My mother used to tell me, "if you can't find anything good to say about someone, don't say anything at all." So how can we apply these pearls of wisdom to the North-Cottesloe dog beach? Rather than leave a blank page, let's look hard for the positives.

The aspect is pleasant enough, even if the area is small compared to other free-run beaches. The problem is accessing it. For reasons best known to themselves, Cottesloe councilors have decided that no dogs will be allowed on the beach between the core hours of 10am and 4pm during the summer months. If your dog wants to cool down in the middle of winter - "fine", but summer - "no way." At around about the time of the next council election, maybe someone should ask the question "why?" It can't be because dogs obstruct other users during that period, the Gooddog team visited the beach at 11.00am and found it deserted (see photo above).

The best one can say about Cottesloe is that it's near Swanbourne. Frustrated handlers and their frustrated charges who visit the dog beach during the day, only to find it closed to them, can take solace in the fact that a couple of hundred meters to the north of the Town of Cottesloe boundary is the only reserve in Perth that includes a council maintained agility course. Maybe their dogs can work off a little steam over the hurdles. Too bad the privilege to cool down afterwards is closed off to them by a council who knows best.

Rating

Better than nothing