Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach Walk

Bondi Beach

The North Head. 

Thomas Friedman, the author of The World is Flat, describes Globalization 1.0 as “the dynamic force driving the process of global integration was how much brawn … your country had and how creatively you could deploy it” (Friedman, 9).  Australia is a country born of this global trade (or Globalization 1.0) due to the large coal industries.

At our orientation session, Russ told us that Australia has the 14^th largest economy in the world, despite its small population of 22 million.  This is largely because of its trading position with China and Japan.  These two countries are consuming Australia’s coal much quicker than the mines can extract it from the ground.

In an article from The Atlantic, the authors assert that instead of the world being flat, the world is actually spiky.  In particular, there has been a movement of the population from the rural areas to the urban regions.  This is especially true in Australia, where nearly 90 percent of the population lives in urban areas.  Valleys in this spiky world are at a disadvantage because they are too far removed from the peak regions.

A view of Sydney during the walk from Coogee to Bondi. 

The highlight of Wednesday’s activities included a walk from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach.  The coastal and city views were astonishing.  While at the beach, I noticed that the beach-goers were mostly young, eclectic, and fashionable in the under-40 age group.  Of course there were young and old alike, but most of the beach-goers were in this age range.

The beach-goers were of every nationality and ethnicity.  To the best of my knowledge, there were many Asians, English, and Indians.  It is very hard to distinguish a tourist from a local Australian because Australia is a true melting pot with its relatively small population.  An obvious distinction is that the locals are much tanner than the tourists and are less susceptible to sunburn.

In Sharp’s Culture Shock Australia, he describes the stereotypes of Australians.  One stereotype is “The Great Suburban Bore,” which says that anyone who thinks of themselves as sophisticated, exciting, and glamorous will think Australians are boring and dull.  I found this stereotype to be false because of my observations on the beach and on the walk from Coogee and Bondi.  Most people seemed quite fashionable and were enjoying themselves.  There was a care-free and relaxed atmosphere and everybody was having fun.

Friedman also describes Globalization 3.0 in The World is Flat.  Globalization 3.0 is “the newfound power for individuals to collaborate and compete globally” (Friedman, 10).  The trip to Bondi beach is evidence of Globalization 3.0 because many of the beach-goers were on cell phones, showing they were all connected to each other.