‘I went to Margate for the first time – the sunset was beautiful but I wouldn’t go into the water’

A much-needed day out to the beach was on the cards and this seaside town provides a beautiful beach

The constant heatwaves we have been experiencing over the last few months have left me pining for the beach and the feeling of sand between my toes.

A beach day was needed and my London-centric mindset growing up has meant I have never truly explored what lies beyond the capital. One and a half hours away in Kent lies Margate, and I’ve seen enough stories of Kent and its beautiful beaches that it needed to be visited. So, I set off with a few friends, and we made our way down for a weekend beach day.

The traffic on the M25 was brutal and it set back our time at the beach greatly and looking back, it would have made more sense to get the train there. Yet, once I stepped onto the promenade and looked out to the water, I was impressed by the shoreline the UK had to offer.

I’ve lived in Australia for four years and enjoyed sunrises and sunsets on some of the best beaches, from Bondi Beach in Sydney to Cottesloe in Perth. My expectations for a beautiful beach are high but maybe since returning to the UK a year ago, my standards may have slipped because I found Margate to be very pleasant.

It wasn’t the crystal white sand of the beaches along the West Coast of Australia or the crystal clear water that I had become accustomed to; Margate certainly wasn’t that. Yet, I still found it charming.

Families played, people were running in and out of the water as the tide was relatively low at 4pm, and the promenade was full of people enjoying the sunshine. I had missed this feeling.

The stretch of sand was long, and the happiness of everybody was infectious, with a promenade lined with little stalls selling ice cream to people setting up camp from high above. The unpleasant smell of seaweed and what I can only imagine was sewage water would occasionally waft in and become familiar to my nose.

I was tempted to take a dip, but the thought of diving into that water truly made me fearful of developing skin conditions that would not have been pretty to see. Dipping my toes was the extent of my water exploits.

The water became even more menacing as I saw three people requiring medical attention after they got into difficulty in the water in the boating pool. Witnessing an air ambulance and a coastguard helicopter land on the beach certainly wasn’t part of the itinerary, but it showed how a beautiful day at the beach can turn into a nightmare very quickly.

Four years in Australia, I had never seen anybody get into such difficulty, but in one hour in Margate, I witnessed that.

However, the star of the show was the sunset. As 8pm approached, the sun’s rays hit the water, leaving a trail of light that was endless and very calming. The water looked even more inviting but I wouldn’t be fooled.

I walked closer to the water, took in the sunset, and found myself comparing the sun and the sky’s changing colours to some of the sunsets I experienced while living in Australia.

I was honestly amazed and maybe naive as to what the UK can offer but this sunset was stunning. As it descended into the horizon, the sun turned a glowing red, and it was hard to take my eyes off it. The water was calm, and the sounds of music from nearby bars filled the air, and for a few minutes, I forgot I was still in the UK.

If I had more time, I would have explored further along the coastline, as I know Margate has more to offer than just the main beach, but overall, it was an enjoyable trip and worth getting out of London for. It was very busy along the roads, and the streets were packed, so if you’re looking for somewhere quieter, maybe a beach before Margate would be better.

It wouldn’t be a day at the beach without fish and chips. We walked around and found Peter’s Fish Factory, which had the longest queue out of any shop we saw. We hoped the wait would be worth it, and with a queue, it seemed everybody had the same idea.

The cod was flaky and fresh, which I really enjoyed. However, the chips were a bit too oily for my liking, but I will put that down to the number of customers they needed to deal with, and maybe the chips weren’t given enough time to drain.

A journey back on the train, exhausted, tired but happy that I had finally got to feel sand in my feet in the UK.

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