Handbags at dawn on the beach?

[Diane]

Ooh looks like someone got a bit competitive....

 

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/travel/waves-of-fury-we-will-fight-them-on-the-beaches/story-e6freexc-1226587756276

[Anne B]

As far as I'm concerned a beach is a beach. It is a geographical feature. We love them for different reasons - the temperature of the water doesn't necessarily matter. I remember going to a very beautiful deserted beach in Portugal once when I was a child, but after about 10 minutes we were hot, there was no shade, there were no toilets, no facilities and we were getting buzzed by insects!! Just because a beach is in Australia doesn't make it automatically better than a beach in the UK. There are many beautiful beaches here, and in the UK, and in Asia, the Caribbean, all over the world etc etc etc.

 

As for favourites, in the UK I love Croyde in North Devon. Lots of happy holiday memories. Here in Australia? Long Beach at Robe is lovely, also the beach on the Gold Coast.

[Diane]

I think Horseshoe Bay is hard to beat, but some of the beaches (I've seen in pictures!) off the west coast of Scotland look amazing. Also it depends what you are looking for from a beach - rolling waves look stunning and are great fun for adults and teenagers, but scary for toddlers or parents of toddlers... Sand is great - but sandflies are horrible! Some coral beaches in the South Pacific look absolutely idyllic..but go without your reef shoes and you quickly regret it!

[Guest Xhako]

Indeed, indeed, I think it's a thing of personal taste, I love Cala Pi in Majorca, my favourite beach in the whole world, a typical mediterranean cove type beach with cliffs either side and a crappy beach bar, the point it that I have the best memories of being there, a perfect beach is a very personal thing by the sounds of things.

[wizzywozza]

Personally I love Worthing beach with its 2 foot high piles of stinking seaweed in the height of summer, random clumps of tar from god knows what, murky grey sea, rolling cold sea fogs, and bloody great knobbly flint stones ............... yes. I really do. I spent most of my formative years down the beach there and absolutely loved every minute!

[Lily Rainbow]

I recently visited Bournemouth and wow,its a great beach!Was abit annoyed actually reading the article,when the journo mentioned "Our miserable beaches"???Whats so miserable about them?I've been to lots of beaches around the world and my favourite one is not known by many people (and I'm keeping it secret for that reason lol)but its in South India,and nowhere near Goa!I like Middleton Beach (near Vic Harbour)quite alot.

[zebedee]

Kynance Cove down at the Lizard in Cornwall is stunning..........heck, most of the Cornish coastline is pretty amazing......just covered in mist half the year!

[DougM]

Ok, Ok, Ok. So you all have your favourite beach. What makes it so much better for you? Traveling around S.A. I have seen spectacular ones, even had them all to myself and the missus. But which one is my favourite one..... Hmmm......don't know, don't care.

So back to the question. What makes one sooo special.

 

Nice clean sand for starters. Can't remember where but there's one that has 'singing' sand. That means that the unique shape of the sand granules make a particular sound as you walk on it.(Just remembered, it's on Wilsons Promontory in Victoria.)

No Dog Poo

No cars on beach.

Faces North for maximum sun, or west for romantic evenings (sunsets)

Large enough not to have 'immediate' neighbours.

Preferably with some palm trees or such to provide shade if needed.....but......no ants in residence.

Gentle slope to the waters edge. Nothing worse than climbing a hill of sand to find your towels etc.

Gentle slope into deeper waters so that the water actually stays reasonable clear at all times. Not good for surfing but who cares, not a surfer.

No sudden drop off where one can quickly find ones out of their depth (not a strong swimmer)

A point of interest such as boats, jetty or reef like at Port Noarlunga. Nice to be able to watch other people doing their thing.

 

That will do for starters. Any takers?

[wizzywozza]

I 100% agree with Doug re the no cars on beach thing ............. the quickest way to spoil a beach is to allow traffic on it.

[Guest cazzie]

Kynance Cove is absolutely stunning! I also love the cove beaches in Majorce and here, I think Maslin Beach looks gorgeous. I also love Goolwa beach but I don't like the cars passing by - cars and beaches? Not for me.