Coasting east to south to west

We have family in town this week. Being summer, it means a week of hanging out by the pool and palm trees. The skies are gloriously blue and temperatures have been in the mid-20s (celsius, of course). Perfect.

Kicking back yesterday, and making the most of having extra hands for kid-wrangling in the pool area, I got thinking.

I've never been a fan of sand - I dislike how it gets into everything. It annoys me.

Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia - 2008

Beachgoer? Not me. I've never been a water babe, and yet I appreciate how good it is to be by the ocean. I may not enjoy being in the sand, but I love the salty air. I love the sound of the waves, and I love watching seagulls and pelicans circling for their dinner.

I can't imagine living far away from something which is so essential for wellbeing. I've been incredibly lucky to have always lived in coastal cities, no matter what country we've lived in.

The furthest I've ever lived from the beach was in London, and that's hardly what could be defined as 'inland'. Although - as the Brits refer to it - 'seaside' is a better description for what's on offer there (at least on the south coast). In Brighton, I could never get the hang of sunbathing on jagged rocks and pebbles, and my appreciation of sand grew... just a little, though.

In the spirit of summer, I thought I'd share photos of some of the beaches that have been in my life so far.

Manly, Sydney, Australia - 2005

Brighton, UK - 2003

Santa Monica, California, USA - 2010

Naturally, I'm biased and think that Australian beaches are the loveliest, but...

...how lucky am I?