This British beach is NOT better than ours

Surely we can do better than this... Rhossili Bay, Swansea, Wales. Also known as One Of The World's Best Beaches. Picture: Thinkstock Source: news.com.au

• South Wales beach named among world's best
• No, not New South Wales. Not Bondi or Hyams
• Our man on the ground think it's just grand

YESTERDAY we ran a story on the world's top 10 beaches, as decided by the readers of tripadvisor.com.

Only one Aussie Beach, Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays, made the list. That was one insult. But we simply could not believe it when we discovered a beach in south Wales on the list.

No, not a beach in New South Wales. Not the perfect rolling breakers of Bondi or the gleaming white sands of Hyams Beach, two hours south of Sydney.

We're talking about a beach in south Wales, UK. As in, she sells sea shells by the Welsh sea shore.

The beach in question is Rhossili Bay, a gently curved 5km strip of mud-coloured sand about 25km east of the city of Swansea. Tripadvisor.com noted its good surf and delightful setting among rolling hills.

We weren't convinced of its appeal, so we rang a local. Julian Short is the 71-year-old proprietor of the Worm's Head Hotel in the tiny village of Rhossili which overlooks the beach.

"I don't know if I'd say it's one of the best beaches in in the world, but it's quite attractive really," Mr Short told news.com.au.

"The sand is soft and there are downs (rolling grassy hills) behind the beach running up about 600 feet or so."

OK, so Rhossili Bay is not pebbly like many other British so-called "beaches". But grassy hills as a backdrop? We'll take swaying palms or Norfolk Island pines any day.

But let's look past the setting. A really great beach has to be enticing to swim in. Mr Short says kids love the fact the water remains shallow a fair way off shore, while surfers relish the waves out the back.

Those are indeed pluses. So how's the water temperature?

According to a the website surf-forecast.com, it's currently a frigid 6 degrees. The website advises: "Despite the sunshine, even with a thick winter wetsuit, neoprene hood, gloves and boots it will be difficult to stay comfortable in the sea for long today".

In other words, swim here if you've always wanted to be an icicle.

Summer is not much better. The water at Rhossili hovers between 14 and 18 degrees in the British summer, which is cooler than Bondi in midwinter.

Our man in Rhossili confirms that the water is never really warm. "Kids always come out with goose pimples on them, and some people run around in duvets (doonas) to keep themselves warm," he admits.

Hardly ideal.

Meanwhile, in (New) South Wales, take a look at the gorgeous Hyams Beach in Jervis Bay. It has been listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the whitest sands in the world. Source: news.com.au

But of course, great beaches are about the vibe too. Mr Short says his hotel attracts tourists from around the world, including lots of Russians who come in winter because they are "used to swimming and cavorting in the cold waters".

Cavorting flabby middle-aged Russians? No thanks. Sounds even more grotesque than the steroid-fuelled bodybuilders at Bondi.

If there's one area where this Welsh beach possibly trumps Australia's, it's the food.

"You can get fresh cod and chips here, and people often come in to pick up a bag of pasties to take down to the beach for lunch. They usually stay for a pint or two while we warm them up."

Mmmm, there's no point pretending that doesn't sound good. But overall? We're not sold on Rhossili Bay as one of the world's top 10 beaches, and here's why.

In his 71 years in the region, Mr Short has never once been for a dip. Not once. Nor has his 33-year-old son.

Mr Short also holidays once a year in Dubai, a city known for endless sun and the warm waters of the Arabian Sea.

Mr Short is a strong advocate of the appeal of Rhossili Bay, and we can accept the area has its charms. But we couldn't resist asking. Would his perfect beach holiday be at home or somewhere like Australia?

"I would probably go to your beaches," he confesses. "Let be honest, how on earth would anyone not prefer Bondi Beach with those gorgeous girls?

Gorgeous... Bondi Beach on a crisp summer's day. How could you resist? Picture: Dan Himbrechts Source: news.com.au

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