Our coast is all about
the freedom and space...
COASTAL LIFESTYLE
...to do whatever you want or nothing at all.
Whoever said “Life’s a beach” must have been referring
to Australia. We gravitate to the coast any chance we
get; it’s part of our love of the great outdoors and
our laid back lifestyle.
Contrary to perception, most of us live around Australia’s coastline within “coo-ee” of the beach. Great sun worshippers, we spend a large part of our time on or near the beach – whether its surfing, walking, picnics, sailing, eating or just sitting on the sand.
Hit the surf or work on your tan, it’s up to you. We’ll put out a towel and save you a spot. Just don’t forget to pack the cossie. Feel the sea breeze on your skin and smell the salt in the air as you ‘Slip, slap, slop’ on the sunscreen and get sand between your toes.
Sip a latte at a beachfront café as you watch the surfers, yachts and sailboarders jostle for position out on the bay and kites flying high above the foreshore. Then jump in and ‘have a go’. Walk barefoot over the beach rocks found at the end of most beaches – a great place to find rock oysters, sand crabs and other delights. Join in a game of volleyball, beach cricket or Frisbee, and learn to ‘bodysurf’ the waves. Or, enjoy fine dining in a sensational coastal restaurant.
Our coastline is also where you’ll get to see our wildlife and interact with native animals such as kangaroos and marine life such as dolphins, whales and sharks. There are places where you can swim with dolphins, see penguins or watch breeding turtles or herons. And you’ll be surprised to find our bush and outback meet the beach along our coast as well.
Some coastal lifestyle facts
• Australia is the world’s only island continent. Its shores are bathed by the Pacific, Indian and Southern Oceans and its waters stretch from the tropics to the Antarctic.
• More than 80% of the Australian population live within 50 km of the coast.
• There are no privately owned beaches in Australia – beaches are public places for all to enjoy.
• Australia is home to several of the world’s leading surf and adventure brands including Rip Curl and Billabong.
• Lifesavers are volunteers who patrol surf beaches. They require surfers to swim between the orange and yellow flags that mark the safest part of the beach, rescue those who get into difficulties, and provide first aid.
• The term “bronzed Aussie” originated in the First World War, and was used to refer to the laconic Australian soldier or “digger”, the laid back character who calls you ‘mate’ and dismisses the most serious problem with a ‘No worries’. Today our beach-loving culture is represented by images such as the bronzed Aussie surfer.
Uniquely Australian
• A myriad of activities await on the coast: from swimming, sailing and boating to surfboard riding, windsurfing, kayaking or beach volleyball. This is the place to soak up the sun and fun with a huge range of exciting pursuits from para-sailing to dune surfing or sandboarding on our coastal sandhills at any number of spots such as Cape le Grand National Park, Port Stephens and Moreton Island.
• Take in the sinking sunset on camel back along Cable Beach, Broome and slip into Broome-time. You might catch a natural phenomenon called ‘the Staircase to the Moon’, a hauntingly beautiful illusion caused by the full moon reflecting on mud flats at extreme low tide or see 130 million year-old dinosaur footprints.
• Learn to hang five or ten. Conquer the balancing act between wave and board in the ideal surfing conditions of Australia’s eastern seaboard at places such as Manly, where there’s a gentle break just off the beach and a local surf school. Or, learn to surf under the stars and moon at Bondi.
• Watch the natives surf at Lucky Bay in Esperance, Western Australia or Pebbly Beach in NSW. On hot days the resident kangaroos of Murramarang National Park near Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast go surfing – hopping and jumping around in the surf to cool off. Now where else in the world can you see that?
• Scuba dive shipwrecks and colourful corals, horseride along windswept beaches, swim with dolphins or catch your first wave on the Mornington Peninsula, 60 minutes drive east of Melbourne. Or just enjoy the region’s golf courses, art galleries, weekend craft markets and wineries.
• Renting a beachfront home is your chance to live like a local. Whether for a couple of days or months, a luxury mansion or a character-filled shack can be your home away from home, just metres from rolling surf and pure sandy beaches with views to die for at places like Newport, Palm Beach and Wombarra.
• Some of the world’s best beach fishing is on your doorstep. Cast a line year-round on the spectacular and aptly-named 75 Mile Beach. If by a miracle the fish aren’t biting, there are always the scenic wonders and tranquillity to enjoy.
• Eat fish and chips at Bondi, one of our most famous beaches, just minutes from the heart of Sydney. Go there to people watch and check out the lifeguards. Dining out in style at Bondi is almost as popular as checking out the waves from one of the cool oceanfront cafes or restaurants.
• Arguably Australia’s most famous beach, Surfers Paradise lives up to its name. If world-class surfing’s not your style, how about a game of beach volleyball, a free guided beach walk accompanied by lifesavers or strolling the golden sands. The views are ever-changing from Gold Coast beachfront apartments, and twilight markets come to life as dusk falls.
• Learn how to be truly laid back at Byron Bay. Famous for its great surfing beaches, Byron is also known for its mix of bohemian chic, alternative lifestyle and hedonistic indulgence.
• South Australia has a number of popular seaside destinations, such as Victor Harbor, where you can whale watch in winter, or take the horse drawn tram to Granite Island or just laze on the beach at Horseshoe Bay.
• Paddle over seagrass beds and coral gardens as you circumnavigate the warm tropical waters off our islands. Or kayak the pristine blue waters off our beaches.
• For those who don’t want to brave the surf or compete with board riders, Sydney’s ocean baths offer safe and sedate bathing. Hewn out of rock, these ocean pools are home to a variety of marine life. There are pools at Clovelly, Bondi, Bronte and Coogee, as well as shark-netted harbour swimming spots at Nielsen Park and Parsley Bay in Vaucluse. In Sydney’s north, there are pools at Palm, Whale, Bilgola, Avalon, Narrabeen and Dee Why beaches. Stokes Bay near Melbourne has fine white sand and a large rock-enclosed pool safe swimming.
• Go fishing for prized barramundi on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory.