Beaches in Australia

A continent with beaches on every side and a different ocean on each. The east faces the Coral and Tasman seas with reef in the north and surf in the south. The west has Ningaloo, where reef meets shore. The north is tidal, remote and seasonal. Around ten thousand beaches have been counted, and most of them have nobody on them. Two things govern almost every visit. Swim between the red and yellow flags, because rip currents cause the great majority of coastal drownings here and the patrolled area moves during the day for that reason. And check the season: marine stingers make northern beaches unswimmable without a suit from roughly November to May, saltwater crocodiles inhabit the northern coast year-round, and the southern beaches are cold. Beaches are public throughout, and the surf lifesaving movement that began at Bondi in 1907 patrols several hundred of them with volunteers. Practicalities: distances between beaches are large, mobile coverage is absent on remote coasts, and national park camping requires booking in most states. Sun exposure here is severe enough that shade and cover are practical necessities rather than preferences.

They spread across seven beach worlds, the largest group being three grand ocean strands. Together they account for 167 km of shore. · computed from the 11 records below