I do like beaches that are close to railway stations, namely because they are easy to get to. Then…read moreagain, they are also easy for everybody else to get to as well. Anyway, another thing I like are beaches near pubs, and this is certainly one of those beaches. When I was here it wasn't all that crowded, which does say something because it was a nice day, and I do rather appreciate those beaches that aren't all that crowded. Yeah, this beach was nice, and even though I never came down here as often as other beaches, I do like it.

What's not to like about a beach in Adelaide? We are spoilt,…read moreno doubt about that! This one has the beautiful white sand and is great for swimming. Just across the road is a fab pub (Seacliff Hotel). In the mornings it's a haven for dog walkers. A few minutes down the road is Jetty Road, Brighton, filled with cafes and a jetty to stroll on. Gets pretty busy in summer (as you'd expect). Beautiful, just beautiful.

Well, yeah, it's a jetty, and you definitely find quite a few of these along the Adelaide coast (if…read morethat is the proper term for it). Look, it used to be cool and all that, especially when I was young and they had the birdman rally, which meant that people would see how far they could get by jumping off the end of the Jetty in some of the most useless contraptions imaginable. However, that was eventually canned, no doubt due to the water here being rather shallow. These days, well, it is just people fishing, and wandering up and back for not particular reason at all.

I was tasked with writing the voice over for a documentary on jetty jumping a few months back. The…read morefocus was on Glenelg jetty jumping (though the film tried to encompass jetty jumping everywhere). My dad and I use to fish at the jetty's zenith. I've never been one for seafood, so we threw all our catches back. We just fished for the fishing. On the day of my graduation my friends and I claimed the shade beneath the jetty as our own and dug a hole in the sand big enough to fit one of our number. We stayed until dark, reflecting and reminiscing. I took a date for a walk along the jetty once. We walked its entire length, and stayed for a time at the end of it, in sentimental, teenage embrace. After it grew cold, we made the walk back, but once we'd reached the sands and found ourselves rejuvenated by the walk, we stopped and turned to make the journey again.

I won't necessarily say that this is a particularly popular beach, namely because it does tend to…read morebe rather quiet when I end up here. However, it was one of those beaches that my friends and I tended to gravitate to on those rather nice summer days that we seem to regularly get down in Adelaide. Well, one of the reasons is that the beach is rather quiet, but it is also quite close to the city as well, meaning that it is a short drive to actually end up here. Okay, there doesn't really seem to be much in the way of facilities round here, but as a beach, yeah, it isn't bad at all.

30/12/2011 It's the day before New Years Eve 2012, and I…read morejust had a long drunk night in the city clubs last night. So what other way to recover from a hangover than to go surfing at West Beach!! LOL Just as I was getting ready for another one of my favourite TV series marathon in the cosy lounge room, I heard my older brother telling to get my ass off the couch and into the car, 'cos the three of us were headed down to West Beach again (we've been here a dozen times before, it's that good!). Everytime we all go there, we love bringing back the old school art of 'Skim Boarding', with one board each. Yes, it's dangerous. But it's oh....sooo fun!! (I don't recommend you try it unless you are sure you know what you're doing, this review is promoting the beach!) I hope I start the New Year without nearly breaking my wrist, lower back or ankle though, so I always stretch up these parts before pretending to be Kelly Slater. I'm always in the zone when I come to this beach. Back to the beach: This beach is normally empty with lots of space, but when there are lots of people, they are quiet, and considerate when they walk past us - which is saying a lot considering that we were too busy being real aggressive with our boards towards the waves. A few do stop and say hello, and start a conversation, appreciating how we were having a good time. The best part? This beach is so fun that several hours are lost being here and you'll head home hungry from all the calories you burnt. I especially love the clean water here, and the occasional hot chicks in bikinis that walk past! *wink* On New Years Eve 2011-2012 tonight, I am exceptionally thankful for my older brothers and cousins for the time we've spent here in West Beach and all the awesome times we had together here! Cheers! To end, here's a summary of this beloved beach... Speechless. West Beach, everytime I leave, I miss you too much or you make me not say anything at all. Heart-pounding, dangerous, breathtaking, pleasurable, bliss, sexy! It's the range of activities that anyone can do here that makes it 5 stars. Apologies for this long review, this beach is really that good. Lucky this didn't turn from a beach to a hospital review.

You know those "beach scenes" in the midday movies or soap tv shows? After visiting Pt Willunga…read morebeach I am now convinced they have all been filmed here. I can't help but pontificate about the ridiculous perfection that SA is lucky enough to have on it's south western coastline. Protected by rugged, undulating cliff faces a long and wide golden sandy beach gives way to quite large waves perfect for surfing and fishing but shallow enough at the beginning to allow kids and dogs plenty of naked frolicking on the shoreline. Put simply, this is the bestest beach in SA. There are 2 toilets near the car park and a restaurant that overlooks the beach (Star of Greece). I didn't notice a canteen whilst here but that may have been further along down south. It is dog leash free, but not too crowded that you feel like you are going to be mauled by an over-excited pup dashing along the sand. The sunrise and sunset reflect off the cliffs to create a gorgeous yellow hue in the warmer months and it's not full of bogans, tourists or anyone really, meaning you can stroll along this too good to be true setting for every romance novel in peace.

This is my favourite beach. I'm not one for flash, busy beaches like Bondi or even Glenelg. I love…read morethe quieter beaches where you can do your own thing without having masses of people everywhere. The beach has a shallow section due to a bit of a sandbar, then in drops off, but this makes it great for families. The little kids can play in the shallows while the big ones can body surf the waves. And we can't forget the most photographed ruins in SA, the old jetty pillions. Head down around sunset and you'll see a mass of photographers all trying to get the perfect shot! Get on down, but keep it secret, can have everyone knowing about this gem ;)

Somerton Beach is a hidden little gem. Situated in between the touristy Glenelg Beach and the…read moreequally as busy, Brighton Beach, it is usually a beach that only the locals and misplaced visitors go to soak up the sun. The beach itself is flat and not too sandy, with the sea in easy walking distance from the steps. There are often beautiful sandscapes as the water ebbs. This often forms little wading pools that are lovely and warm and great for the kids. If you venture off the beaten track to this beach, you will often see the locals just walking down from their houses and meeting their neighbours for a catch up. It has a nice lazy vibe and generally lots of space to spread out and not be bothered by anyone if that is your thing. The Somerton Surf Life Saving club is at the top of the strip and have safe areas to swim between flags on the weekends or in the summer holidays when it is patrolled. There is also a Somerton Sailing club that uses part of this beach on a Saturday. Parking has become a little more difficult since they widened the footpaths. Now you can only park on one side of the street or down the side streets which is still fairly convenient compared to other beaches.

I agree with the reviewer who mentioned that Somerton Beach is a hidden gem ... that's definitely…read moretrue. While the crowds pack Brighton, Seacliff and Glenelg, Somerton is relatively quiet. I work nearby, and there's one thing here that is a definite advantage - lots of bench seating along the Esplanade. Thank you, City of Holdfast Bay! While I'm not a beachy-type person (and hate summer!), I love to walk along the Esplanade and soaking up the fresh air and sea breeze. Grabbing a coffee from the nearby Kiosk at the Somerton Surf Life Saving Club, sitting on one of the benches and staring at the ocean for a while is my idea of a perfect lunch break ;)

oh, look at all the pretty millionaires drinking sunny cocktails on their million dollar luxury…read moreyachts. I like to pick one out, usually the biggest boat, and daydream about what it might be like to actually have the kind of money which enabled me to afford one of those baby's. The Marina pier is the right side of the tracks where glenelg is concerned, some of my favourite restaurants are along here, like Oyster Bar and Sammy's and Zucca... naturally most cost an arm an a leg to actually eat there but the setting is so lovely its worth the money. You should take a stroll through this part of town, makes you feel pretty inside.

I'm with Katie. There is an awful lot of ugly on Jetty Street, but once you're on Marina Pier, it…read moredoes get a fair bit nicer. There's about a dozen restaurants. The ones I've eaten in have been pretty good, thus far. One event that I recommend is the Yum Cha on the Marina, which is on Saturday and Sunday between 11.30am and 3pm. I'm pretty sure you need to book with the restaurant, though, so don't just turn up and expect to eat.

I would say that this is the quieter reserve, but then again I probably could also describe it as…read morethe larger one as well. Yet, I'm not entirely convinced that one could consider it a foreshore reserve, especially since there are now a number of apartments located between it and the beach. Yet, it does have some facilities, including restrooms, and it is also next to the marina as well. It is a shame however that they removed the replica ship.

Wigley Reserve at Glenelg must suffer from the most mis-pronounced name of any park or reserve in…read moreAdelaide. I don't know why but many people insist on calling it Wrigley Reserve. There's actually nothing wriggly about it! It was named after H.R. Wigley who was the Resident Magistrate of Adelaide and a resident of Glenelg back in the 1840's. Mis-pronunciations aside, visit Wigley Reserve any morning around 6 in the morning and you'll find the place a hive of activity. It's a favoured venue for 'bootcamp' training aka people who like to be flogged by a trainer early in the mornings. There's a collection of exercise equipment there that gets plenty of use at other times of the day as well. Located at the end of Anzac Highway and on the corner of Adelphi Terrace, the reserve is on the shore of the Patawalonga right near the river's mouth. The Pat as its known by locals can get a bit stinky at times but this doesn't seem to deter the hive of activity that takes place on the reserve. Over the years its been the venue for events like the start of the Walk to Cure Diabetes, Lance Armstrong's Twitter Ride, and a gathering place for car enthusiasts to name but a few. It is after all a big space and is open for hire to all sorts of people for all sorts of community events.