Torquay Front Beach and Cosy Corner

Front Beach is the postcard Torquay beach: a kilometre of sand along The Esplanade, from Yellow Bluff in the north to the rocks of Point Danger in the south. It faces east across the bay, out of the way of the big south-westerly swells, so the waves are usually small and the sandy bottom shelves gently. That makes it the town's main swimming beach, and the one we'd pick for a family day.

Behind the sand there's a seawall, a row of tall Norfolk Island pines and a grassy foreshore reserve with shade, picnic tables, barbecues, toilets and showers. The cafés and restaurants of The Esplanade are just across the road. It's about five minutes' drive from north Torquay.

The Torquay beaches are patrolled in the warmer months. Visit Great Ocean Road lists volunteer lifeguards on weekends and public holidays from November to April, and paid lifeguards on weekdays in the peak of summer, including at Cosy Corner in December and January. Lifeguards are only on duty when the red and yellow flags are up, so swim between them.

Even on a calm day, keep an eye on the kids. Outside the flags and outside patrol times there's no one watching, and the water can change with the wind and the tide. Beachsafe shows whether a patrol is on today.

The gentle waves also make Front Beach a favourite for learning to surf, and the surf schools run beginner lessons here in summer. Our surfing guide has the schools and board hire.

Our playgrounds guide has every one in town, and there are two on the Front Beach foreshore, both for toddlers and juniors: the Torquay Front Beach Play Park and the Cosy Corner Playground at the southern end. Both have seating and picnic tables with toilets nearby, and the paved path along the foreshore is good for prams, scooters and an evening walk under the pines.

For a beach wheelchair, the Surf Coast Shire's accessible beaches page lists the wheelchairs you can borrow in Torquay and how to book them.

There's parking along The Esplanade and in the foreshore car parks, but on a hot summer day it fills up by mid-morning. Come early, or leave the car at home: from Whites Beach you can walk along the sand past Fishermans Beach to Front Beach.

Everything you need is across the road. For breakfast, Bomboras at 37 The Esplanade looks straight over the beach. For lunch, Fisho's at number 36 does fish and chips to eat on the grass, and Pholklore has rice paper rolls and pho. Finish with a cone from Frenchy's on The Esplanade or walk up to Gilbert Street for ice cream.