Beach Number:

wa0839

Includes Beaches:

Cottesloe Beach

State/Region:

WA - Cottesloe

Post Code:

6011

General Beach Hazard Rating:

3/10 ( Least hazardous)

Beach

Cottesloe Beach is a 1.5 km stretch of west-facing sand and bluffs, which extends north from Mudurup Rocks to the southern rocks of Swanbourne Beach. A 100 m long groyne has been built out across Mudrup Rocks, and defines the southern boundary. The beach was one of the first developed on the Perth coast. Following the opening of the Perth to Fremantle railway in 1880 people began walking the 1 km from Cottesloe railway station to the beach. As a result of its early popularity a ‘caretaker’ patrolled the beach as early as 1906. In 1909 is became the birth place of surfing and Surf Life Saving in Western Australia, with the establishment of the Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club, with the North Cottesloe club following in 1912.
The entire beach is backed by Marine Parade. Between the Parade and the beach is the Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club and a car park on the southern bluffs above the groyne, with an equipment building on the beach. Cottesloe patrols the southern half of the beach (WA 839A). Six hundred meters to the north is North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club right off the Parade, on the edge of the bluffs and overlooking the northern half of the beach (WA 839B). The Cottesloe end has a series of car parks, together with a grassy reserve between the parade and beach and a large beach pavilion. North Cottesloe has more limited parking and consequently is usually a less crowded beach.
While the beach runs continuously from Cottesloe to North Cottesloe it is interrupted by the groyne at the southern end and rocks and reefs north of the large the central car park and at either end of North Cottesloe beach. The more protected southern corner usually has lower waves and weak currents and is popular with families and children. Waves average about 1 m up the beach and usually maintain a steep beach with an attached 50 m wide bar. During winter and following higher waves rips usually commence about 100 m up the beach together with permanent rips against the reefs. The reefs in particular induce stronger currents and deeper rip channels and should be avoided by swimmers.

Swimming

While the beach runs continuously from Cottesloe to North Cottesloe it is interrupted by the groyne at the southern end and rocks and reefs north of the large the central car park and at either end of North Cottesloe beach. The more protected southern corner usually has lower waves and weak currents and is popular with families and children. Waves average about 1 m up the beach and usually maintain a steep beach with an attached 50 m wide bar. During winter and following higher waves rips usually commence about 100 m up the beach together with permanent rips against the reefs. The reefs in particular induce stronger currents and deeper rip channels and should be avoided by swimmers.

Surfing

While the beach runs continuously from Cottesloe to North Cottesloe it is interrupted by the groyne at the southern end and rocks and reefs north of the large the central car park and at either end of North Cottesloe beach. The more protected southern corner usually has lower waves and weak currents and is popular with families and children. Waves average about 1 m up the beach and usually maintain a steep beach with an attached 50 m wide bar. During winter and following higher waves rips usually commence about 100 m up the beach together with permanent rips against the reefs. The reefs in particular induce stronger currents and deeper rip channels and should be avoided by swimmers.

General

Colttesloe is Perth’s oldest and still most popular surfing beach, and is patrolled by two surf life saving clubs.