Every year around October, I start getting messages from people who have no idea what to buy the beach lover in their life. And honestly, I get it. You want something thoughtful. Something they'll actually keep. Not another candle or a gift card to somewhere they'll never use. If the person you're buying for has a favourite beach, a surf break they grew up on, or a stretch of coast they talk about constantly, I reckon a coastal art print is the best Christmas gift you can give them. Here's why.
A Print of Their Favourite Beach Hits Different
There's a reason the most common thing I hear from customers is some version of "I look at it every day and it makes me happy." When someone has a print of their actual favourite beach on the wall, it's not just decoration. It's a memory they get to live with. The smell of the saltwater, the way the light hit the water that one summer morning. A print brings all of that back every time they walk past.
That's the whole idea behind Local Breaks. Every photo I shoot is a real place I've actually been to and know well. These aren't stock images pulled from a database. When someone orders a Bells Beach Art Print I or a Rainbow Bay Art Print I, they're getting a photo I personally stood at (or flew a drone above) to capture. That specificity is what makes it a meaningful gift, not just a nice-looking thing on a wall.
Who Is This Actually For?
Coastal wall art works as a Christmas gift for a surprisingly wide range of people. Here are a few I'd suggest thinking about:
- Beach lovers who have a spot they return to every summer and talk about year-round
- Surfers who are obsessed with a particular break, whether it's Point Addis, Snapper Rocks, or somewhere closer to home
- Coastal home owners who are still finishing off the walls and would love something genuinely local
- New home buyers who've just moved in and want art that actually means something
- Airbnb hosts who own a holiday property near the beach and want to make it feel special for guests
If the person you're buying for fits any of those descriptions, read on.
How to Pick the Right Print
Think about where they spend their summers. Or where they grew up. Or where they got married, had their first surf, or took the kids every January for fifteen years. That's the print to get.
I cover a lot of ground across Australia: the Surf Coast (Torquay, Bells Beach, Anglesea, Lorne, Apollo Bay), the Bellarine Peninsula (Point Lonsdale, Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove), the Great Ocean Road (the 12 Apostles, Port Campbell, Childers Cove), the Gold Coast (Coolangatta, Rainbow Bay, Currumbin, Snapper Rocks), and up in Far North Queensland (Port Douglas and Thala Beach).
Some of my most popular prints for gifting include:
- Point Addis Art Print I , my top seller, and for good reason. Shot from above, it shows the full sweep of the beach in a way you rarely see from the ground.
- Point Roadknight Art Print II , consistently popular, especially as a gift for people who know Anglesea well.
- Barwon Heads Art Print I , a favourite on the Bellarine. Great colours, really recognisable to anyone who loves that stretch of coast.
- Wye River Art Print I , a solid seller, and one of those places that people feel very attached to.
- Port Douglas Art Print I , if the person you're buying for has been up to Port Douglas, they'll love this.
What to Order: The Classic Frame Is the Easy Win
For gifting, I always recommend the classic framed print. It's my most popular product and it's easy to see why. It comes ready to hang straight out of the box. Solid FSC certified timber frame, archival glass, metal hanger and steel wire already attached. All they need to do is find a wall they love and hang it up.
Classic frames come in black, white, or oak, and in sizes from XS all the way up to EPIC (that's 100x150cm, basically 1.5 metres wide). Prints start from $89, which is genuinely good value compared to what you'd pay at a gallery for something of this quality. All frames carry a 10-year warranty.
If you want to take it up a notch, I also offer shadow box frames, where the glass sits 20mm off the print to create a subtle floating effect. And for something really special, the premium shadow box uses Hahnemuhle Rag Mount Smooth fine art paper with Tru Vue Museum Glass, which gives 99% UV protection and virtually no glare. Worth considering if you know they have a bright, sunny room.
Not sure which frame suits the space best? Check out my guide to shadow box vs classic frames for a full breakdown.
Ordering and Shipping
Every print is made to order and printed right here in Victoria. I ship free across Australia, no minimum order. Christmas 2026 is on 25 December, and I'll have ordering deadlines clearly posted as we get closer. If you're thinking about it, ordering early is always the smart move with print-on-demand. No pickup is available, but the packaging is solid and prints arrive in great condition.
One more thing worth knowing: I don't sell internationally, so this is a gift option for Australian addresses only.
Take the Coast Home
If you've been sitting on the fence about what to get someone this Christmas, I'd back a coastal print every time. Customers regularly tell me it's become the favourite thing in their house. One person told me the print of their favourite local beach "brings happiness throughout the day." That's what a good gift does. It keeps on giving long after the wrapping paper is in the bin.
Browse all my coastal prints at localbreaks.com.au and find the one that fits your person. And if you're not sure what size to order, my size guide will help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Christmas gift for someone who loves the beach in Australia?
A framed print of their favourite Australian beach is one of the most personal and lasting gifts you can give a beach lover. It's something they'll hang on the wall and look at every day, not something that gets shoved in a drawer. Prints from Local Breaks start from $89, come ready to hang with free shipping across Australia, and cover locations from the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula to the Gold Coast and Port Douglas.
Are coastal wall art prints a good gift for a surfer?
Yes, and they tend to be a hit precisely because surfers
