Yet, if the heat is the antagonist of the season, the coast is the savior. The Australian summer is inextricably linked to the beach. It is a ritual that begins at dawn with surfers gliding over teal waves and ends with the orange glow of sunset over a lifeguard tower. The beach is the great equalizer; it is where the heat is most bearable and where the national character is most visible. The aroma of seaweed and coconut sunscreen is the olfactory memory of a generation. The ocean offers a reprieve, but it commands respect. Between the flags, the "yellow and red" are sacred markers of safety, vigilantly watched by bronzed lifeguards who are as much a part of the scenery as the sand dunes.