Summer may be warming the children of the north at this time of year, but it is a very different story here by Bondi Beach in New South Wales, where a chilly winter has the local Catholics in its gloomy grip. Thousands still head to the beach even in the winter, but not to the water, where just a few degrees separate comfort from discomfort and the need for a wetsuit. I try to reassure visitors that being eaten by a shark is highly unlikely, but can’t be completely discounted and they quail ever so slightly. Such is the price we pay for our quality of life.