‘Not as dirty as I thought it would be’: Sydney opens a sandless new beach in the suburbs

It may have no sand, but Putney beach, which opens on Wednesday, gives residents far from the coast the chance to have a dip without the long commute

Julie Magson always believed Putney park would be a great location for a swimming spot. So much so that she helped convince the local council to turn a section of the riverside park into Putney beach, which opens to the public on Wednesday.

It’s a quiet, unassuming spot bordering western Sydney on the north side of the Parramatta River, far from the hustle and bustle of the city’s traditional swimming spots in the east and north.

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