There are more than 1,100 islands scattered across the Maldives, and today we got to hang out on one all by ourselves.
The Maldives might just have the bluest water on the planet. We’ve been here a few days now, and it still doesn’t look real. These tiny islands are a bit of a geological freak. They’re the exposed tops of ancient coral reefs that have been growing on sinking volcanoes for tens of millions of years. […]
Eugene Tan (::Uge) started taking photos when he was nine. He’s a self taught tinkerer, a constant experimenter and a relentless documenter who likes to shoot unassisted, mainly at sunrise. If conditions permit you’ll find :: Uge swimming with his camera or dangling out of helicopters, …constantly hunting for new angles on his favourite subjects.
Photography is a way for him to explore his first love, the beach. And since he lives at the beach, that means documenting his home, Bondi. He’s a beach bum. Most of the time he’s either on the beach shooting, digging holes in the sand with his kids or in the line up. And because :: Uge and his family live smack bang in the middle of Bondi, a stone’s throw from his Aquabumps Gallery, you’ll rarely find him further than 300 metres from the shoreline. Close enough to catch those magic Bondi moments when they happen, with his camera, his board or both.
Aquabumps started in 1999 back when the internet was brand new and social media didn’t even have a name. It began as a hobby … a photo a day from the beach emailed to mates. It grew organically. Twenty years later Aquabumps’ photographs are now seen by hundreds of thousands of people, daily.
The best of :: Uge’s work hangs in the Aquabumps Gallery 64 Hall Street Bondi Beach NSW 2026 Telephone 02 9130 7788 Australia. Yes, they can be shipped globally.
There are more than 1,100 islands scattered across the Maldives, and today we had one all to ourselves.
No villas. No jet skis. No beach club. Just four of us, a handful of hermit crabs and water so clear it looked like someone had turned the ocean into a giant swimming pool. (Okay, they packed us a few Waygu steaks just in case...ha!)
It’s hard to explain just how clean this place is. Not a piece of rubbish in sight, only powder-white coral sand and every shade of blue imaginable.
📍Remote island, Laamu Atoll, Maldives.
@sixsenseslaamu
The Maldives might just have the bluest water on the planet. We’ve been here a few days now, and it still doesn’t look real.
These tiny islands are a bit of a geological freak. They’re the exposed tops of ancient coral reefs that have been growing on sinking volcanoes for tens of millions of years. It’s one of the best examples of this anywhere on Earth. Whatever happened down there, we’re glad it did. This is our third surf season here in a row, and we keep coming back.
Surf season runs from April to October. They call it the monsoon, or wet season (Hulhangu), but we’ve jagged immaculate sunshine every day and fun, clean 2–3 foot peelers.
We’re down in Laamu Atoll, a 65-minute seaplane flight south of Malé. It’s well off the tourist trail. Apart from the odd surf charter, there aren’t many people in the water.
The water colour blows my mind every single time. The seabed is bright white coral sand, the lagoons are shallow and crystal clear, and the tides breathe through the Maldives’ 26 atolls, creating some pretty serious currents. Get your tide wrong and the surf can be a very different experience.
We’re staying at uber luxurious @sixsenseslaamu, the main resort down here – funnily enough, the island is full of Aussies and kids on hols. Yes, we’ve taken it over… 90% frothing skippies, bouncing around this tiny 800-metre-long island (that’s smaller than Bondi Beach). Thanks to the crew at @tropisurf for getting us into a few fun ones.
: : Uge
Bawah Reserve only opened in 2018, but it’s unlike any resort I’ve visited. The entire place was built by hand. No heavy machinery was allowed on the islands, so every stone, timber beam and roof panel was brought in by boat and carefully assembled to minimise the impact on this pristine little corner of Indonesia.
They call them tents, but don’t picture camping. These are beautifully crafted canvas villas with timber floors, oversized decks and views across the lagoon that’ll keep you lingering over your morning coffee.
There’s not a wave within cooee, but I haven’t missed surfing once. Between snorkelling over healthy coral, paddling across crystal-clear lagoons, watching reef sharks cruise beneath the jetty and the obligatory daily massage, there are worse ways to spend a week.
The water? It’s every shade of blue imaginable. Twenty-nine degrees too. Not a bad place to escape an Australian winter.
@bawahreserve
Indonesia is home to more than 17,000 islands, and plenty of them are beautiful. But this little cluster of six islands, Bawah Reserve, is something special. It’s ridiculously easy to reach from Singapore—just hop on a seaplane and, within an hour, you’ve traded skyscrapers and concrete for turquoise lagoons, untouched jungle and one of the most spectacular tropical wildernesses you’ll find anywhere. @bawahreserve @elyseecollective
With Bondi serving up white shark sightings, flat waves and a rainy winter forecast, we skipped town for the tropics.
Welcome to Singapore 🇸🇬 (Singapura – the Lion City).
We’re staying at the beautiful @mettsingapore, a brand-new hotel inside a lovingly restored 1926 heritage building, surrounded by the lush greenery of Fort Canning Park. Hard to believe you’re right in the middle of one of the world’s busiest cities.
Six million people live on this tiny island, yet it somehow feels incredibly green. The water’s 31°C, the air’s 33°C, the food is outrageous, and Indonesia’s legendary surf breaks are only a short flight away.
Not a bad place to thaw out from a Bondi winter.
📍 @mettsingapore
#Singapore #VisitSingapore #FortCanning #METTSingapore #ad @lamobistrodelmaresg @canningbarandlouge Fitness & Wellness @madisonhousesg The Longevity Suite @longevitysuitesingapore
Three mornings. Three shark sightings.
The @dronesharkapp Guardian in the sky has spotted another white shark cruising North Bondi at sunrise. This one seems pretty comfortable around the bay, hanging where the water’s clear and the fish are plentiful.
Makes you wonder... were they always coming this close and we just never knew? (I’ve been flying drones and in Helis for two decades now and filmed one shark in that whole time - but I don’t go chasing)
Either way, I’m giving the ocean a miss for now. The tropics are calling.
These photos are a little reminder of the good times around Bondi.
Also, our EOFY complimentary size upgrade finishes June 30. Buy a 95cm framed Shadowbox artwork and we’ll upgrade you to the 125cm version — a $500 saving. Last few days.
And finally... posts may be a little intermittent over the next couple of weeks. I’m swapping winter, cold water and sharks for a bit of tropical warmth.
See you on the other side.
On Monday I had a bit cut off my face, and the doc’s instructions were simple: stay out of the ocean for a while.
Normally I’d chuck a wobbly. I’m in the water almost every day. But this week? I’m strangely OK with it. There’s some unsettling stuff happening out there.
For the second day in a row, our conscientious @dronesharkapp Dude spotted a great white entering Bondi Bay at dawn, raising the alarm. Good work, mate.
I’ve never seen a white shark in the bay in my 27 years of documenting Bondi. Now we’ve had two… in two days. What?!
After what happened at Coogee, it certainly gets your attention.
I also noticed a huge pod of fish off South Bondi today, and the water temperature has dropped to 18°C. I’ve since learned that’s just the sort of temperature the pointers like.
The waves looked so tempting this morning too. Clean, 2–3 foot peelers. In the past, the siren would sound, everyone would paddle in for 15 minutes, then quietly head straight back out. Not this time. The lifeguards have been actively keeping people out of the water, and for once, no one seems keen to push their luck.
So yet again, Bondi finds itself in unprecedented times.
Be safe out there.
:: uge
The shark alarm sounded at 7:05am at Bondi this morning. Within minutes, the lifeguards were on the rescue ski clearing everyone out of the water after spotting a white shark cruising close to shore.
Pretty scary stuff. One of my boys was out there at the time, and the shark came in close. It makes you appreciate just how many eyes we have on the water these days. Lifeguards, drones, helicopters and locals all play their part.
Needless to say, the waves looked very good (head high)… but you won’t find any surfers in today’s photos. They all bailed.
There’s a slight onshore breeze on it now, adding a bit of texture, but I’d be heading to a south-facing beach (minus the shark alarm), and I reckon you’ll find plenty of surfing joy today.
Feels like yesterday we were dodging summer crowds. Now we’re talking about the shortest days of the year. June 30 is only a week away, which means our complimentary EOFY size upgrade finishes then too. Want to know more? You’d be mad not to take us up on this one. Mad.
:: uge
Big chunk in between Tamarama and Bondi
Ice bath
Cave women braving the cold
Speed Demon at North Bronte
Front row seats for sunrise
After the shark alarm completely empty lineup with Head high peelers
Feathering sets at Bronte
The famous boggy hole
Shark alarm or not not getting out
Where?
Session change at bogey hole
Cliffe bashes
Bronte Camera club
7 am LIFEGUARDS cleared the water as a white shark entered the bay
Signs up
Buy a 95 × 70 cm framed artwork from us at $1,000 and we’ll upgrade it to the 125 × 91 cm — normally $1,500. The bigger frame, on us. End midnight June 30 Sydney time.
Nice to wake up in Bondi and finally see some waves worth talking about.
It was fresh though. My phone reckoned 10°C, but with the wind chill it felt more like 8. The late sunrise and winter bite kept Bondi unusually sleepy this morning.
A little pulse of south swell has delivered fun chest-high waves, with the odd bigger set. SSW winds around 10 knots are keeping things clean enough.
We’ve got sunshine today and tomorrow before showers arrive Wednesday and rain on Thursday. Wednesday morning is looking especially cold as winter settles in properly.
Speaking of timing...
For the next 8 days we’re running one of the best offers we’ve ever had in the gallery.
Buy any 95 cm framed Shadowbox artwork for $1,000 and we’ll upgrade it to the 125 cm version, normally $1,500, at no extra cost.
The last time we sold 125 cm artworks for $1,000 was about 20 years ago. It’s a bit like Messina putting yesterday’s prices back on the menu.
The offer is available worldwide. Simply add any 125 cm Shadowbox artwork to your cart and the discount is applied automatically at checkout.
Shop the Bondi Collection via the link in bio.
One more thing...
If you’re in real estate, business, or simply want to perform better at work and life, my good mate @mattgriggs is hosting a live event.
Master your mindset. Elevate your performance.
Matt and three industry leaders will share practical tools to help you thrive, both professionally and personally. Follow @mattgriggs for details, or head to The Nature of Success for tickets.
:: uge
It’s so dark in the mornings. We’re only two days off the winter solstice, basically the darkest mornings of the year. Makes it hard to get anything done before skirting off to work, don’t ya reckon?
No matter, because there are NO WAVES today. I’m calling it. Uncontestable.
Good to see the ambitious Scots surf team still out there, optimistically hunting. Love the commitment.
The run clubs were up early too, and in force. @harrysbondi , Sydney Run Club and plenty more, all pounding the pavement in the dark.
Tomorrow, the original run club – Knoxy’s @the_440 Run Club celebrates its 10th birthday, which is an incredible achievement. Everyone knows Knoxy around here. If you’re keen, rock up to the Bronte Cutting at 5 am tomorrow; everyone is welcome. The plan is 10 laps to celebrate 10 years.
Oh, and I nearly forgot…
Today we’ve launched our Pay Small, Get Big EOFY offer at the Aquabumps Gallery.
Buy any 95 × 70 cm framed Shadowbox artwork and we’ll upgrade you, complimentary, to the 125 × 91 cm size. Same artwork, much bigger impact. Let’s face it, art almost always looks better bigger.
The offer is available worldwide. We ship to 47 countries (standard shipping rates apply though) and it finishes at midnight, Sydney time, Tuesday 30 June 2026. Absolutely no exceptions… not even if we’re related.
If that isn’t enough to fill those boring white walls, I give up.
:: uge
P.S. expect a bump in swell later tonight.
It’s one of those flat, grey winter mornings where the ocean has hit pause. If the waves aren’t giving you much today, maybe it’s time to bring the beach inside.
Until midnight, June 30, we’re upgrading every framed Small Shadowbox artwork to the next size up, complimentary.
Buy a 95 × 70 cm (or 70 × 95 cm portrait) framed artwork, and we’ll make it a 125 × 91 cm (or 91 × 125 cm portrait) instead.
Same price. Bigger impact. That’s a $500 saving on every artwork.
Simply choose the larger size on our website, add it to your cart, and the discount is applied automatically at checkout.
Limited to five artworks per order.
Offer ends 11:59pm AEST, Tuesday June 30.
Flat ocean. Full walls.
:: uge
P.S. This promo is global! We ship to 47 countries.
