14 Beaches in Australia Not to Miss
For me, Australia is about the beaches.
In my humble, and unbiased opinion the beaches in Australia are equal to, if not the best in the world. Sure we have the outback, cosmopolitan cities and deadly animals, but it’s the beach lifestyle that sets us apart.
Hitting the beach in summer is the best time of year. And those emotions came flooding back the other day.
It’s the smell and taste of salt water. The suns rays on your back. The sand between your toes. The smell of sunscreen being applied to your face. The cool breeze that blows on a hot day. Beach side BBQ’s and picnics on the grass. Reading a book or listening to tunes. Thongs (flip flops) board shorts and a singlet. A towel over the shoulder. A morning walk or a sunset drink. Building sandcastles with the kids. Body surfing and beach cricket. Smiling faces and tanned skin.
That’s what I get excited for.
In case didn’t know, Australia’s coastline stretches almost 50,000 kilometres and is linked by over 10,000 beaches. That’s a lot of beach. And I have barely scratched the surface on how many I have seen.
So it got me thinking what beaches I would recommend if you were visiting Oz? And to be honest the list could be HUGE and it’s difficult to narrow down. And I haven’t really had many bad beach experiences in Oz.
But if I had to suggest my top 12 that I have “personally visited” here they are.
12 beaches in Australia Not To Miss.
1. Cottesloe Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Cottesloe Beach is in Perth, Western Australia, and is one of the best places to have a swim and watch the sun set. Not only a great beach, the town of Cottesloe is famous for its cafes, relaxed lifestyle, and Sunday sessions when locals throng to the beach front pubs to watch the sun go down whilst enjoying a few drinks. That’s what I’m talking about! This is one place you must visit and it’s very affordable! Look on Expedia for amazing places to stay in Perth and Cottesloe.
2. Coolangatta Beach, Gold Coast, Queensland
Coolangatta Beach has been special in our hearts for many years. It’s where I proposed marriage to Caz back in 2001. Luckily she said yes! And we love it there. The beach is awesome, and everywhere you turn people are out and about, surfing the world class breaks, skateboarding, cycling, jogging or walking the immaculately kept beach pathways and promenades, attending yoga and tai chi classes or personal fitness classes in the beach side parks, and children racing around the playgrounds. We could live there.
3. Mindil Beach, Darwin, Northern Territory
I’ve only been to Mindil Beach once, and got blown away by this incredible sunset. It was unlike any sunset I have seen before with this awesome pink tinge to it. I honestly have no idea what the beach is like generally, but if you make it to Darwin, don’t miss the Mindil Beach sunsets!
Mindel Beach
Mindel Beach
4. Wategos Beach, Byron Bay, NSW
While most people flock to the world famous Main Beach at Byron next door (which is great), consider instead the calm, clear Wategos Beach situated right under the Byron Bay Lighthouse. On a nice day this beach is stunning with crystal clear water, gentle rolling waves, and a fantastic place to swim. It’s a favourite hang-out for Australia’s rich and famous, so be on the look-out!
Wategoes beach
Wategoes beach
5. Mooloolaba Beach, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
We lived in Mooloolaba for 18 months and fell in love with this beach, and the town. As a beach town Mooloolaba is hard to beat with great swimming, cafes, restaurants, parks, BBQ areas, playgrounds, and one of the best beach-side promenade walks anywhere from Mooloolaba to the spit.
Mooloolaba
Mooloolaba
6. Yallingup Beach, Margaret River, Western Australia
Yallingup is a few hours drive south of Perth in the vicinity of the world famous Margaret River wine region. This beach also blew me away. It’s absolutely stunning with a sheltered lagoon, calm waters, and a great small town vibe. Just look at the colour of that water. Add this beach to your list when you go to WA.
Yallingup beach
Yallingup
7. Bronte Beach, Sydney
There are many great beaches in Sydney but probably our favourite would be Bronte in the eastern suburbs. It’s a beautiful beach with a small main street giving it a great vibe. We always stop at Bronte when we do the Bondi Beach to Coogee coastal walk and just love it as a family beach. The rock pool is awesome for the kids to swim in, the HUGE grass and BBQ area is a bonus for families, and there are no pubs nearby so no drunkeness and disorderly.
Bronte beach
Bronte beach
8. Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia
Cable Beach regularly ranks as one of the best beaches in Australia in all the surveys. It’s picturesque, incredibly big and FLAT making beach cricket a sinch, and the camel rides at sunset are legendary. So go ride a camel or sip on a cocktail and watch the sunset. And the town of Broome is a very interesting place to visit.
Cable Beach
Cable beach
9. Pinky Beach, Rottnest Island, Western Australia
Can you believe I literally had this beach all to myself when I visited Rottnest Island and rode around on bicycle. Just look at that water, and the temperature was perfect. Rottnest is located 18 kilometres off the coast of Perth and it’s a MUST VISIT when in WA. Pinky beach is amazing, but there are many other stunning beaches on the island too. I hope you get there.
Pinky beach
Pinky Beach
10. Seal Rocks, New South Wales
If you are planning a Sydney to Brisbane road trip I highly suggest a stop at Seal Rocks, a quiet fishing village offering clear bays for swimming, snorkelling, boating and fishing. This beach was just perfect, and much quieter than your usual east coast beaches. Seal Rocks is also a great place to go camping.
Kalyra at Seal Rocks
Seal rocks
11. Contos Beach, Cape-to-Cape track, Western Australia
I never did quite make it onto this beach, as close as I got was this photograph, but just looking at the beauty of this beach from a distance and the fact that no one was there inspires me to return. If you ever make it to the Margaret River region in WA put the Cape-to-Cape track on your list and get down onto this beach. That’s what I plan to do.
Contos beach
12. Bondi Beach, Sydney
I hesitated to put Bondi on this list. I really did. For years I have been telling other travellers don’t worry about going to Bondi, Sydney has so many other better beaches. And it does. But it’s one of those iconic places you should just visit at least once. Actually, the more I go there the more it is growing on me. It’s the starting point to our much loved Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, I don’t think you could get any more Australian than learning to surf at Bondi, the people watching is first class, and the views from Bondi Iceburgs as you sip on an afternoon beer are legendary.
Bondi Beach
Caz learning to surf at Bondi
Beer o’clock at Bondi Iceburgs
13. Whitehaven Beach, Queensland
Whitehaven Beach was recently ranked 3rd BEST beach in the world on Trip Advisor via their Travelers’ Choice Awards, and it also shot to fame when the queen of television, Oprah Winfrey, dug her toes in to the sand on her legendary trip downunder.
Located in the Whitsunday Islands in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, Whitehaven is 7km long and provides the foreground to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands National Park.
14. Hazards Beach, Tasmania
Just across the small strip of land from Wineglass Bay sits Hazards Beach. My heart has been left on the rocky cove of Hazards Beach within the Freycinet National Park on the east coast of Tasmania. It’s pure, remote, desolate, peaceful, and breathtaking
What are your favourite beaches in Australia?
Craig
Craig Makepeace is the co-founder of yTravel Blog and has been traveling and living around the world since 2002, first with his wife Caz, and now with his two daughters Kalyra and Savannah. Don't miss his 9 best tips to help you travel more. Follow him on Google+
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58 comments on “14 Beaches in Australia Not to Miss”
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Hi! We’re Caz and Craig…
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These are some great ones, but I’d absolutely have to add Cape Le Grand Beach in Esperance, WA, as well as Turquoise Bay (near Exmouth) or Coral Bay. Aaaand Hyams Beach in NSW…
Basically, Australia has too many amazing beaches!! I live in Florida now, and I have to say that while we have some beautiful beaches here, they still don’t compare to the ones in Australia, especially Western Australia.
Hey Rachael,
We have heard many great things about all those beaches you mention. We MUST get to WA more. It’s beautiful over there!
I love Mollymook Beach, Avoca Beach & Nth Gong Beach
Hi Lesley,
We live 15 minutes from Avoca beach. Yes it’s great!
Is there nothing down Melbourne way? I’ve just moved to Melbourne so haven’t discovered the good beaches yet. I think St Kilda is pretty yuck! Would be keen to know if anyone has any recommendations for here though.
Hi Katherine,
We haven’t been to any Melbourne or Victorian beaches yet so didn’t add any to our list. Sorry
But I’m sure there are quite a few good ones!
as a forster local i’m happy to see seal rocks there, but you could easily do a top 10 aussie beaches between seal rocks, pacific palms and forster!
Hi Cam,
Only added beaches we have personally been to. But that whole area sure is nice. Love Seal Rocks!
Great photos!! I’m happy to say that I have been to many of these beaches – despite not being much of a beachy person. How about Whitehaven beach in the Whitsundays as well?
Hey Jayde,
yeah, it’s just a list of beaches we have “personally” visited but yes Whitehaven Beach looks AMAZING!!!
LOVE that Bronte and Rottnest Island made it onto your list – they were my all time favourite.
In addition – Shark bay, WA I recall being pretty good.
G’day Helen,
Yeah two great beaches! Thanks for the tip on Shark bay, but possibly not a good place for swimming with a name like that???
Have you guys been to Lucky Bay in Esperance? The sand is so white it is squeaky and kangaroos hop about, sneak into the campsite and steal off your bbq if you’re not careful! Great fun!
Hi Liv,
No, but we have heard GREAT things about Esperance. And the photos look AMAZING!! Will get there eventually…
Great List – I still have many beaches of Australia left to explore by the looks. No matter where I go in the world, nothing compares to the beaches here in Aus. The Yorke Peninsula in South Australia has some great beaches, if you can find a willing local to take you to the secluded ones!
Hey Sammy,
South Australia is definitely on our bucket list. Hopefully 2013 we can tick it off!
Glad to see so many WA beaches on the list! Bunkers bay and Castle Rock are awesome too!
Hey Todd,
I’m sure there are MANY more WA beaches we could have added. Just have to get there more!!
So disappointed there is no Melbourne beaches! Take a pick, any on the great ocean road are stunning, Wilson’s prom even has awesome beaches!! Very disappointed!!
As we said Esther, this is based on personal experiences. We have not yet been to any Melbourne beaches, except St Kilda and we personally do not think it is worthy of making this list.
We certainly would love to discover some of these great beaches though!!
Oh – I so miss living in Australia. The beach so close to home was heavenly! I am lucky to have been to a bunch of the ones you have listed here – I know you have written about Terrigal beach before – that was one of my home beaches and I loved it! Looks like I will just have to come back and try out some of the other ones you have listed! I can’t believe, in all the years that I lived in Oz, I never made it to Byron. I only drove through on the way to Qld – obviously need to fix this!
Hi Anita,
Yeah Terrigal beach is only a 20 minute drive from us. Possibly are favourite on the Central Coast for beach/cafe scene. And YES you must go visit Byron Bay!
Great list — and love the many photos. You are right, Australia means beaches. Even if you can’t go in the water because of jellyfish warnings, (more along the east coast, I think), the landscape is unmistakable and gorgeous. Thanks for your view!
~Josie
Hi Josie, yeah it must be tough to live near beaches that have the jelly fish and croc problems
I spent 2 1/2 months traveling in Australia right after university – without much of an agenda I did my share of beach lounging. I loved my 2+weeks around Byron Bay. I can’t remember the name of the beach but in Tasmania there was one with the whitest sand and the bluest water that I will never forget. Also remember a pretty one around Wilson’s Promontory Point – within easy driving distance of Melbourne.
Mmmmm you’ve made me a bit homesick! I grew up with fab beaches in Tassie, had 9 years in WA where the whole coast is packed with amazing beaches then moved to Sydney where Camp Cove near Watsons Bay was my favourite hang out. Luckily I’m near the beach in Malta at the moment and it’s still warm enough to swim. But Aussie beaches are the best in the world mmmmm think I am missing the place!
Great list. I have to say though, WA has the best beaches!
You made me so jealous. Our summer season has just finished and all I have to look forward to is staring at my fading sun tan in the mirror!
Awesome selection of beaches! Cable Beach will always be one of my favourites – after tackling the Gibb River Road and living coated in outback dust for weeks, it was so nice to go swimming in a crocodile free sea for the first time in an age!
I’ve been to a few of these in my time, but now cursing myself I missed Wategos when I was in Byron! @Leigh might be talking about the Bay of Fires in Tassie… pure paradise…
Loving the names of the beaches here! Cable, Cottesloe and Mooloolaba look like the most appealing to me. To date, I’ve only been to one Australian beach, and that was Bondi during a 5 day trip to Sydney a couple of years ago. I LOVED it…particularly all the eye candy, and eating my beloved fish and chips whilst looking out at the ocean.
I really love beaches, and these look like some gorgeous ones. I don’t really like the intense heat, but there’s something so idealistic about being at the beach. I saw some beautiful ones along the Great Ocean Road too.
all the beautiful Victorian beaches,you could not even mention one,out of twelve?as for Darwin,any Australian is not foolish enough to go near the water.it is full of saltwater crocidiles .
As we said in the post Paula, this is based on beaches we have personally visited. We haven’t visited any beaches in Victoria yet, hence why there are none on the list. We really would love to see some soon though. Agree swimming in Darwin is not a smart idea, but that does not mean the beach is not beautiful and can’t be appreciated.
What Victorian beaches do you think would be make a list like this? That would be a really valuable tip for us and our readers.
yes i would love to recommend you to vic beaches~i hope i don’t miss any out….the mornington peninsula,port Philip bay have a long stretch of beautiful beaches,great for swimming,sailing, snorkelling and diving…sorrento in port philip ,you can swim with the dolphin’s ~an amazing experience,you swim in net’s safely behind boat,while the dolphin’s cruise alongside of you…then there are the awesome surf beaches~gunumatta,torquay…Philip island~the fairy penguins are an added attraction..Wilson’s Prom~a must see;great walks,wildlife,holiday destinations..the 90mile beach,Lake’s Entrance-Gippsland ~this is the east coast,which leads to Eden,NSW ~a whole new territory…am sure i haven’t covered it,but as you can see Caz ,victoria isn’t a place worth missing out on!!
Hey Paula,
Thanks for all the great suggestions. Victoria is a state we haven’t seen enough of. Cheers!
Bronte beach is my favorite in Sydney, but the best beaches I think are in Western Australia, North of Perth, because it is so empty and you can have a beach for yourself
Bondi Beach would have to be one of the great beaches of the world. I was lucky enough to visit a few months ago and had an amazing time. Also enjoyed the Queensland beaches but pity it’s not suitable to swim in these at the top end of Australia due to stingers and other nasties.
Your words and feelings about beaches are exactly how I feel too, we are so lucky to live in such a beautiful country, only been here10 years and lucky to have visited many of the beaches you mention. Would like to add a few of our favourites for you to put on your list, Wine Glass Bay in Tassie is a bit of a hike to get there, stunning view from top of the climb, then can’t wait to scramble down the other side to get in the clear blue water. Bay of Fires also Tassie wonderful walks among the coloured rocks and collected pippies or cockles as we poms call them, and cooked and ate them on the great unspoilt camp site there. Monkey Mia was a very special place for me as I was able to feed a beautiful dolphin she swam right up to me and very gently took a fish from my hand. Mucking about in a tinny all day in a beautiful bay with flat blue water and caught loads of crabs which we had for supper on our wedding anniversary with a couple of very good friends ahhh memories. Ningaloo beaches also very special but did not get to swim with the whale sharks, maybe it will happen one day.
Thanks so much for your beach recommendations Maureen! These are definitely very high on our list of beaches to see, especially Wine Glass Bay. Craig’s parents were just there last week and said how beautiful it was.
Hi Caz and craig, Just thought you should know, I have just written a blog on your beaches , and felt proud to,post it and a message came up saying something like , you have already sent this before.?????? I have never seen this until today. What do you think has happened or maybe you did get it?
I’m not sure Maureen. That sounds a little weird. I received your previous comment. Unless you tried to send that one twice. If you did then it would say about duplicate comment. Did you have a link to your blog, is that what you were trying to post? You’ll see your other comment on the blog now as I approved it.
Great list. Glad you sneaked Bronte in there… only a short walk from Bondi but feels like a world away!
I had no idea Australia has so many beautiful beaches, but then I havent travelled too much here. I like the ones with the clearer water the best. My favourites so far would either be the beach on Peel island (for the clear water and turtles) or the peeble beach I stumbled across in Airlie(not the main one but its along the ocean pathway). Both were beautiful
Love this list! So glad to see Rottnest Island on it, love that one. If you need some pointers for Victoria, just head along the Bellarine Peninsula and then on to the Great Ocean Road. It would really depend on whether you like bay beaches or surf ones – some of the best surf ones are Jan Juc, Torquay back beach and Bells Beach, Anglesea and Airey’s Inlet are lovely too. For bay beaches, try Torquay front beach and I even have a soft spot for Geelong’s – it has a really British seaside feel to it with the pier and the colourful bollards. Just don’t try and drive to any of them in the two weeks after Christmas, it’s a nightmare! Melbourne isn’t blessed with very good beaches but for atmosphere South Melbourne isn’t bad, and I love the pictures you can take of Brighton, all the little British-style bathing boxes. I miss home!
Awesome tips Caitlyn!! Thank you so much for these. This inspires me to get down to Vic and discover all these amazing beaches. We love Rotto, such a beautiful part of Australia and not often talked about!
First of all – awesome post! I’m Canadian but I’ve been lucky enough to live in Australia for 6 months on two occasions – once in Brisbane, and another time in Perth. I’ve explored many beaches ( in fact it’s one of the things I love the most in life ) – all of them on your list except #10.
If I could kindly make a few suggestions:
1) Whitehaven beach in the Whitsundays. The whitest, finest sand you’ll see! And with the beautiful inlet flanked by mountains flowing into the beach… It is out of this world.
2) Lake MacKenzie on Fraser Island. Even whiter sand than whitehaven (97% – they use this stuff for making telescope lenses ) leads to a beautiful inland freshwater lake, surrounded by lush vegetation. Lake Wobby on thr same island is also a very interesting mix of 4 environments – sand dunes, tropical forest, fresh water, and the ocean in the distance. Gorgeous.
3) Heron Island – Great Barrier Reef QLD. A tiny coral cay off the coast from Gladstone. You can walk around it in 20 minutes! There’s only a small resort and Research Station on this island. I was luck enough to do 3 days of marine research here and got to see baby turtles hatch and race into the water! Black tipped reef sharks and manta rays glide through the coral offshore – but don’t worry they are friendly. Schools of colorful reef fish follow you around, while yellow parrot fish nibble on the coral. You can even do a reef walk if a snorkel/ scuba is not your thing.
4) Either Paradise Point in Coral Bay or Turquoise Bay in Exmouth in WA. Both about a 10m swim from shore to thr little known Ningaloo Reef coral – it’s WAs best kept secret. You can have the beach all to yourself – coral bay has only 300 people in it but kilometers of fine beaches and coral reef literally a 10m swim away!
5) Shell Beach, Shark Bay, WA. Have you ever been to a beach where the sand is in actual fact tiny white seashells? It is like nothing you can compare it to. Mindblowing. The water is hypersalinated and shallow so you can float with no effort and relax to the max while you contemplate life.
I’d also put Bells Beach and the beach right next to the 12 Apostles in there somewhere.
Australia is a fantastic country and you are blesses to be able to explore all that it offers! I miss it already! Hope this was helpful, enjoy
Absolutely!! Thank you for your recommendations. This is awesome for our readers and for our future travels. Whitehaven Beach is very high on our list of places to go.
After reading this they all are now. They sound amazing. We are so lucky here in Oz, we take it for granted as the beach is always on our doorstep.
Craig, This time we are planning to celebrate Our New Year in Australia, and I think Bondi beach is the perfect one for our celebration.
No worries!
PS
Parker Point on Rotto has underwater plaques that describe what you’re looking at when snorkeling – such a great idea!
It’s home to the most southerly coral in the world thanks to the Leeuwin current – definitely worth a look next time you’re out there.
Love all these. My personal favorite beach in Oz, however, is Hanson Bay Beach on Kangaroo Island. White sand, clear water and honeycombed rocks
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We are so keen to get to Kangaroo Island. We have heard so many amazing things
Awesome is the word for these beaches
What a great list of beaches! I studied abroad in Sydney in college, and the Bondi to Coogee walk was my favorite!!! I also have to agree that you should definitely visit Whitehaven Beach. I’ve traveled a bit (though not as much as you guys) and the Whitsundays are in my opinion the most beautiful place in the world. I would love to get back to Australia to see more of the beaches you have mentioned
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Must get to Whitehaven Beach then!! Thanks for sharing Kelly. So glad you loved the Bondi to Coogee walk as much as us
Great pointers. I think I would head to Mindil Beach this year since I have been to most of the other places listed. I would really like to see that sunset. Looks awesome on the pictures!
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Great round up and look at Caz’s form on that surf board, you go girl! I’ll definitely keep this list in mind when we go to Australia…ah someday:)
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These sort of photos makes me wanna move to Oz. Amazing!
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