Frankston Beach Foreshore

by Marylyn (SuperNan)
(Donvale, Melbourne, Australia)

I've lived in Melbourne all my life and visited lots of great southern Victorian beaches over the years. The diverse and ever surprising beaches of Port Phillip and Westernport Bays, the dramatic and invigorating back beaches that overlook Bass Straight and the long open stretches of The 90 Mile Beach.

But I always come back to my favorite of all top beaches, Frankston Beach Foreshore. Frankston is the gateway to the Peninsular, and wow is that a place to visit!

But before you do, it is so much fun to explore this best family beach in Australia because this is what Frankston has to offer and why it's my favourite Australian beach:

• Wide, long open stretches of sandy foreshore. A great safe family beach with firm sandbanks for the toddlers to play on when the tide is out and deep water further out to really get a good, healthy swim in if you are inclined.
• I remember swimming there several years ago and seeing an excited group on the foreshore jumping up and down. There to the side of us were a mother dolphin and her baby calf...what an amazing and privileged experience!
• Long and winding stretches of boardwalks with tea-tree either side and over looking clear cool blue water.
• A great long and recently renovated pier where you can fish for sweet juicy flathead or snorkel the pylons and search out the famous little leafy sea dragon
• Learn how to sail with the Frankston Yacht Club
• Hire a boat and take the family out onto the bay
• You can windsurf from the foreshore or if you like you can skittle board along the shallows
• Enjoy a Picnic on the foreshore grassy areas or set yourself up under the tea tree near the...
• Kids playground area, complete with fairytale castle forts, liberty swing and free BBQ's
• A well stocked and well informed Visitor's centre
• The Sophia's yummy restaurant for alfresco dining or take away F&C's (Fish and Chips). They also have a great icecream selection
• You can launch your own boat for a day out in the bay
• Water ski or jet boat ski out in the deeper waters
• If you like to collect seaglass then this is truly a great place to pick up some wonderful pieces (but don't tell anyone!)
• There is a section that I call seal Rock at the base of Oliver's Hill.

As local legend has it you can sometimes see a huge brown seal lying basking in the sun on these rocks...I am yet to see him though!

If you sit out on this rocky outcrop, on a clear day you can see all the way over to the Melbourne Skyline in front of you and perhaps across to the YouYangs.

I love to drive down on a clear day with my favorite piece of music, a full thermos of hot water for a cuppa and sit out there taking in this special place, Frankston Beach, and all it has to offer.

Watching the sea hawks and cormorants diving for fish, laughing at the seagulls fighting over the bread crusts I have discarded, great relaxing stuff - simple pleasures, that's what life is all about.

These are just some of the great things that I love about my favorite beach, Frankston, oh and there is something else...

It is so easy to get to from Melbourne or any of its surrounding suburbs.

20 minutes down the freeway and I am in heaven, lucky me I say!

Tourist or local, it doesn't matter. Just walk along the boardwalk and I bet that just about everyone you meet will say "Hello", seems that they are a very friendly bunch down there.