Oceania's Top 50+ Beaches
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Palm Beach // Australia
© Alex Proimos / CC BY Palm beach sits on a narrow spit of land at the far end of Sydney's North Shore, roughly 40km from the city centre. The beach is overlooked by the imposing bulk of Barrenjoey Head to the north. It's well worth a climb to check out the lighthouse and take in the fantasic views back over the sands and beyond.
"Palmy", as the… read more »
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Koekohe Beach // New Zealand
The long sandy beach at Koekohe is famous for one thing - the Moeraki Boulders. These particularly large spherical boulders are technically known as septarian concretions. Some of the rocks measure nearly 3 metres across and most have a cracks in their surfaces making them appear like some sort of giant dinosaur eggs. The fact that they are hollow
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Allans Beach // New Zealand
© Tomas Sobek / CC BY Allans Beach is set among the lush rolling hills of the on the Otago Peninsula, on New Zealand's South Island. It consists of a kilometre long spit of fine white sand which separates the shallow waters of Hoopers Inlet from the Pacific Ocean.
The beach here is something of a haven for wildlife; at the northern end there is a… read more »
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Margaret River // Australia
© Chris Putnam / 123RF The beaches of Margaret River in Western Australia are not only beautiful but also home to some of Australia's biggest and best surf. Margaret River is not just one beach but a stretch of coast bursting with fantastic beaches. Whilst the backdrop varies from beach to beach you'll find white sand and turquoise waters the length of this coastline. As… read more »
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Fraser Island // Australia
Situated just of the Queensland coast Fraser Island is considered the largest sand island in the world. Stretching around 120 km in length there is an awful lot of beach here, and very few people. In fact there is actually even more beach; Fraser island is dotted with large freshwater lakes all of which are fringed by the same beautiful… read more »
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Takapuna Beach // New Zealand
© Adam & Tess / CC BY Takapuna is sometimes referred to as the unofficial 'capital' of Auckland's North Shore - a series of coastal suburbs across Shoal Bay from the city centre. The Takapuna Beach area is the centre of the North Shore's nightlife, being home to many bars, restaurants, cafes and shops. It is also the main shopping centre of the North Shore.
The beach… read more »
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Ocean Beach // New Zealand
Ocean Beach near Whangārei, on the east coast of North Island, is a sweeping stretch of golden sand facing into the Pacific Ocean. Located near the entrance to Whangārei Harbour, it is a well-known spot for surfing. The waves here can be strong, making it a favourite for experienced surfers.
The beach is surrounded by sand dunes and steep hills,… read more »
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Oke Bay // New Zealand
© YHA-New-Zealand / CC BY Oke Bay is located near the village of Rawhiti in the Bay of Islands in the very North of New Zealand. This subtropical region consists of nearly 150 islands between Cape Brett and the Purerua Peninsula and is a water-lover's paradise. Known as a destination for whale and dolphin spotting, sailing and fishing the Bay of Islands area is home… read more »
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Manly Beach // Australia
© Enochlau / CC BY With a regular ferry running between downtown Sydney to the North Shore suburb of Manly it is no surprise that this long stretch of fine sand is as popular as ever. The town here is very much centred around the beach and this in turn attracts travellers from all over the globe who come here to soak up the sun,… read more »
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Lighthouse Beach // Australia
Martin7d2 Located in the popular seaside resort of Ballina, Lighthouse Beach is a gorgeous expanse of clean golden sand stretching northeast from North Creek to Ballina Head. The beach takes its name from the Richmond River Lighthouse which overlooks the north end of the beach.
Lighthouse Beach only came into existence in the early 1900s after the entrance walls to the Richmond… read more »
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Bilgola Beach // Australia
Martin7d2 Sandwiched between imposing Bilgola Head and Newport Head, Bilgola Beach is a 500-metre surfing beach in Sydney's Northern Beaches area. The soft sands here have a distinct reddish colour which contrasts the verdant cliffs at either end.
Facing southeast, Bilgola has an offshore sand bar cut through by two shifting rips along with permanent rips that batter the rocks at either… read more »
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Ellis Beach // Australia
© Alex Monckton / CC BY If you want a beach pretty much to yourself, Ellis Beach is beautiful, undeveloped and less popular than bustling Palm Cove to the south. Stretching for about 2 km, the beach is bordered by Captain Cook Highway with forested hills further inland. Just park on the road and enjoy direct access onto the sand. The beautiful sandy beach is… read more »
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Avalon Beach // Australia
Martin7d2 Away from the more popular surfing meccas in Sydney, Avalon Beach is a secluded surfer surburb just north of Newport Beach on the Northern Beaches peninsula. Once inhabited by native Garigal people, and more recently a hippy haven, Avalon Beach has gone full circle. It now attracts celebrities and stars including Nicole Kidman, Elle Macpherson and 11 times ex-world surf… read more »
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Bronte Beach // Australia
© eyeintim / CC BY Bronte beach is situated in Sydney's eastern suburbs between Bondi and Coogee beaches. From either of beach it is an easy walk of about 2km along the paved clifftop path. However, if you fancy a swim there is an anual swim held every December between Bondi and Bronte.
For those who feel they aren't quite ready to take on the open… read more »
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Currawong Beach // Australia
Ideal for swimming, sunbathing and relaxing, Currawong Beach is a sweeping bay with calm sheltered water. This is thanks to its sheltered position, facing southeast into Pittwater. This pretty beach hideaway is located just south of Mackerel Beach and separated from it by Sinclair Point.
This area of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is popular for hiking and bushwalking and… read more »
