My Favourite 5 Beaches in Sydney, Australia

You might be aware that I’m not exactly a beach buff or lover, despite doing a “Top 10 beaches” recently. But now and then we all need it and in fact when I lived in Parramatta, Australia I was actually a regular to the beaches of Sydney. For those who love beaches and consider sun bathing to be a cool way to spend an afternoon, Sydney is the place to be because its not just full of beaches; it is full of exquisite beaches – top notch sandy spots. Honestly, if you fit in all the residents of Sydney on its beaches alone, you would still have many stretches of unoccupied sand beaches left. Today I share with you my favourite 5 beaches in Sydney, Australia.

Incidentally if you are on a short trip, there is no way you can visit all the beaches in Sydney, unless you are visiting for a whole month, so if you’re a beach lover simply try and tick off these 5…

1. Bondi Beach

Not only does Bondi have one of the best sand textures in the entire world (some say even better than Hawaii), it also provides a golden opportunity for surfing due to its optimal waves.

 

Not only that, Bondi also offers many dining spots and decent wee pubs for you to quench your hunger and thirst while enjoying the cool breeze coming from the waters. There’s also a seemingly obvious Irish crowd about! I wrote a bit about Bondi here.

2. Clontarf Beach

Clontarf beach could be the most unknown on this list but I loved it. It’s inland so it doesn’t exactly face out to sea towards New Zealand. It’s a cool quiet beach with gorgeous sands. We actually found it by accident the day we toured Manly and it felt like a paradise.

3. Cronulla Beach

Cronulla has to be one of the biggest beaches in all of Sydney, and that is saying something. So if you are looking for a beach which may provide you an opportunity to take a long walk alone or with a special someone, this is the place to be. Just south of Sydney, it is also the only beach to be accessible by train, as the train stops right next to it, which makes it perfect for tourists who don’t wish to use private transportation. I was there with Dan and Neil my two top buddies and we had a cool day out, on my one and only visit to Cronulla – our visit to Cronulla.

4. Manly Beach

Unlike Cronulla, Manly is located in the northern parts of Sydney. You can reach it by ferry from Circular Quay, which is what we did. We also loved the hikes around Manly and the rather elaborate mansion at St. Patricks Estate. There’s also a cool viewpoint up there at North Head which I covered before. Manly is also home to one of the world’s best indoor experiences of marine life in the form of Manly Sea Life Sanctuary, so make sure you add it to your to-do list.

5. Lady Bay Beach

I’ve stuck this one in cos I’m prone to a nudist beach now and then and this was the only one in Australia where I actually got my kit off! Don’t be expecting a load of young blonde Aussie chicks with their tits out though – you’re more likely to bump into an old man with his bits dangling down as he reads the latest Tom Clancy! Take an iPod down and a few beers and get your kit off to relax. I won’t put a naked photo of me here as kids will read this (you can find the saucy photos on other posts). But yeah it’s a good spot down at Lady Bay.

OK so those are my personal top 5, but some other beaches which you can visit are..

Dee Why, Palm, and Mona Vale beaches. These places are not just beaches, but they also host many events all year round and they are a bit less touristy (normally) than the biggies like Manly and Bondi. So make sure you check with the local authorities to see what upcoming events are on the way, and then visit these gorgeous places at designated times to enjoy the events and festival atmosphere. You can also keep tabs via the Global Jet International site who share travel news and regular updates. They’re also on Twitter.

I’m actually off to the beach next week in East Timor so thought it was a good time to post this one, as I haven’t finished my stories on Australia yet!

Safe travels and don’t forget to wear suncream!