As Sydney prepares to swelter, the city's beaches have been graded — and two local government areas dominate the list for cleanliness.

A Sydney home known for its unique architecture has set a new local record with its $17.5m sale. Known as ‘Copper House’ because of its distinct, metallic brown facade, the home’s sale marks the highest price ever achieved for a beachfront property between Freshwater and Whale Beach, an approximately 25km stretch along Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Ask Sydney insiders where they go to get away from city life, and they’ll probably mention a sleepy little beach town on the north or south coast. These getaways have a few ingredients: secluded beaches for swimming and surfing, watching bottlenose ...