Matraville

Clifftop coast between the eastern beaches, with headland walks and ocean views. Salty, scenic and made for a coastal stroll.

A quiet eastern bay with sheltered sand and coastal headland walks. Low-key, salty and made for a sea-air stroll.

A buzzy eastern beach with the clifftop walk to Bondi and Grant Reserve's headland green. The sand's off-limits to dogs, but the coast path delivers.

Anzac Parade's multicultural feast, UNSW close and Maroubra sand a short run east. Studenty, diverse and well-fed, with light rail and easy parks for the walk.

Racecourse, university and the green sprawl of Centennial Park on the doorstep. Leafy, lively and a short trot from Coogee sand — the east with room to move.

A big, honest surf beach with off-leash sand at Arthur Byrne Reserve. Less polish than its eastern neighbours, more room to run — local, salty and dog-mad.

A sheltered eastern bay on the coastal walk, with clifftop paths and rock pools. Salty, relaxed and made for a sea-air stroll.

Clifftop coast and a sheltered beach at the city's southeast edge, with headland walks. Salty, scenic and made for a sea-air stroll.

A bayside pocket near La Perouse, with Botany Bay beaches and headland walks. Breezy, low-key and made for a coastal stroll.

Wrapped around Sydney's grandest parkland — off-leash lawns, shady avenues and open green for days. The city's best backyard for a dog.