Life’s a Beach

By Nick Keukenmeester

The majority of Canadians live within 150 kilometres of the U.S. border. The majority of Australians live within 150 kilometres of a beach. Australia does not have the longest coastline in the world. That distinction belongs to Canada, but the nearly twenty-six thousand kilometres we have are pretty special.

For me, growing up in Australia was swimming, playing beach cricket and eating sandwiches that had a healthy seasoning of sand in them. Not all our beaches are pounded with Maui style surf, but the temperature is fine and the water is clear.

Bring a pair of thongs. That means flip-flops to the uninitiated. You will need them as the sand can get really hot. That leads me to what else you might need. A few years back there was a big and very successful ad campaign on the `tele` to promote greater sun care. `Slip, Slop, Slap` was the slogan and all Australians were asked to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. You will notice that most Australians are very respectful of the sun’s ability to burn. As 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers in Australia are skin cancers, you can understand why. The same unique sun that dazzles as it reflects from Australian waters can also harm, so don`t forget the 15+.

The ubiquitous Surf Life Saving Associations are there to keep you safe, so be good and swim between their flags so they can keep an eye on you. With over 400 beaches being patrolled around the country it is easy to find someone to look out for you. The beach at Coogee, six kilometres to the south, is one of my favorites and not very crowded.