Nicole Kidman celebrates 40th birthday - 18th June 2007
(Credit: The Daily Telegraph)

THERE was no lavish fanfare and the setting was Bondi Beach rather than the Hollywood Hills, but Nicole Kidman got to have her cake and eat it too when she celebrated her 40th birthday on Saturday night.

While her hubby Keith Urban is rumoured to be making a surprise visit Down Under for Kidman's actual birthday on Wednesday, it was a group of close girlfriends who gathered to raise their glasses in celebration of the leading lady's milestone.

Organised by Kidman's little sister Antonia and mum Janelle, 30 of Kidman's nearest and dearest assembled at the Bondi Icebergs to enjoy a sit-down dinner and help the actress blow out the candles on her cake.

Peter Overton's sister Annette – a close friend from Kidman's childhood days – and his wife Jessica Rowe were both included in the celebrations, as was the star's longtime agent and supporter Wendy Day.

The Hollywood star appeared giggly and girlish as she emerged from her party arm-in-arm with Annette Overton, but it was back to business again yesterday as she flew back to the Bowen set of Australia.

And although she's due to be reunited with her rockstar husband, Kidman will mark her 40th birthday hard at work alongside the cast and crew of Baz Lurhmann's epic.

Clearly fabulous, and just a week away from celebrating her one year wedding anniversary with Urban, will life begin at 40 for Australia's best known screen queen?

She seems to think so.

"It feels just right," Kidman said in a recent interview about turning the big four-oh.

"I don't feel what I thought that wretched age was going to be like. I have done a lot of things and it has been full up to this point, especially the past few years, so I am grateful for that."

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