Category Archives: beaches

The best hidden beaches for summer

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Stokes Bay Hidden Beach

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

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

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

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

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 Sharon JB

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

Sealers Cove, Wilsons Promontory

     

Best camping along the Great Ocean Road

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Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road, Roberto Seba

The Great Ocean Road has some of the best camping areas in Victoria stretched along its length: there are campsites next to rivers, behind beaches, hidden in forest gullies, near waterfalls … And we’ve done the hard work of finding the best five camping areas along this classic route. Even though you can drive the Great Ocean Road in four hours, these camping areas will make you want to spend a week.

 

Cumberland River Holiday Park

Cumberland River Holiday Park, cumberlandriver.com.au

Cumberland River Holiday Park, Cumberland River

Just south of Lorne you’ll find Cumberland River Holiday Park, where campsites, powered and unpowered caravan sites and cabins are casually strewn alongside the Cumberland River at the base of bushy hills. The park is literally just off the Great Ocean Road, tucked in a nook behind a hairpin corner bend, on the other side of the road from the beach. The park feels a bit old-school – everything moves at a slower pace here, and it’s all about swimming, fishing and relaxing. We can’t think of anything better.

 

Koala Bear

See Koalas at Kennett River

Kennett River Holiday Park, Kennett River

Stand outside your cabin, camping or caravan site and take a deep breath. Look around and spot the koalas, or feed the native birds with birdseed you’ve purchased from the park. Think to yourself: this is the life. Kennett River Holiday Park is located just off the Great Ocean Road between Lorne and Apollo Bay, with a patrolled beach across the road. Sheltering between the mountains of the Otways, the park is orderly, well-maintained and green, with camping and caravan sites spread underneath the trees, and a few lucky cabins facing the ocean view.

 

Cape Otway Lighthouse

Cape Otway Lighthouse

Blanket Bay camping area, Great Otway National Park

Let Blanket Bay camping area wrap you in the warmth of a seriously excellent camping area. This gem is hidden on the coast in Great Otway National Park, a short drive south of Apollo Bay near the famous Cape Otway Lighthouse. The sites at Blanket Bay are shaded and generous, and you’re also allowed open fires in the allocated fireplaces. It gets so popular here you have to enter a ballot to nab a spot over Easter and Christmas; make sure you plan in advance!

 

Great Otway National Park

Great Otway National Park

Aire River camping areas

The biggest decision you have to make at Aire River, located between Cape Otway and Glenaire, is whether you’re going to camp on the east or west side of the river. At Aire River West camping area, you have a large campground with little shade, a boat ramp, and heaps of space for large groups. And it’s closer to the beach. At Aire River East camping area, you’ll find a smaller, shaded camping area with a river beach. It’s charming and quieter. Both offer excellent kayaking. You choose!

 

Johanna Beach

Johanna Beach

Johanna Beach camping area

You’re not far from the Twelve Apostles at Johanna Beach camping area, a large and grassy campground spread comfortably behind the popular surfing beach. This rustic camping area doesn’t have any facilities apart from toilets, but it’s still very popular – particularly as you can bring your dog, even though you’re in a national park.

     

If these beaches aren’t on your bucket list, then they should be.

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Looking for the best beaches in Australia? Look no further. These are some of the best beaches in Australia, and they’ve all made the cut in the new travel book Australia’s Top 100 Places to Go – The Ultimate Bucket List by Jen Adams and Clint Bizzell from Network Ten’s Places We Go.

Bondi Beach, Sydney, New South Wales

One of the most famous beaches in the world, Bondi Beach is the grande dame of Sydney beaches. Everyone from politicians to backpackers parade up and down this perfectly curved expanse of sand, which is protected by headlands on either side and has water that just invites you to throw yourself in (although try not to end up on an episode of Bondi Rescue).

Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay, New South Wales

Move over Whitehaven Beach, Hyams Beach takes the crown for having the most blindingly white sand in the country. And stretching in front of the beach is an expanse of turquoise water, which an array of dolphins and other marine animals call home – they might even come up and welcome you.

Squeaky Beach, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria

You could pick any of the beaches in Wilsons Promontory National Park and label it one of the best in Australia. But Squeaky Beach, reached by an hour-long trek, with its literally squeaky sand, will take your breath away.

Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia

The sunset from Cable Beach, as the sun dips spectacularly into the Indian Ocean and turns the water into a kaleidoscope of reds, oranges and pinks, is one of the best you’ll see from a beach.

Eighty Mile Beach, Western Australia

Eighty Mile Beach, really 225 kilometres long, is where the Great Sandy Desert meets the Indian Ocean, and it’s just as spectacular as that sounds. The turquoise water joins up with the big blue sky and for those who love the coast, it’s almost a spiritual experience.

Seventeen Seventy, Queensland

The town of Seventeen Seventy in Queensland is said to be one of the only places in Australia where you can watch the sun rise and set over the ocean. This underdeveloped town remains a beach paradise for those who just want to laze about on the water and not do much else.

The Whitsundays, Queensland

You can’t mention the best beaches in Australia and not mention the Whitsundays. This surprisingly mountainous chain of islands is home to white beaches, turquoise water and incredible snorkelling just offshore.

Bay of Fires, Tasmania

In a country full of pristine coastline, the Bay of Fires in north-east Tasmania stands out for its unique combination of white sand, turquoise water and red-lichen splashed boulders. Each beach is a postcard-perfect moment waiting to happen.

To find more bucket list–worthy attractions, check out Australia’s Top 100 Places to Go – The Ultimate Bucket List.

 

 

     

Camping along the Indian Ocean Drive in Western Australia

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Denham Seaside Tourist Village, Lyndon Sparrow

Denham Seaside Tourist Village, Lyndon Sparrow

Do you want to watch the sun go down over the Indian Ocean every night? Get a campsite with a view without breaking the bank at these affordable caravan parks and campsites. We’ve followed the Indian Ocean Drive (Australia’s newest highway) all the way up the Western Australian coast from Perth to Exmouth, picking out our favourite places to stay along the way.

Cervantes

Pinnacles Caravan Park

Pinnacles Caravan Park is your best option if you want to camp near the famous Pinnacles Desert. There’s no camping in Nambung National Park, and this caravan park has good facilities and easy access to the national park.

Geraldton

Sunset Holiday Beach Park

In a quiet spot north of town, this popular caravan park has everything you need: good facilities, good access to the historic sites of Geraldton, and a tremendous position for watching the sun go down on the Indian Ocean.

Kalbarri

Murchison River Caravan Park

Located in the centre of town and just opposite the beach, Murchison River Caravan Park has the facilities you’d expect at a caravan park along this popular holiday route, such as toilets and showers (disabled access), laundry, dump point, camp kitchen, barbecues, pool and a playground

Denham

Denham Seaside Tourist Village

With a position near the beach fit for a king, and the views to match, Denham Seaside Tourist Village is your best option in the area. It has good facilities and the fishing opportunities are famous.

Francois Peron National Park

Francois Peron has a range of camping areas with good facilities and great views – but you do need a 4WD to access any of the campgrounds in this national park.

Carnarvon

Quobba Station

You’ll find Quobba Station north of Carnarvon. There are two options for camping at Quobba Station – the campground next to the station or the far more isolated Red Bluff, which allegedly has the best sunsets this side of Australia.

Coral Bay

Peoples Park Caravan Resort

At $50 a night for an ocean-front basic site, Peoples Park Tourist Park is on the expensive side. But it offers a great position in the extremely popular Coral Bay, with good facilities – so you might think it’s worth a bit of extra cash.

Exmouth

Ningaloo Caravan and Holiday Resort

If you’re all about the location, you can’t do much better than this centrally located caravan park, which has accommodation ranging from cabins to campsites.

Ningaloo Lighthouse Caravan Park

This caravan park has ocean views, which is a top requirement when travelling along the Indian Ocean Drive.

Cape Range National Park

Unlike its southern neighbour, Francois Peron National Park, you don’t need a 4WD to access many of the campsites in Cape Range National Park. While the campsites facing the Indian Ocean are often windblown and exposed, the views are worth it. Sites book out at popular times of the year, so make sure to get in quick.

Bush Bay camping area

The trade-off for this campsite being free is that you have to be entirely self-sufficient – there are no facilities here. But there are fantastic views of the Indian Ocean, as this campsite faces Shark Bay Marine Park.

 

     

Our favourite summer camping spots

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Whitehaven Beach camping area, Whitsundays National Park

Whitehaven Beach camping area, Whitsundays National Park

Blue Pool camping area, Briagolong State Forest, Victoria

You won’t be able to resist cooling down in the delightful Blue Pool swimming hole – and this free, dog-friendly, no-bookings campsite is situated a short walk to the pool.

Whitehaven Beach camping area, Whitsunday Islands National Park, Queensland

A strictly limited number of people are allowed to camp in the brush behind Whitehaven Beach, which is routinely called one of the best beaches in Australia (including by us!) for its pristine white sand and turquoise water.

Lucky Bay camping area, Cape Le Grand National Park, Western Australia

Lucky Bay camping area, Lyndon Sparrow

Lucky Bay camping area, Lyndon Sparrow

If you camp at Lucky Bay, you’ll have to make a tough decision: do you swim in the sparkling blue ocean or soak up the rays (wearing sunscreen, of course) on the beach next to some lazing kangaroos?

Blue Waterholes Campground, Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales

Blue Waterholes Campground, Geri Dobson

Blue Waterholes Campground, Geri Dobson

It can feel like quite an adventure to get to Blue Waterholes Campground, which is hidden in the large Kosciuszko National Park. And the adventure continues once you get to the site, with hidden caves, waterfalls, walking trails, lookouts and plenty of 4WD tracks all nearby.

Jeanneret Beach camping area, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Tasmania

The only thing more unbelievable than the beauty of the Bay of Fires is that you can set up your tent or drive your caravan right up to this delightful cove – and it won’t cost you a cent.

West Bay camping area, Flinders Chase National Park, South Australia

West Bay almost feels as if it’s on the edge of the world. And it has the views (and shipwrecks) to prove it. Set up your tent on the cliffs above the beach.