Best beaches in Melbourne - where are they?

In Melbourne I like Elwood as it has a nice view of the city and good bbq/park facilities. Also Patterson Lakes along the river is nice, as well as Sandringham (to the left of the yacht club is private and nice)!

Out of Melbourne I love Sorrento front beach (Tide ways as its known) and the Sorrento back beach as it has good surf (not hardcore) plus some cool rockpools and a cafe on the top of the cliff!

Personally I think you can't go wrong with the beaches at Frankston. Don't let the supposed 'high crime rate' put you off as it is often over exaggerated.

Definitely the Mornington Peninsula. The area is dubbed The Hamptons of Victoria for a reason. Really lovely beaches, Mt Eliza, Sorrento, Flinders, Mt Martha, Mornington, Somers and Portsea.

My 2 favourite beaches about an hour outside of Melbourne would have to be:
1) Shoreham Beach- great for swimming and taking kids as the waves only reach .5 m or so.
2) Point Leo Surf Beach- good for surfing, fishing and it's patrolled by lifesavers.

Portsea back beach for surf, Sorrento front beach for families.

Sorrento front beach is fantastic for families with kids. No surf, crystal clear water. Good toilet facilities.

bonbeach!

St Kilda Beach is far from 6 Kilometers south from the Melbourne CBD. St Kilda Beach offers good surfing, swimming, sunbathing and also fishing. This beach is best for jogging, walking and cycling.

I like Smiths beach on Phillip Island. It's good for families and surfers alike as it's patrolled by lifesavers during peak summer periods. It's fun exploring the rock pools when the tide goes out and you can even see whales from the beach in the winter time!

My favourite beaches in Melbourne are Barwon Heads & Ocean Grove.
Barwon Heads has shallow water and sandbars for kids to play without stress of undercurrents and also a back beach for surfers.
Ocean Grove beach is also great for families and surfing, as well as having dedicated dog beach all year round.
Ocean Grove also has a great cafe 'The Dunes' which is great for grabbing a coffee while going for a morning beach walk.

I really like taking visitors to see Brighton beach as the bath boxes are quite a novelty. The Brighton area is quite big with many cafes and shops, it is serviced by 4 train stations!
Another place is Sorrento (106km from Melbourne), there are nice places to eat and what seems like an endless beach.

Chelsea & Bonbeach are the best. Nice sand, clear water and no seaweed!
Dromana, Rosebud & Rye are good too but not as clean.... i.e. a bit of seaweed etc