They got about 20 or 30 meters, heading up the soft sand to the beach road.

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Beyond the pool deck lies 1, 000ft of Cable Beach's soft sand.

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Continuing the theme of found food, a soft-shell crab is presented as an edible beach treasure, surrounded by amaranth grains for sand and brown-butter sauce for seawater.

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But the Gold Coast can also surprise even the most dedicated beach snob with its sea hazed dunes, warm waves and soft, clean sand.

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Further afield, Kenji World, (81-19) 695-3333, in northern Japan's Iwate prefecture, boasts a colossal onsen "beach" where warm water washes up on the shore (made of brownish soft board instead of sand).

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And even as her visibility was limited to a TV guest spot here or a nostalgia-drenched spoof there (she and Frankie Avalon reteamed in 1987 for "Back to the Beach, " a box-office underachiever), her fans continued to hold a soft place in their hearts for her.

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Haeundae Beach in the east of the city is the most popular, with its attractive sweep of soft sand packed out in summer by enthusiastic locals and young international English teachers.

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Currently in its soft launch phase, the wooden-decked dance area on the sand is cordoned off from the regular beach, while the zebra print low slung sofas and armchairs in the bar are comfortable and elegant.

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