Updated on May 26th, 2023

I took the title of this article from someone’s blog on Melbourne Experiences. Once again, my memories got refreshed, and I shared my impressions here. I visited Williamstown Beach a few years back. Despite that, I feel it’s a tale of yesterday. During my stay in Melbourne, it was my favorite place to spend time, whenever I felt to relax my soul and mind. I have seen different moods of nature there, like color-changing horizons, different shapes of clouds, and thundering waves. Quoting someone, I will say, the sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea’.

Williamstown Beach is located where the Yarra River enters Hobsons Bay and Port Phillip in the southwest of Melbourne. They originally developed this beach as an industrial port to serve the needs of those days. Now it is one of the most beautiful beaches around Melbourne with a lot of scenic beauty.

Whether you live near or far from the ocean, river, or lake, hearing the name of the beach makes you full of enthusiasm, and many things come to your mind. I heard one popular saying, ‘If you’re lucky enough to be at the beach…then you’re lucky enough’ Life and nature are always together on the beach. No matter how upset and down you feel, visiting the beach can make you full of life once again. In every drop of water and every blow of breeze, there is a story of life. All this is true for Williamstown Beach as well.

Pleasant weather, clean water, and soft sand make this beach a nice place to spend time. In a few words, I will say that this beach is a fantastic place to be there and, if you like, for immersing yourself in the water with someone you really love. It will give you a wonderful life experience that you will never forget. A feeling of calmness invades your soul, and over time, it goes firmer and deeper in memories.

As a nature lover, here you will get all to make your visit a really memorable moment. The beach is around 550 m long, surrounded by water from three sides. The eastern shoreline comprises foreshore reserves dotted with piers, gardens, and remnants of Williamstown’s maritime history.

If you are not interested in going out and swimming, there is a bar facing the beach, where you can sit and enjoy the sea view. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants as well, where you can enjoy coffee and other things. Ice cream and meal shops will make your trip really enjoyable. The Williamstown Swimming and Surf Life Saving Club, formed in 1922, is at the western end next to the Baths.

During summers, this place remains full of people of all ages enjoying swimming and relaxing in the sun on the sandy beach, whereas during winter days people come here for a walk and enjoy calm and peace to relax their minds. During summer days, you can see people there doing different fun activities. You can plan a picnic with your family and kids. You will find people making sandcastles, playing volleyball, collecting seashells, taking picture shots, relaxing on beach chairs, and making beach tents. Going for a picnic at Williamstown will make another day in paradise.

Williamstown is a 30-minute train journey from Flinders Street Station, the last station on the Williamstown line. Railways station there has two platforms opening on opposite sides, and the beach is just a 5-minute walking distance away from the station.

I read somewhere that you can also reach Williamstown if you catch a ferry from Melbourne. I feel it would be a great journey passing through downtown Melbourne and the Yarra River, finally changing to a broad shipping yard. Ferries from Melbourne’s Southgate Arts & Leisure Precinct take approximately 1 hour.

I wish to have a ferry ride on my next trip to Melbourne. Be sure to make Williamstown Beach your first place to visit when you are in Melbourne and when you go out to explore Melbourne Beaches. I will end this article by saying that Williamstown Beach has everything to refresh your mind, body, and spirit. Keep visiting this outstanding place whenever you get time. I will write more on Melbourne Beaches.

Updated on September 8th, 2024

If you feel a love affair with the sea, sand, salt, and clear water, you will find all these in Melbourne’s bayside city. I got fascinated with the crystal clear water of Melbourne beaches during my recent visit, and my first encounter was with stunning Brighton Beach on 14 June 2010. Coastal Melbourne’s bay-side, touching its Yarra River, has a lot of breathtaking views.

Nobody can describe Melbourne’s ultimate beauty without its beaches. Coastal Melbourne faces Port Phillip Bay, and the city’s closest Melbourne beaches are Albert Park and Middle Park just south of South Melbourne. St Kilda, Elwood, Brighton and Sandringham, Williams Town, and Frankston are other beaches in Melbourne. Melbourne’s beaches have excellent facilities like beachside restaurants, water sports, beach games, surfing, cafes, bars, barbecue, pedestrian pathways, and parking areas.

Driving along the gorgeous Great Ocean Road, you can see the fantastic Port Campbell National Park and the famous Twelve Apostles rocks. Here are some of the most popular beaches in the Melbourne area.

St Kilda Beach

Because of its proximity to the city center, St Kilda Beach is one of the popular beaches in Melbourne. Today St Kilda is the prime tourist destination on one of the most picturesque points of the Bay. Being Melbourne’s most fashionable suburbs, St Kilda is home to the wealthiest people.

In the mid of 20^th century, this area was dominated by prostitutes and drug dealers. The haunt of prostitutes and druggies now has been pushed to some outer parts of the city. I found the shops and eating areas on the busy Fitzroy and Acland Streets. Carlisle Street is the right place if you prefer European delights.

The safe and sandy beaches of St Kilda offer you the best place for many outdoor activities like windsurfing, sailing, kite surfing, rollerblading, beach volleyball, jet-skiing, waterskiing, and sunbathing.

St Kilda Pier is the most famous attraction on St Kilda’s beach. Constructed in 1853, the wooden structure was originally used for loading timbers and other materials. At the end of the pier, the iconic kiosk was built in 1904, which got destroyed in a fire in 2003 but was rebuilt soon. The pier is a popular destination for cycling, roller-skating, strolling, and fishing. At the end of the pier, there is also a ‘ Little Blue Restaurant’ where you can enjoy a fantastic range of foods and local wines.

Brighton Beach

Having the reputation of being the cleanest of the many beaches along Port Phillip Bay, Brighton Beach is near St Kilda. Golden sand and sparkling blue water, and bright, colorful “beach huts” make it a colorful beach. The beach huts, symbolic of Melbourne Australia, and its beach suburbs, command high prices when they come up for sale.

Beach walks, sunbathing, swimming, sightseeing, fishing, and kite surfing are popular activities on this beach. There are a few excellent restaurants around with good beach views, including a café/bar and a restaurant at Middle Brighton Sea Baths. You can also glimpse the city at the end of the beach. Brighton Beach is popular with both locals and tourists visiting the Melbourne area.

Williams Town Beach

Williamstown Beach was my favorite place during my stay in Melbourne. I used to go there whenever I felt like being close to nature. It is at the mouth of Yarra River, where it enters Hobson’s Bay and Port Phillip Bay, southwest of Melbourne city center.

Williamstown has developed from what was a neglected industrialized center into a popular maritime village. Water surrounds Williamstown on three sides. We can enjoy scenic views of the Melbourne skyline from Gem Pier, where cruises on the Yarra River and the bay depart regularly. I wish to go to this place again and again as I feel close to my soul while seeing seashores and changing the colors of the sky.

Torquay: Surfer’s Beach

Any detail about Melbourne beaches can’t be completed if we miss Great Ocean Road and Torquay Beach. At around 105 kilometers in southwest Melbourne, it is a beautiful beach having so many fun-oriented activities you can spend your wonderful picnic. If you are fond of surfing, this is the best place. Even if you can’t go surfing like me, you will certainly enjoy the picturesque views changing every moment as the sun moves.

Because of surfing, it is also known as the Surf Capital Of Australia. Besides surfing, there are so many other options to make your trip enjoyable. So many cafes where you will find delicious eatables. Beer bars are there full of varieties of beers and other drinks. This place is also popular for fishing spots. Torquay is the most rapidly expanding town. Just 22 km from another area named Geelong. Torquay has many businesses and manufacturers of surfboards and surf-related products.

You can coastal walk or bike ride there. There is a 44-kilometer coastal walk, which is certainly not for faint-hearted ones. So many eucalyptus trees surround the beach, making it an amazing place to enjoy your time. There is an information center in Surf Coast Plaza. You can get all information easily if you are going for the first time. Torquay has been a holiday place since the late 19th century as they designed its beaches with grasslands and shady trees where you can sit and watch the movements of the sea. In summer, this place remains overflowing with visitors, especially day-trippers from Geelong and Melbourne.

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