Zoe Bay, Hinchinbrook Island
Brush off your hiking boots and set your sights seaward, as we reveal the best coastal walks in Australia. Sure, you could just drive to a lookout, but these epic (often multi-day) hikes reveal views and beaches that only intrepid bushwalkers get to see. Don’t forget to bring your camera!
Cape Gantheaume Coastal Trek, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Starting in the car park at D’Estrees Bay, the first section of this walk is along an old vehicle route. But don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security, as the walk soon goes off-road, with no defined path from Cape Gantheaume to Bales Bay – you have to pick your own route. But what a route! The 36-kilometre trek, which is only for experienced hikers, crosses the wildest section of the already wild Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park, giving unrivalled views over the Southern Ocean from clifftops and isolated beaches.
Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island
Thorsborne Trail, Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland
Crossing beaches, creeks, rainforests, rocks, waterfalls and mountains, Thorsborne Trail should have enough varying (and spectacular!) scenery to keep your eyes open and your jaw dropped. The trek will take you 32 kilometres along the rugged and beautiful east coast of Hinchinbrook Island, which is just off the coast of Cardwell in the Wet Tropics. The path can be pretty tough going; luckily you can cool off in swimming holes and on magnificent beaches – it’s just another day in paradise.
Thorsborne Trail, Tourism and Events Queensland
While it may not be as famous as the Great Ocean Road, the Great Ocean Walk is just as picturesque, stretching along the south coast of Victoria from Apollo Bay to Port Campbell. Of course, it’s much slower going than the drive; the 91-kilometre hike takes up to eight days. You’ll encounter the classic scenery of the surf coast along the route, from pristine beaches and pounding surf to epic clifftop vistas and the towering mountain ash trees of the Otways. Oh, and did we mention the walk has a loo considered to be the most scenic in the country?
Great Ocean Walk, Victoria
The Coast Track, Royal National Park, New South Wales
Forget about the Bondi to Coogee and the Spit Bridge to Manly – the Coast Track, meandering 26 kilometres along the coastline of Australia’s oldest national park, is the best coastal walk in New South Wales (no matter what Sydneysiders will tell you). The views along this trail will stop you in your tracks. Luckily, you’ve got time to slow down; the hike can be completed in a day, but we recommend taking two and detouring to cool down at the secluded beaches and pausing to admire the panoramic views from the towering cliffs.
Stanwell Tops Lookout, Destination NSW
Cape to Cape Track, Leeuwin–Naturaliste National Park, Western Australia
If you just can’t get enough of coastal scenery, the 135-kilometre Cape to Cape Track in Western Australia’s beloved Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park could be for you. That is, if you also like beaches, rock formations, jarrah forests, cliffs, heathland and – when they’re in season – wildflowers. The walk follows the coast between Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, and, apart from the occasional inland diversion, you’ll be staring at ocean views for around eight days. Sounds pretty good to us!
Sugarloaf Rock, Tourism Western Australia
