected whilst simply going about their day.

I feel incredibly fortunate and thankful knowing everyone is unharmed, yet my heart breaks for those who cannot say the same. I immediately rang and texted my family to assure them of my safety before the news reached the UK.

As they started waking up, a deluge of messages poured in, checking in on me. My thoughts were consumed by those who wouldn’t be able to respond to similar questions.

Even from within my flat in south Bondi, sirens were all that could be heard until late into the night. I’ve never experienced such a barrage of helicopters.

Colleagues from my previous job witnessed the horror, taking refuge in kitchens and bins. People out at restaurants and bars scrambled for hiding places.

The discovery of a car packed with explosives only heightened the terror. Everyone is deeply shaken.

This morning, Bondi is in mourning.

Helicopters continue their relentless patrol. It feels unreal and serves as a chilling reminder of how terrifying the world can be.

As the death toll climbs, it’s not just me who feels the pain intensify. The heart-wrenching news that children as young as 10 went to the beach and never returned home is devastating.

No one anticipates a mass shooting happening on their doorstep. No one imagines living in the same area as a terrorist attack.

But above all, no one expects such horrors to unfold in Bondi, a place where people are supposed to feel safe and at ease.

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