Beachcombing for pure unadulterated self gratification

Beachcombing is one of those natural soul healing things that you seem to find yourself indulging in the moment you hit the shoreline.

Perhaps it is the chance of finding hidden treasure, that one off unique curio or that beautiful, unblemished perfect Shell

Deposited by the action of the waves, wind and tides these prizes sea findings end up on a mantelpiece, bookshelf or wall.

Small curios can be made into interesting jewelery bits to be kept, sold or given away.

She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore.

The shells she sells are sea-shells I'm sure.

Classic English tongue twister, reported in Hamilton Wright Mabie, Boys' and Girls' Bookshelf (1912), p. 34.

All types of Collections can be put together. Some suggestions are...

• Shells
• Sponges
• Driftwood
• Sea Glass
• Sea Pottery
• Drift Seeds
• Bottles
• Artifacts
• Exosceletons of Sea Animals
• Fossils
• Jewellery and Coins

"I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."

Isaac Newton, reported in Sir David Brewster, Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton (1855), Volume II. Ch. 27.

I recently visited one of my favorite beaches with my granddaughter. Frankston is one of Port Phillip Bay's prettiest beaches and a favorite for family getaways, picnics and safe swimming.

To the left of the pier and at the base of Olivers Hill is one of my favorite places to Beachcombe to add to my newly found hobby of Sea Glass Collecting.

However my timing was a little out.

Too many people, too late in the weekend and most of the good stuff gone.

But I did find some goodies well worth the trip down to the beach....yeah.

# Hit the beach Early.

# Preferably on a weekday.

# If on a weekend, try for Saturday morning - less chance of crowds.

One day I just might turn my collection into interesting pieces of jewelery. Until then my spaghetti jar is filling up and looking great.

I have selected a few Beachcombing books that may interest you. Fishpond has a great range to choose from.

The Wonderful Weekend Book: Reclaim Life's Simple Pleasures...Elspeth Thompson's original and inspiring book shows us how we can reclaim the weekend by re-charging our batteries and relationships through enjoying the simple pleasures in life.	Magic Beach...Visit a perfect beach where you can swim, surf, splash through the waves, build sandcastles, beachcomb, explore rock-pools, muck about in boats, fish from the jetty, and build a bonfire under the stars.	Seashore (Eyewitness)...See how a sea-urchin disguises itself or find out how a crab can grow a new leg.......

Here are some links if you are interested in the Hobby of Collecting Sea Glass

A fascinating Sea Glass Collector's WebSite

The beach is a great place to unwind and get away from all the modern day stresses.

When was the last time you let the wind blow through your hair?

Head down, thoughts elsewhere and not a care in the world...my favourite way to indulge myself.

It fascinates me to see the latest trend in beachcombing

There they are with their Metal Detectors and boy do they find interesting bits and pieces.

It is fun to Beachcombe modern city beaches to find coins, watches and jewelery, beaches in less populated areas that can sometimes offer up old artifacts, coins and jewelery from shipwrecks and for the real dedicated fossickers...GOLD, the ultimate treasure.

Eugene Lee-Hamilton, Sonnet. Sea-shell Murmurs, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919).

You can collect...

Seashells. These are found along the seashore. Brought in with the tide, the varieties are in the thousands.

Usually found empty of marine life and clean ready to add to the collection.

The hobby of shell collecting is worldwide. Here are a couple of sites if Shell Collecting is your interest.

For the Kids

Great Shell Photos

Sometimes Exoskeletons can be washed up on the shoreline

These shells include the remains of different marine life.

The skeleton of the Seahorse is very tough and is usually found intact on the shoreline

Kelp Holdfast is part of a seaweed that is attached to a rock, similar to a tree root.

During storms this can be dislodged and finally is washed up onto the shore.

Washed and cleaned well, they can be either stained or lacquered and displayed as interesting curios.

Sponges are made up of lots of little marine animals living together as a community.

The ones that are washed up onto the shoreline are usually the skeleton remains of this colony.

Living sponges are usually very bright in colour

Shark Egg Case. Some sharks actually lay eggs.

These are very well camouflaged, they resemble kelp or seaweed thus allowing them to blend in and be protected.

They are usually washed up onto the shoreline after the young have hatched.

I have found many on # Shelly Beach, Phillip Island along with lots of different shapes, sizes and types of sponges. A great place to Beachcombe

My Budgie loves these

When the Cuttlefish dies and the soft body dries, rots or is eaten away, the bone floats to the surface and finally is washed to the shore.

As a youngster I used to call cuttlebones, seachalk. Because they are soft and easy to work with you are able to wittle them and make interesting shapes, animals etc. Kids love to create, why not try using a cuttlebone, now that's a bit different...

So why not wiggle on down to the nearest shoreline the very next opportunity you get

Put together a Picnic lunch, grab something to put your Beachcombing Finds into and head on down to The Beach

They are hungry little critters and they love to let you know that they are around.

Spray up, roll up or gel up...either way make sure that they don't spoil your beachcombing fun.

# No point beachcombing in loose sandy areas if the wind is blowing in from the sea as your treasures will be covered up.

# However if you like to beachcombe the base of cliffs then this condition is invaluable...Be careful of overhanging ledges and unstable soil.

# Beachcombing after a storm is a great time to find treasures from Davey Jones's Locker.

# Living on the eastern coast of Australia the winter westerly winds (June through to September) bring the best finds.

Heavy breaking waves and strong winds open up the sea's treasure chest

# Low tide is best when more open areas are exposed to explore.

Apart from the natural beauty, the fact that in 1940 the ship City of Rayville sank.

It was claimed that 34,000 pounds of treasure was contained in the ships strongroom

Hmm...when is the next storm due down that way?

Ok then ... Where to go beachcombing?

That was fun Beachcombing but time to Go back Home