Hoorah! It’s officially Summer! The BOM might not quite be reporting it yet but sunny skies are on the horizon (🤞). We’ve done some digging (and built some sandcastles) to find the most amazing beaches, right on your doorstep here in Melbourne. So if you’re looking for somewhere a little different to spend the Christmas holidays or New Year’s Eve then hopefully this pick of Victorian beaches will help you celebrate with friends and family.
Better than Bell’s beach
Wait to read this and visit before you judge us for saying this! We luuurrvvve Patrick Swayze too and there’s no replacing that movie, but Thirteenth Beach at Barwon Heads is really where you feel the authentic surf life experience.
Just west of Barwon Heads, on the Bellarine Peninsula, this stretch of sand has rockpools, off-lead areas for your dog and water that is perfect for swimming in. We’ve sampled the local fish and chips and they’re not bad either!
The name: Thirteenth Beach, comes from the fact that the beach is right next to the thirteenth hole of the Barwon Heads Golf Course. It’s an excellent surf spot and also awesome for long walks along the 4.5km shoreline.
So pack your bucket and spade, load up your surfboard and frisbee and (furry) friends along with a bunch of your Jumbo Hammamas for a few hours of fun.
Find it just off Thirteenth Beach Rd, near the Barwon Heads Golf Club.
Black Rock Rush
Thirteenth beach is part of a 7km stretch of beach that ends at Black Rock; where you’ll find Half Moon Bay.
It’s one of the smaller beaches on our list, but makes up for it with points for beauty and fun.
It’s mostly a boating marina and relatively unspoilt. Taking or hiring a bike means you can meandre along with bike path at the top of the cliffs which also gives you a really good view down into Half Moon Bay.
The Southern corner is a good swimming spot and the northern bars ideal for a surf. You can fish off the pier, swim laps in the deep water or just sunbathe on your favourite Hammamas Turkish cotton beach towel.
In the bay you’ll see the National Heritage-listed HMVS Cerberus, which was scuttled to create a breakwater. If you’re feeling adventurous then you can swim or raft out to the rusted shipwreck.
Find it just off Beach Road at Black Rock.
Family fun outside the city
Ssshhhhhh. Tideways is a great family favourite (in fact where one of the Hammamas team girls got engaged 💑) if you’re heading a little further out of the city.
We think this is one of the best beaches in Melbourne, and definitely a favourite in Sorrento. It’s safe for swimming and a great spot for a little bit of beach cricket. You may even catch a few dolphins playing nearby in the late afternoon.
Jawbone Marine Sanctuary
A kilometre away from the main beach in Williamstown you’ll find Jawbone Marine Sanctuary – where all your Christmas-related-beach wishes will come true! It’s the closest marine sanctuary to Melbourne’s CBD, but that doesn’t mean you compromise on the experience. Jellyfish, banjo sharks and sea stars are amongst the underwater elite that we’ve spotted on these shores. Kids love the tidal pools which they’ll share with limpets, snails and crabs. And if that doesn’t convince you then let’s us drop in this stat: there’s actually a whopping 30ha of protected waters.
The old favourite
This one will appear anytime you search for a famous beach in Melbourne so we knew we couldn’t write a blog on Melbourne beaches and NOT include St Kilda. It’s a great spot for some Stand Up Paddle boarding out and under the Pier where you’ll get a pretty good view back towards the city. If you’re there at sunset, you might spot a penguin (or 12) as they head out to catch their dinner! They hide under the rocks along the Pier during the day but look hard and you will see them. This is also a popular spot for kitesurfing and then when you’re tired of all the sand; head over to the equally famous Luna Park for an adrenaline rush with the kids.
Share your best beaches with us on Instagram – we would love to see what you get up to over the holiday season.
Whether beach, pool or garden party for your festive celebrations; we wish you festive cheer and summer vibes from all of the Hammamas team x
The production story behind our Turkish cotton beach towels
As consumers, we expect companies to care about the environment; and with us, it’s no different. Our passions are what motivate us to be more environmentally conscious and act on these beliefs when choosing what products to buy.
As a business, we also have a responsibility for our impact; so we wrote this article to share the sourcing and production journey of our Turkish cotton towels with you.
Here’s the Q&A with our Hammamas Team
- Where is the cotton that you use for the beach towels sourced from?
We source the cotton for our Hammamas bath towels from Turkey. It is known for producing some of the highest quality cotton products in the world. If you’ve read our previous blog then you’ll know why: Turkish cotton has extra long fibres (or threads) which are dense. Using longer cotton fibre also means fewer joins, which results in stronger and smoother cotton threads.
- Where are the towels made?
Hammamas are made in the Denizli region of Southern Turkey. This part of the Aegean Region is well known in the textile industry and is home to one of our favourite areas – Pamukkale.
- Who makes them? How long does it take?
Hammamas has enjoyed a very successful relationship with its principal supplier in Turkey since its inception over 11 years ago. Over 500,000 people are using our towels throughout Australia, the UK, New Zealand and other parts of the world.
- What’s so special about the production process?
The indigenous name for the traditional Turkish cotton towel is Peshtemal. Their origin dates back centuries. Whilst the production process has evolved over time, to this day it still has many similarities and characteristics with its past production methods. At the centre of the process remains the village cooperative structures which has become a major economic driver and forms an important part of rural Turkish life.
- How do you ensure that the environment is looked after and that production is sustainable?
Turkey is blessed with natural environmental conditions suited to growing cotton on a major scale.The use of certified non-toxic dyes also ensures Hammamas products are both of the highest quality and safe for everyone to enjoy.
- Are you planning on changing anything in the future?
Tastes, styles and colours change over time. We’ll continue to adapt to these changing trends so that we always develop products that our customers love; delivered at a price point that represent true value for money.
- Why are Hammamas so much better than other towels?
Since the very beginning, we’ve stood for high standards – in everything we do. Building strong relationships with our partners in Turkey, ensuring unwavering quality testing processes means that hundreds of thousands of people around the world trust us to provide really great quality products that they can enjoy for a long time.
- What else don’t we know that might surprise us?
Our Hammamas Groove range is made from left over cotton remnants – a very unique and quirky style that rounds out the Hammamas range.
Why we love conscious consumption
We’ve totally embraced the trend to buy fewer things, that are of better quality and which match with our personal beliefs – conscious of the environmental and social impact of the things we buy.
We’ll continue to promise great products made in the best possible way, to support the changes we all want to see. You can ask us your own questions @hammamas.aus
With love and sustainable vibes from the Hammamas team x