St Kilda Dog Beach

Dogs are permitted off leash on St Kilda West Dog Beach, around annual daylight saving times,20 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda VIC 3182 but must be kept away from the environmentally sensitive dune area at all times. Your four-legged pal can churn up the surf year round at Altona Dog Beach in Melbourne's west, while you take in spectacular views of nearby Williamstown and Port Phillip Bay.

Some metropolitan beaches do allow on-lead seaside adventures, but only during the cooler months. Check signage at the beach itself, or look up restrictions online, before you go.