For Sydney fbi/< far from Bondi, there's now the riverside Pondf

It's a boon for many residents who live in sprawling inland suburbs far from the Australian coast, and may pave the way for more such beaches across the city's riverways.

- Jonathan Pearlman

Sydney is a city that revolves around its beaches, ranging from famous surf beaches such as Bondi and Manly that attract millions of locals and tourists each year to little-known gentle harbourside coves.

Yet most of the city's 5.2 million residents live far from the coast in sprawling inland suburbs that often have limited access to the beach, due to long and costly transport that can seem all too difficult on a hot summer's day.

But this could be about to change.

In 2023, Sydney opened its newest beach - a 700m man-made stretch of sand at a river in Penrith, a suburb in the city's west more than 60km from Bondi. And there are hopes that the beach, nicknamed "Pondi", may pave the way for a new series of beaches across Sydney's various riverways.

A report titled Our Rivers, released in September by Business Western Sydney, a business advocacy group, has proposed that up to 22 river beaches could be developed - a move that would transform life for the growing population of western Sydney.

The beach in Penrith was built at a cost of A$1.7 million (S$1.5 million) on a quiet spot that was formerly a quarry on a lake alongside the Nepean River.

During the summer, access was free, with 700 car spots as well as a free shuttle to ferry beachgoers from the nearby train station. The water was noticeably warmer than that at the city's coastal beaches, and the bird life consisted mainly of geese rather than seagulls, but the beach proved to be popular, attracting more than 215,000 people.

"I went there the other day. So peaceful," remarked a commenter on Tik Tok.

Another joked: "Well, there are no sharks."

One of the visitors was Mr Alex Forwell, a 34-year-old business owner who lives west of Sydney and far from the coastal beaches for which the city is famous.