Of all the beaches we've covered, Clovelly is the most...different. Best I can describe, there's a small sandy strip at the end of a narrow bay surrounded by broad concrete platforms and promenades. The result is this weird sensation of consciously being in a huge man-made enclosure that somehow enhances the natural open-water experience. Kids freely dive/jump off constructed platforms into naturally deep waters, the sea floor is teeming with aquatic life popular with snorkelers, and the ocean tide funnels in and out of the bay strongly enough to lift/drop each floater a couple of feet and make swimming in any direction demanding. Pretty overwhelming stuff, actually. Fortunately, Clovelly is also the spot where Nippers (i.e. kid surf lifesavers) do their training, so you feel more secure and confident thrashing about in the water knowing any number of 5 - 12 year-olds can swim stronger than you and save your ass.
leaving only the birdlife to mock my surf survival skills
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