Top 25+ Australia Beaches
Beaches are part of the Australian way of life and they come in every shape and size imaginable. There are almost 12,000 beaches in Australia to choose from and the vast majority of these are up there with the best beaches to be found anywhere else on earth. From the palm fringed, white sand beaches of tropical Queensland to the cosmopolitan beaches of Australia's coastal cities the choice is bewildering.
With so many beaches to choose from and so many factors to consider it is near enough impossible to compile a list of Australia's best beaches that will suite everyone, but we're going to give it a go. The list below includes some of the best surfing beaches in the world, a few of the most famous and some fairly remote ones too.
The Best Australian Beaches...
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1. Whitehaven Beach // Queensland
© Horst Müller Know for its beautiful 7 km stretch of white sand and crystal clear turquoise waters, Whitehaven Beach is without doubt of of Australia's finest. It is located on Whitsunday Island, part of a group of islands just of the tropical Queensland coast.
Accessible only by boat Whitehaven Beach is never busy but always stunning.
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2. Hyams Beach // New South Wales
Situated on the northern shores of Jervis Bay, Hyams beach is one of a number of stunning beaches. To put things in perspective, Jervis Bay is around 4 times the size of Sydney harbour and much of it is lined with unspoilt beach.
Here you will find lush forests spilling onto white sand beaches which are gently lapped by the crystal clear azure waters of the Pacific Ocean. And when… read more »
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3. Turquoise Bay // Western Australia
Dan Nevill The white sands and stunning aquamarine waters that Turquoise Bay is known for, make this one of the best places for relaxing in Western Australia. About 60 km northwest of Exmouth, it's part of the Ningaloo Marine Park.
The clear waters make it is a top spot for snorkelling with an amazing diversity of corals, fish and marine life reasonably close to shore. The best time to snorkel on the… read more »
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4. Four Mile Beach // Queensland
charlotteinaustralia As the name suggests, this golden strip of sand stretches for roughly four miles along North Queensland's tropical coastline.
The biscuit-coloured sands are wedged between sparkling blue waters and a tropical backdrop of palm trees, which separates the beach from the adjacent town of Port Douglas.
Unlike some of Australia's better known beaches, such as Bondi and Surfers Paradise, this one's not so tourist-focused, and as such there's not a… read more »
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5. Lucky Bay // Western Australia
Stan Feldman Lucky Bay is reputed to be Australia's whitest beach, making it an idyllic beach to visit with its pristine sand and aquamarine water. Views from the beach look out across the Recherche Archipelago, adding further to the natural beauty.
Stretching for 5km, Lucky Bay is one of a series of beaches and coves along the Cape Le Grand National Park coastline. You'll usually have the beach almost to yourself, making it… read more »
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6. Sorrento Back Beach // Victoria
Alpha Sorrento Back Beach is named after the town of Sorrento approximately 1.5 kilometres away. A part of Mornington Peninsula National Park, it is a beach known for its swimming, surfing and rockpools.
Swimmers should stay within the flagged area to avoid rip currents, an additional precaution to the lifeguards on duty during the easter and summer holidays as well as weekends between these dates.
To explore its rockpools, you'll want to visit… read more »
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7. Noosa Main Beach // Sunshine Coast
Kgbo With Noosa National Park to one side and the boutiques, cafes and bars of Hastings Street to the rear Noosa Heads Main Beach is in a prime spot. An expansive stretch of sun-soaked pale-golden sand this is one of the finest beaches on the Sunshine Coast.
Despite being one of Australia's favourite holiday destinations Noosa manages a perfect balancing act with the beaches here remaining unspoilt by over-development. The beachfront is… read more »
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8. Bondi Beach // New South Wales
Bondi is possibly Australia's most famous beach and to many sums up the Australian way of life. This iconic Sydney beach is every bit as cosmopolitan as the city with a beach scene encompassing everything from surfing to cafe society to lively nightlife. As long as you know what to expect Bondi will not disappoint - it's busy, it's bold and it's brash, but most importantly Bondi is what you… read more »
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9. Little Salmon Bay // Rottnest Island
Sei F Situated on the southernmost tip of famous Rottnest Island, about 18km off the coast of Perth, Little Salmon Bay is a must for keen snorkellers. It has a wealth of colourful fish species milling around the bright Pocillopora coral in the bay waters.
Serene Little Salmon Bay is popular with families as it offers soft white sand and calm, sheltered waters that are crystal clear. The beach descends quite steeply… read more »
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10. Cable Beach // Western Australia
© Christopher Roe / 123rf Cable Beach in Broome is a long, flat, sandy beach, and by long we mean 22 kilometres (15 miles) long. It isn't just quantity over quality either; the beach here is beautiful white sand lapped by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Much Cable beach backs on to gently sloping sand dunes, and in other places there are low cliffs of deep red sandstone.
Given this vast expanse of sand… read more »
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11. Bells Beach // Victoria
© Pansa Sunavee / 123RF One of Australia's best known surf spots, the legendary Bell's Beach has been hosting top level surfing competitions for over 50 years. The right hand point break is flawless at almost any size of waves. The beach itself is just off the dramatic Great Ocean Road which takes in the sweeping panoramas of the Southern Ocean.
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12. Wineglass Bay // Tasmania
© Pawel Papis / 123RF This remote gem of a beach is situated in the stunning scenery of the Freycinet Peninsula in Tasmania. A near perfect semi-circle of pure white sand fringed by turquoise waters, Wineglass Bay is surrounded by heavily forested peaks making a spectacular natural ampitheatre.
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13. Little Cove - Noosa // Sunshine Coast
© alizadastudios Located just a stone's throw from Noosa's Main Beach is the aptly named Little Cove. Far more secluded and intimate than it's bustling neighbour the beach here has a completely different vibe to it.
With crystal clear turquoise water and backed by the steep, lush pandana and palm lined slopes of the Noosa National Park, Little Cove beach exudes natural beauty. Despite its proximity to one of Australia's most popular… read more »
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14. Rainbow Beach // Sunshine Coast
© Daniel Jurin Situated a half hour drive north from Noosa, Queensland's Rainbow Beach offers a world of attractions beyond its light-coloured sands stretching on seemingly to infinity beyond the bay's natural curve.
Its name comes from the mineral rich cliffs that surround the beach forming an array of colours, which local aboriginal folklore says is the result of a rainbow spirit crashing in to them during a mighty battle.
Marketed as one of… read more »
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15. Byron Bay Main Beach // New South Wales
© Karl Lundholm Byron Bay is situated in the far north of New South Wales and on the very eastern tip of Australia - Cape Byron is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. This small beach town was put on the tourism map back in the 1970s when it was on the hippy trail later becoming a popular backpacker destination. It is to a large extent the legacy of Byron's early days that… read more »
