Ok admitedly the lawn has been a little neglected. How do I stop it from completely dying (the brown patches and sand are starting to take over the whole backyard. My lawn is soft grass - if that helps & the weather here is Medditearean - the soil is sandy but fertile (coastal). 
G'Day from one Aussie to another,Ali wrote:
I would make sure the lawn has enough water....A liquid compost tea feeding would be a great bio-booster and strengthen what grass you do have. 
