Australia Is Getting Its First Beach Club
Fancy a bev on a sunbed on the beach? Head to South Australia.
For a country surrounded by stunning coastlines, Australia hasn't been pulling its weight in the beach club department. Sure, we have waterside bars, but truly relaxing on the sand with a beer in your hand isn't something you can do legally in most of the country. The Gold Coast toyed with the idea, but it didn't come to fruition. And when Fremantle's Bathers Beach House opened up, it scored the nation's first liquor license for alfresco beach dining and drinking.
The Gold Coast also played around with the beach club concept — aka European-style lounging, sipping and relaxing by the shore — however Adelaide has beaten it to the punch. If you're down South Australia way from mid-January, make a beeline to the beachside hotspot of Glenelg, and specifically the new Moseley Beach Club.
An extension of the existing Moseley Bar & Kitchen, the club will boast eight premium sunbeds and 48 sun lounges on the Glenelg foreshore, which will be available for eager beachgoers seven days a week. Unsurprisingly, you'll need to book ahead to nab a comfy berth — but, once you're there, you'll also find a bar and casual dining area, with the entire space catering for a total of 350 people. The Moseley will also offer live acoustic music on weeknights and DJs on weekends.
If you're wondering why the SA venue was able to achieve something nowhere else in the country has, it's simple: tourism. The local council, the City of Holdfast Bay, is acting upon independent research that found visitors would come to Glenelg more often if there was a licensed pop-up bar on the beach.
For now, the Moseley Beach Club will run for 75 days until April, opening from noon to 9pm from Monday to Thursday, noon until 11pm on Fridays, 10am to 11pm on Saturdays and 10am to either 9pm on 11pm (if the next day is a public holiday) on Sundays. Entry is free before 5pm and $5 afterwards, while catching some rays on a lounge will set you back $50, which is redeemable on food and beverages and includes a free beach towel hire. Premium sunbeds are $100.
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