Lines in Bondi Sand between Life Savers

IT'S the height of summer but the situation that's hotting up at Bondi has nothing to do with the balmy weather.
It is understood TV series Bondi Rescue is slowly dividing the two beach patrol groups who patrol Australia's most famous stretch of sand - causing rumour mongering and tensions to sizzle.

Levels of unrest between the volunteer lifesavers and the professional lifeguards who have shot to international fame as the buffed and bronzed heros of the Channel 10 reality show is thought to have begun during the first series, and has reignited since filming on the second series began in early December.

The strained situation on the sand is such that rumours have began circulating suggesting the lifeguards who star in the series are "playing up'' to the cameras in order to spice up the rescue action on screen.

"The animosity has been there since season one - when the cameras are rolling the lifeguards tend to take over a situation in order to be in the centre of scene,'' a volunteer Bondi lifesaver told Confidential.

"Now there are even reports going around that the Bondi Rescue team have been staging situations to further up the drama,'' he said.An insider from Surf Lifesaving NSW - which acts as the representative body for Bondi's volunteer lifesavers - confirmed there had been several reports of rumoured staged events over the past three weeks, but said there was no evidence to back up the claims.

The accusations were vehemently denied by Bondi Rescue's executive producer Nick Murray yesterday. "These guys are professional lifeguards and there is absolutely no way this is the case,'' he said.

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In other news the Australian Surf Life Saving Association is celebrating 100 years, as a former lifesaver myself I am proud to see lifesavers being acknowledged.

Australia's first official surf lifesaving club - the first in the world - was founded at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, in 1906.

There was little need for surf lifesaving clubs much before this time as it was illegal to swim in the surf during daylight hours before 1902. It was seen as immoral, and men and women could only 'bathe' in the early morning and late evening, and never at the same time!

It was anounced today that the New South Wales government will be injecting funds into a redelopment to improve the Bondi club to keep it running for a further 100 years.