Sellicks Beach
Sellicks is a long, straight beach very accessible for both people and vehicles, and popular during summer. It has some surf, but remains relatively safe under normal conditions.
The main beach is a moderately safe beach, particularly on the attached inner bar. Be careful of the deep trough between the inner and outer bar. When waves exceed 1 m rips intensify in this trough. Also watch for cars when crossing the beach.
Silver Sands
Aldinga Bay Surf Life Saving Club is located in the centre of a straight 6 km long west facing beach that begins just north of Cactus Canyon, below the steep bluffs of southern Sellicks Beach. The beach runs almost due north for 3 km to Silver Sands, the site of the surf club, then on for another 3 km to the rock flats that form the border with Aldinga Beach. The beach is composed of fine sand, which with the usually low gulf waves and swell produces a low, flat beach, firm enough to drive a car on. Occasional bigger wind waves and higher swell maintain a shallow second bar which parallels the beach, a continuous trough separating it from the beach. A shingle beach also backs the southern half of the beach. The shingle is eroded from the southern cliffs and reworked up the beach by higher seas.
Most beach fishers wade out on the shallow inner bar to fish the longshore trough. There is also reef fishing at high tide at Aldinga beach. However the Snapper Point area is an Aquatic Reserve.
Cactus Canyon
Cactus Canyon is a steep-sided canyon that reaches the coast 500 m south of Sellicks beach. The canyon and neighbouring creeks have delivered rocks to the shore that have been reworked by the waves to form a high tide shingle beach, overlain by a veneer of sand. The beach extends south of the canyon for 1 km to where it merges with the boulders of the neighbouring beach. North of the canyon houses line the top of the 60 m high bluffs, with the best access being on foot or vehicle from Sellicks Beach.
For the swimmer, the 1 km central sandy section of Cactus Canyon beach is relatively protected and usually calm and fronted by a continuous shallow sand bar. Cactus Canyon offering seclusion as well as protection for south winds and waves.
