Beach sights in Pacific
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Great Ocean Road
This is one of the world's most spectacular coastal drives, especially between Anglesea and Apollo Bay. Contrasting the fabulous surfer-style beaches is the lush green of the Otway Ranges, the dramatic limestone cliffs of Port Campbell and the pretty and fashionable town of Lorne.
The incredible Great Ocean Road (B100) cuts its breathtaking path from Torquay to Warrnambool, every fresh twist and turn inspiring passengers to exclaim 'Oh!', and frustrated drivers to say, 'What? What's it look like?'. The stunning stretch of road attracts seven million snap-happy visitors annually and is one of the world's most spectacular coastal drives, especially between Anglesea and…
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Baie des Citrons
A popular tourist beach, more sheltered than Anse Vata.
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St Kilda Foreshore
There are palm-fringed promenades, a parkland strand and a long stretch of sand. Still, don't expect Bondi or Noosa. St Kilda's seaside appeal is more Brighton, England than Baywatch, despite 20-odd years of glitzy development. And that's the way Melburnians like it; a certain depth of character and an all-weather charm, with wild days on the bay providing for spectacular cloudscapes and terse little waves, as well as the more predictable sparkling blue of summer.
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Tamarama Beach
Surrounded by high cliffs, Tamarama has a deep tongue of sand with just 80m of shoreline. Diminutive, yes, but ever-present rips make Tamarama the most dangerous patrolled beach in New South Wales; it’s often closed to swimmers.
When it earned its nickname ‘Glamarama’ in the '80s, Tamarama was probably Sydney’s gayest beach. Reflecting increasing acceptance, the gay guys have migrated en masse to North Bondi, leaving the huge waves here to the surfers. It’s hard to picture now, but between 1887 and 1911 a roller coaster looped out over the water as part of an amusement park.
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Bronte Beach
A winning family-oriented beach hemmed in by sandstone cliffs and a grassy park, Bronte lays claims to the title of the oldest surf lifesaving club in the world (1903). Contrary to popular belief, the beach is named after Lord Nelson, who doubled as the Duke of Bronte (a place in Sicily), and not the famous literary sorority. There’s a kiosk and a changing room attached to the surf club, and outdoor seating near the coin-operated barbecues.
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Cronulla
Cronulla is a beachy surf suburb south of Botany Bay, it’s looong surf beach stretching beyond the dunes to the Botany Bay refineries. It’s an edgy place, with dingy fish-and-chip shops, insomnious teens and a ragged sense of impending ‘something’, which in 2005 erupted into racial violence. The ’70s cult novel Puberty Blues captured the local teen scene.
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Beaches
Up the coast, the beach options are varied and less crowded with fun beach breaks for surfing at Coledale and Bulli beaches and reef breaks at Sharkies (also at Coledale) and Headlands.
While Sharkies Beach is something of a misnomer in light of the minimal risk of meeting a finned friend here, surfers have occasionally come face to face with the odd humpback whale surfacing close to shore.
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Cairns Foreshore Promenade
The undisputed highlight of the Cairns Foreshore Promenade is the 4800-sq-m saltwater swimming lagoon, a feat in landscape architecture bringing the beach-cum-swimming experience to the heart of the city. Fitness enthusiasts blade, cycle or just walk the 3km Esplanade Walking Trail, and travellers meander lazily up and down the Esplanade, popping into restaurants and shops until the wee hours.
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Arno Atoll
Arno, with 133 islands, is the closest atoll to Majuro, just 14.5km (9mi) away and the only one served by regular public boats. The Longar area in Arno is famous for its 'love school' where young women were once taught how to perfect their sexual techniques. The waters off Longar Point are known for superb deep-sea fishing, where yellowfin tuna, marlin, mahi-mahi and sailfish abound.
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Mañagaha Island
Mañagaha is an old patch reef that geological forces lifted above sea level 10,000 years ago. It's now covered with a fringing white-sand beach and has Saipan's best snorkelling. The clear surrounding waters have lots of colourful tropical fish and abundant coral, although much of the near-shore coral shows signs of being trampled on.
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Kuendu Beach
The water is shallow and you have to wade quite a way out to swim. Around the small headland is a marine reserve that is a great spot for snorkelling. You can either swim there from the beach or continue up the dirt road past the beach. From the top of the small rise there is a path leading down to the headland.
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Ofu Beach
Ofu island's crown jewel is the beach along the south coast - 4km (2.5mi) of shining, palm-fringed white sand. The offshore waters are deep enough for some excellent viewing of coral and tropical fish. Almost 300 species of fish have been identified and the reef is believed to contain about 150 species of coral.
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Obyan Beach
Obyan Beach is a pretty white-sand beach with calm waters protected by Naftan Point. The expansive beach is good for snorkelling. At the head of the parking area is a large WWII concrete bunker and just inland from a grove of coconut trees are the remains of eight latte stones dating back to 1500 BC.
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Ritidian Point
At the northernmost tip of Guam is Ritidian Point, a national wildlife refuge and the site of one of Guam's most pristine sandy beaches. On weekdays the beach is gorgeously empty except for a few stray fishermen, while on weekends it fills with families and picnickers.
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Palm Beach
Long, lovely Palm Beach is a meniscus of bliss, famous as the setting for cheesy TV soap Home & Away. The 1881 Barrenjoey Lighthouse punctuates the northern tip of the headland in an annexe of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. You’ll need some decent shoes for the steep 20-minute hike (no toilets!), but the views across Pittwater are worth the effort. On Sundays short tours run every half-hour from 11am to 3pm; no need to book ahead.
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Whale Beach
Sleepy Whale Beach is underrated – a paradisaical slice of deep, orange sand flanked by steep cliffs; good for surfers and families.
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Giles Baths
If you’ve got kids, shark-paranoia, or surf isn’t your thing, Sydney’s blessed with a string of 40 man-made ocean pools up and down the coast, most of them free. At Coogee Beach’s northern end below Dolphin Point, Giles Baths is what’s known as a ‘bogey hole’ – a semiformal rock pool open to the surging surf.
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Mamanuca Group
The Mamanucas are movie stars, Fiji's glittering jet set, forever photographed, and valued more for their natural beauty than any contribution they make to the national culture. Many of the 20-or-so islands take day-trippers from the mainland, who gorge themselves on buffets washed down with chilled Fiji Bitter, and sunbake on white sand beneath coconut palms.
The ocean around the islands has some excellent dive sites and Fiji's gnarliest surf spots. The snorkelling here is generally fantastic with the clear waters offering fascinating windows into the undersea world. Judging from the activities nights in most of the resorts, the Mamanucas are the crab-racing capital of…
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Tami Islands
Tami Islands are an idyllic collection of four coral atolls and every bit the South Sea cliché you could hope for - white sandy beaches, friendly locals, coconut palms and good snorkelling with none of the pesky western intrusions such as electricity, shops, food and reliable transport.
Tami Islanders are renowned carvers and you'll most certainly be shown the famous Tami Island bowls, although it is possible to purchase these on the mainland at Malasiga, a village recently settled by the Islanders. Enquire around Dregerhafen for boat departure times to the islands - market days are best. Unless you charter, plan to stay the night.
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Rangiroa
Rangiroa, in the Tuamotu Archipelago, is the second-biggest atoll in the world, behind Kwajalein in Micronesia. It measures 75km (46.6mi) by 25km (15.5mi) and is the most populated island in the archipelago. Its lagoon is more like a vast inland sea and dry land exists as a narrow chain of sandy motu (islets) encircling this huge waterway.
Divers come to Rangiroa from all over the world; the lagoon's configuration and tide movements cause powerful currents that they 'surf'. The lagoon is also home to a great abundance of diverse marine life. Pearl farming and mother-of-pearl production are important to the local economy.
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headland
There's a pleasant two-hour walk around the headland, but carry water and sun protection. People in the villages here don't get a lot of tourists or even a lot of local passers-by so be respectful as you enter an area and seek approval before moving on. There's good snorkelling offshore and the beaches are sensational, but ask before stripping down and plunging in.
Another good walk is west along the beach from the airport. After 40 minutes you come to a limestone headland draped with vines - wade around it to the beautiful beach on the other side. There's a rusting Japanese landing barge just offshore.
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Coogee Beach
Bondi without the glitz and the posers, Coogee (locals pronounce the double o as in the word ‘took’) has a deep sweep of sand, historic ocean baths and plenty of green space for barbecues and frisbee hurling. Between World Wars, Coogee had an English-style pier, with a 1400-seat theatre and a 600-seat ballroom…until the surf took it.
Offshore, compromising the surf here a little, is craggy Wedding Cake Island, immortalised in a surf-guitar instrumental by Midnight Oil.
At Coogee Beach’s northern end below Dolphin Point, Giles Baths is what’s known as a ‘bogey hole’ – a semiformal rock pool open to the surging surf. At the beach’s southern end, Ross Jones…
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Clovelly Beach
It might seem odd, but this concrete-edged ocean channel is a great place to swim, sunbathe and snorkel. It’s safe for the kids, and despite the swell surging into the inlet, underwater visibility is great. A beloved friendly grouper fish lived here for many years until he was speared by a tourist. Bring your goggles, but don’t go killing anything…
On the other side of the car park is the entrance to the Gordons Bay Underwater Nature Trail, a 500m underwater chain guiding divers past reefs, sand flats and kelp forests.
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Ela Beach
On the southern side of Town is the long, sandy stretch of Ela Beach. The beachfront promenade is a popular walk during the day, though the sands are not full of sunbathers these days. Even locals perceive this area as potentially unsafe. If you do swim here, you'll attract a lot of attention, but the biggest threat may be the shallow water, thick seaweed and black, spiny and painful sea urchins - you might prefer to take to the waters at your hotel swimming pool.
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Laura
If the heady pace of Marshall Island life is getting too much take a very pleasant drive along the palm-lined road to Laura. Found at the far western end of Majuro, Laura is famed for its quiet beaches. Pick up a picnic and spend the day lolling on the gorgeous white-sand beach and snorkelling on the shallow reef, it shouldn't be too painful.
Like all Marshallese land it's privately owned, but it's open to the public for a small fee per person.
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