Stokes Bay, Tourism South Australia
Want to beach yourself on the coast this summer – but don’t want to battle the crowds? Well, grab the SPF and the beach towel, because we’ve found the best hidden beaches around the country.
Stokes Bay Beach, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Stokes Bay Beach, not far from Kingscote on the north side of Kangaroo Island, looks uninspiring a first glance, a messy jumble of rocks and heavy waves – that is, until you notice the intriguing sign pointing through a gap in the rocks. Follow the directions along the hidden path until you come to a small beach, an enchanting spot with a curved stretch of squeaky sand and a natural lagoon. Now that’s more like it.
Cactus Beach, Penong, South Australia
Off the Nullarbor Plain near Penong lies Cactus Beach, one of Australia’s best surfing spots. It’s a pilgrimage for surfers to come here and tackle the breaks, but this fantastically isolated spot, looking out over the Great Australian Bight, is worth the trek even if you prefer to worship the wave from the shore. Remember to bring a lot of insect repellent – this is midge territory.
Prize winner Mich submitted Cactus Beach in our competition to find Australia’s Best Hidden Gems.
Cactus Beach, Tourism South Australia
Alexandria Bay, Noosa, Queensland
Alexandria Bay is surprisingly quiet for a Sunshine Coast beach. That might be because you have to walk kilometres through Noosa National Park to get there, or it might be because the beach is unofficially clothing optional. Whatever the reason, this bay is postcard perfect: a gently curving stretch of golden sand and rolling waves protected by a crown of bushy cliffs.
Alexandria Bay
Fotheringate Beach, Strzelecki NP, Tasmania
Move over Freycinet and the Bay of Fires – Strzelecki National Park could very well have the best beaches in Tasmania. The most popular is Trousers Point (yup, its actual name), but a 3.5 kilometre walk away is Fotheringate Beach, a small and rocky spot with clear and enticing water looking over to the park’s granite mountains. This is pretty much paradise found.
Strzelecki National Park, Marcus Carrick
Turquoise Bay, Cape Range National Park, Western Australia
Turquoise Bay is in Cape Range National Park, a place where the desert meets the coral reef. It’s one of the best beaches in the state, ticking off all the boxes: pristine sand, sparkling turquoise water, endless ocean views. But the real fun comes when you throw yourself into the water – the diverse marine life and coral of Ningaloo Reef is just a few metres offshore. Don’t forget your snorkelling gear.
Turquoise Bay, Tourism Western Australia
Wonboyn Beach, Wonboyn, New South Wales
Arriving at Wonboyn Beach almost feels like arriving at the end of the world – it’s just you and kilometres and kilometres of curved beach, backed by acres of coastal forest, facing the untold space of the Pacific Ocean. Apart from the occasional rip, it’s pretty much perfect. Just don’t tell the locals we let you in on the secret.
Wonboyn Beach, by Tripadvisor user SharonJB
Sealers Bay, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria
You’ll have to walk 9.5 kilometres over tropically overgrown hills to get to Sealers Cove; but believe us when we say the sweat and thigh burn are worth it. Sealers Cove is one of the quieter spots in the extremely popular Wilsons Promontory National Park, so you can enjoy the uninterrupted golden stretch of sand, backed by wild mountains, in relative peace.
Sealers Cove, Wilsons Promontory
