Aussie’s have a reputation for being a pretty laid back bunch of people, so hanging out at the beach comes naturally. The Bronzed Aussie is a national icon, being born of way too much time spent surfing, swimming and sunbathing. It probably doesn’t help that the country is an island, surrounded by some of the most pristine beaches on all sides.

Trekking to the beach is almost a religion in Australia, and it’s been that way since the beginning. It took only three months after their arrival for the first settlers to embark on a ‘beach expedition’ back in 1788, and some would say that was too long! Since then there’s been a long history of beach culture in Australia, and with some of the world’s most beautiful beaches lining its shores it’s not hard to see why.

From the days when a top to toe bathing suit was mandatory, to when the first nude beach was opened in 1975, the Aussie beach has seen it all. Nowadays, there’s an endless array of unrestricted beach activities to enjoy. Sunbathing on the white sands of the west coast or surfing the waves of Bells Beach, it doesn’t get much better than this.