December to January is popular
and very hot, so April to November is great for swimming,
and for scuba diving September to December.
Box jellyfish usually appear in the Oct to May jelly
season, so wear a Lycra 'stinger suit' or wetsuit
and watch out for this deadly jelly blob. It is normally
found in the deep water off Australia’s beaches
so it is mainly only a problem for snorkelers and
divers.
They have breeding grounds around the Barrier Reef
and like warm calm waters, and so north of Rockhampton
are particular danger zones.
Irukandji jellyfish: are a
peanut sized and prefer deep water but can be swept
through anti -stinger nets by the currents.
Blue-ringed octopus are small
but can be fatal, even when it's washed up on the beach
or stuck in a rock pool.
Salt water crocodiles
are a lot more dangerous than sharks and tend to be
found where rivers join the sea, so however much you
are tempted be very careful about swimming in
rivers or from estuary beaches. Freshwater crocodiles
in Australia are not normally a problem, and since they
are eaten by salties too, then if they are about then
salties probably aren't.
Cone shells often host a snail with a poisonous self-protective
needle that can kill any unsuspecting shell collectors.
Stonefish can bury themselves
almost invisible under the sand, and their poisonous
spines are very powerful and can result in hospitalization.
Hot water will disperse the poisons but better still
sand shoes or reef sandals will normally be preventative.
Shark attacks usually happen
because swimmers have been mistaken for tuna or seals
and are quite rare although they do happen.
Don't be put off however, the
Australians aren't! If you keep your eyes open and take
reasonable care you'll have a wonderful holiday.
Most of the popular beaches
have lifeguards, safety flags, warning signs and stinger
or shark nets where necessary. They are there for your
protection so don’t ignore them.
Some of the best spots on Australian Beaches have clubs
who offer good value food and drinks as well as
great views of the coastline and ocean and are usually
open to visitors, so take proof of identity and residence,
a passport and another form of identification with your
name and address on.
Use your common sense and don’t
lie out in the mid day sun. Use a high factor
or total sunblock and a hat. Here are a few of the most
popular beaches
Bells Beach-Victoria
Bells Beach is a well known
surfer's paradise. This is a great resort where experienced
surfers can look forward to swells of up to 6 metres.
Panoramic views of Victoria's coastline can be seen
from here with the town offering good facilities.
Bells Beach is situated around
two hours from Melbourne between Torquay and Anglesea
along the Great Ocean Road. With yellow sandy beaches
and clear blue water Bells Beach is a must for the surfaholic.
This unique and unpolluted beach has huge cliffs and,
in 1973, was named as a Recreation Reserve by the Victoria
state government.
Palm Beach - New South Wales
Situated on Sydney's most northerly edge, Palm
Beach boasts a high concentration of millionaires,
film stars and artists. Take a look around at the mansions
along the coastline or take a dip in the fifty-metre
sea water pool on the edge of the ocean. Palm
Beach is the location for the filming of
the popular television soap, Home and Away and
tourists flock to the area to glimpse at familiar territory.
Beach inspectors patrol on the beach from the school
holidays in September until the Anzac Day weekend (8am-5pm
Non-Daylight Saving, 8am-6pm Daylight Saving). There
are also volunteer lifeguards on duty at weekends and
public holidays. Limited car parking is available.
Airlie Beach - Queensland
Airlie Beach is located on
the east coast of Australia, near to Whitsunday Islands
and the Barrier Reef. One hundred and sixty five small
islands make up the Cumberland Islands, which The Whitsunday
Islands. The islands are blessed with amazing
beaches, crystal clear water and incredible sea life.
Airlie Beach lies on the same meridian as Tahiti
and enjoys the same warm temperatures all year round.
Extensive white beaches are ideal for surfing, diving
or sailing. The is plenty of sea life to discover
including dolphins, and other incredible sea creatures.
Glenelg - South Australia
Glenelg Information Centre
Tourist Information Building,
The Foreshore,
Glenelg,
South Australia.
Ansons Bay -Tasmania
Situated 164 km to the east of Launceston and is within
easy reach of St. Helen by road. In the past it was
Ansons Bay was known as 'The Bay o' Fires'. Famous
as a premier bream fishing resort, Ansons Bay it also
enjoys a great climate for which the East Coast is well
known. Tourists come here in droves during the
holiday season, and good quality homely accommodation
is widely available.
Scarborough Beach - Western Australia
Scarborough Beach is famous for its white sand and
surf beach, said to be the best in the world.
For an idyllic Indian Ocean destination this Perth
beach is the ultimate destination.
Locals know that Scarborough is the best beach in
the Australian state of Western Australia, and is
frequented by the young and beautiful.
There are lots of good hotels in the Scarborough
Beach area, together with a selection of apartments
at reasonable rates. Popular leisure activities in
the area are swimming and surfing, fishing,
windsurfing, skating and cycling.
Scarborough beach has everything in the one place
whether you like peace and quiet, or busy night clubs
and bars. There are a few other beaches nearby including
Trigg Beach 1.4km to the north which has rock pools
and islands and Brighton Beach to the south which
is a topless and nude beach
Dogs are not allowed on the
main beaches although you can walk them from south of
Brighton Beach towards Floreat Beach.
There is lots of car parking and public buses, the 400
and 408 run every 8 minutes in summer time from just
outside of the Perth train station.
The morning is probably the best time on the beaches
when conditions are at their most favorable.
May to November the days are normally sunny and the
water calm and lovely.
Check out the wind surfers, usually on the beach
in the afternoons when the wind gets up a little more,
for free entertainment.
Pebbly Beach - New South Wales
Pebbly Beach is located in Murramarang National Park.
The park has a good range of outdoor activities
which include swimming, surfing, fishing, picnicking
and bushwalking.
The popular local walk to Durras Mountain leads to
stunning views of the nearby coastline and inland
areas.
There is a good camping area
at Pebbly Beach leading on to a great surfing beach
and bushwalks. Facilities include showers, flush toilets,
barbecues and picnic tables.
Campervans are catered for but the site is not suitable
for caravans and booking are essential to avoid disappointment.
City Beach - Perth
Just at 15 drive away from
the city of Perth is City Beach. This is one of
Perth’s most well used beaches and is always popular
with city dwellers.
City Beach is protected
by sand dunes and a car park which separates it from
the West Coast Highway and the local residential areas.
There is a& coastal walk
and cycle way which commence here and go all the way
north to Hillarys Boat Harbour.
Trinity Beach Cairns
Trinity Beach is the place
to be seen in Cairns. This curved beach is protected
between two huge headlands, so all you can’t
see anything from as you lay on the beach except
the beautiful blue water of the Pacific Ocean. Trinity
Beach is very popular with the locals from Cairns and
so has a good selection of take-away eateries,
restaurants, small shopping centres, and accommodation.
The beach has palm trees and lots of picnic tables and
barbeques facilities which are free to use.
To get to Trinity Beach, go
north along the Captain Cook Highway until you get to
the roundabout with signs directing you to Trinity Beach.
Once you get to the beach you can turn left or right
and you'll find car parking all along the beachfront
although there are more parking places on the
north side of the beach.
It is important to not that Trinity Beach has a stinger
nets during the stinger season so when the net
is present only swim inside its protective barriers.
City Beaches - Sydney
The top thirty beaches in Sydney are Avalon, Balmoral,
The Basin, Bilgola, Bondi Beach, Bronte, Camp Cove,
Clifton Gardens, Clovelly, Coogee, Curl Curl, Dee Why,
Fairy Bower, Fishermans Beach, Freshwater, Gordons Bay,
Long Reef, Manly Beach, Maroubra, Narrabeen, Newport
Beach, Obelisk Bay, Palm Beach, Parsley Bay, Seven Shillings
Beach, Shark Bay, Shelly Beach, Tamarama, Watsons Bay,
Whale Beach. Please be aware though that not all
of these beaches are suitable for water sports, some
have been chosen for the scenic value.
More than 70 wonderful beaches
are within easy reach of heart the heart of the
city and therefore Sydney is a magnet for surfers and
beach goers alike. There are famous beaches like Bondi
or Manly, and less well-known golden sandy strips, so
you'll have plenty of beaches to choose from on your
visit to Sydney.
Beaches vary from wide open
ocean sands to tiny coves and bays, but all are clean
and relatively unspoilt.
The most internationally well
known beach of all has to be Bondi, which is only a
few minutes from the Sydney city centre. Its reputation
probably stems more from the people that go there more
than the fine sand or good surf, as topless bathers
and the body beautiful lifesavers adorn the beach area.
But there is more to Australia’s Bondi than the
beach, as there is a strip of cafes and restaurants
that provide welcoming watering holes for visitors.
Further along the coast is
Tamaram Beach, locally called Glamourama, again after
the people who go there to see and be seen.
Clovelly Beach, has a large swimming pool which has
been carved into the adjacent rock, perfect for a
dip should the sea be too rough.
Manly beach is to the north of the Harbour Bridge
and is a long arc of yellow sand framed with Norfolk
Pines which are night shelter for colourful flocks
of lorikeets. The best way to get to Manly's is by
the ferry from Circular Quay, or by the Jetcat which
will get you there in a mere 15 minutes. Shelly
Beach, is a great place for snorkelling where you
can be safe from the waves.
Local buses from Manley go
to the northern beaches of Dee Why, Curl Curl, Narrabeen,
Mona Vale, Newport and Avalon all of which are famous
for their relaxed lifestyle and great surf.
Palm Beach
is another extremely popular beach and is an extensive
and stunning strip of sand framing a golf course
and sand dunes.
Balmoral beach is a great place
to visit with an esplanade of cafes and a couple
of good restaurants, this trendy and picturesque north-shore
area is also a good place to see its resident flock
of sulphur-crested cockatoos.
The
best time for swimming and surfing in the area around
Sydney and the south east coast and the central east coast
around Brisbane and the Gold Coast is generally November
to April. 
