Cool off this summer at one of the best city swimming spots

IF it’s hot in the city, you don’t have to travel too far to cool of this summer, with a great range of beaches and swimming holes in our capital cities. Here are some of the best.

Surrounded by ocean, harbour, dams and rivers Sydney is spoilt for choice when it comes to great places to cool off.

If waves are your bag you could spend the entire summer are visit a different surf beach every week. From Cronulla in the south to iconic Bondi (just 7km from the CBD) all the way up to Palm Beach in the north, there are a range of beaches where you can surf or soak up the sun. Sydney Harbour offers some beautiful options too including Camp Cove near South Head, west to Greenwich baths or beautiful Balmoral. Less well known but equally stunning sports include Parsley Bay, Chinaman’s Beach and Forty Baskets Beach. Brisbane’s South Bank is home to Streets Beach, Australia’s only beach in the middle of a city, offering the perfect place to cool off. Sutton’s Beach is also a favourite with families. Redcliffe's only patrolled swimming beach, also has playgrounds, bikeways and toilets. Of course you could always take a day trip north to the Sunshine Coast or south to the Gold Coast and take your pick of the many sparkling surf beaches. Victoria offers a host of fantastic beaches, but when in the capital it is still possible to cool off in Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay. St Kilda is the most famous of the bay beaches and also home to Luna Park and its laughing face. A bit further away and lined with an array of 82 bathing sheds sits Brighton Beach which has enough waves to attract surfers when the wind gets up. Williamstown Beach is small but popular for swimming and sailing alike. Gem Pier is a great place to take in a spectacular view of the Melbourne skyline. Adelaide is known for its churches, close proximity to vineyards and the ability to drive from the city to either the coast or the hills within 20 minutes. On the beach front, Glenelg is the most popular and easy to get to by tram from the city. Have a dip or take a walk down the jetty, have a bite to eat or go shopping, Nearby Brighton also has a pier to walk along and is usually less crowded than Glenelg. A trip to Semaphore is worth it for its perfectly preserved Art Deco buildings. The beach is long, wide and bordered by sand dunes. If you’re up for a longer drive, and some surf, then Port Noarlunga, Christies Beach and Moana are worth a look. Like Sydney, Perth is also blessed with a range or beautiful beaches close to the CBD. Marmion Marine Park is a lovely spot for a morning snorkel or hit the white sand on Sorrento Beach. There is a 35 km coastal bike path if you want to soak up the scenery on two wheels. Scarborough beach is great for surf and body boarding while City Beach is more sheltered a family friendly. Then at the end of the day, Cottesloe is the perfect place for a stroll and to take in sunset over the Indian Ocean. Swimming on the coast in Darwin is not an option given the crocs but you can catch a wave in the safety of the Wave Lagoon. This attraction on the Darwin Waterfront development, is all about families, with two swimming lagoons, smaller pools for toddlers to play in and lifeguards on duty. Grab an inflatable and enjoy the excitement of the wave machine, or relax on a lounger in the shade.

Originally published as Cool off this summer at one of the best city swimming spots