Better than overseas: Australia’s 15 greatest island beaches

From the hip beaches of our capital cities to the hidden coastal coves of our national parks, there are more than 10,000 stretches of sands to savour and explore across our wide brown-and-blue land.What’s more, there are almost as many islands around this island continent, too, many with amazing beaches – and who doesn’t love an island beach? Yet when it comes to holidays we often look to more distant shores.In this extract from Lonely Planet’s new Best Beaches Australia book, Traveller showcases some of the beaches belonging to Australia’s finest and often overlooked islands.Kangaroo Island/Karta Pintingga, SAVivonne Bay and the Southern Ocean.As We WanderThe beach Vivonne BaySign up for the Traveller Deals newsletterGet exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.The lowdown Strung along Kangaroo Island’s wild southern rim, Vivonne Bay is a striking contrast of wild and serene – an unhurried six-kilometre arc of bone‐white sand lapped by the swirling blues of the Southern Ocean. Backed by scrub‐topped dunes and a sleepy village, this slice of solitude still feels like a secret. Its waters, among the island’s clearest, shift from glassy calm to churning swells, their intensity softened by Point Ellen’s protective headland. The safest swim spot is south near the jetty, where the bay’s sheltered nook keeps waves at bay. Further north, the Harriet River mouth feeds into the sea, creating ever‐shifting sandbanks where dangerous currents lurk. A short drive away are the famed rock formations of the island’s Flinders Chase National Park.Make it happen Kangaroo Island can be reached from Adelaide by plane (30 minutes) or car (about four hours, including the 45-minute ferry ride from Cape Jervis). Vivonne Bay is 47 kilometres from the island’s airport and 90 kilometres from the Penneshaw ferry terminal.See tourkangarooisland.com.au TasmaniaSunrise over Wineglass Bay, Tasmania.Tourism TasmaniaThe beach Wineglass Bay, Freycinet PeninsulaThe lowdown It’s one of the most photographed sights in Australia: an arc of silica‐white sand curving around a bay shading from bright turquoise shallows to indigo where it meets the Tasman Sea, the entire scene encircled by the dusky pink Hazards Range and the forested hills of Freycinet National Park. Take a 30‐minute bush stroll from the lookout down to the beach itself, keeping your eyes peeled for echidnas and Bennetts wallabies. When you get there, be sure to walk barefoot on that 1.5-kilometre arc of fine sand and swim in the (chilly) water. Two circuit tracks in Freycinet National Park, one 11 kilometres and the other 27 kilometres, promise an even more immersive experience with both including a beach walk along Wineglass Bay and a night amid blue gums and Oyster Bay pines at the small, free campground at the beach’s southern end.Make it happen Coles Bay is 192 kilometres north-east of Hobart and 173 kilometres south‐east of Launceston. Buses travel to Coles Bay from Hobart and St Helens, 114 kilometres up the coast. See parks.tas.gov.auMoreton Island/Mulgumpin, QldWrecks off the shores of Tangalooma Beach.Tourism and Events QueenslandThe beach TangaloomaThe lowdown The world’s third‐largest sand island, Moreton Island/Mulgumpin is an idyll of blond sandy beaches, rolling dunes, native bushland and serene lagoons some 57 kilometres off the coast of Brisbane. With 95 per cent of the isle protected by the Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park and Moreton Island Recreation Area, it’s a sublime spot to unplug by the sea near Queensland’s capital. A thin ribbon of white sand backed by coastal scrub winds along the island’s protected west coast. Roughly in the middle, the section known as Tangalooma is famed for its 15 wrecks scuttled just offshore between 1963 and 1984 to create a safe anchorage. Now encrusted with corals and swarming with fish, it’s a popular snorkelling spot – Tangalooma means “where fish gather” in the language of the island’s Quanda‐mooka Traditional Custodians. Rays, dolphins, wobbegong sharks, turtles and elusive dugongs are also seen here.Make it happen Four daily passenger ferry services (75 minutes) depart from Holt Street Wharf in Pinkenba, Brisbane, and arrive at the Tangalooma Jetty on Moreton Island. A car ferry runs on a demand‐based schedule from the Port of Brisbane. Or visit on a day cruise from Brisbane.See queensland.comLord Howe, NSWPaddling off Lagoon Beach, Lord Howe Island.Destination NSWThe beach LagoonThe lowdown If ever a beach had an unfair advantage, it’s Lagoon Beach, which lies on the western side of one of the most naturally beautiful islands in the world. But the lagoon in its name is the real star: six kilometres long and about 100 metres wide, flanked by a sandy beach on one side and the world’s most southerly coral reef on the other, with two Tahiti‐like mountains at its southern end. It’s basically a colossal outdoor swimming pool that does double duty as an open‐air aquarium – for Lord Howe is home to more than 500 species of fish and 90 species of coral. And at the end of a day spent ocean swimming, snorkelling, stand‐up paddleboarding, sea kayaking or surfing (on the edge of the reef), Lagoon Beach promises golden sunsets, with mountain views, glimmering on the waters you’ve been immersed in all day.Make it happen Lord Howe Island lies almost 700 kilometres north-east of Sydney, at the same latitude as Port Macquarie. There are daily flights to the island from Sydney and weekly flights from Newcastle, Port Macquarie and the Gold Coast.Flinders Island, TasRed rocks border Trousers Point and its beach.Tourism TasmaniaThe beach Trousers PointThe lowdown Scalloped out of the rugged coastline of Flinders Island, the largest island in the Furneaux Group off the north-east coast of Tasmania, are more than 100 beaches. Fringed by tangerine lichen-covered boulders, they’re all beautiful, and never crowded. But there’s something extra special about “Trousers”, sheltered from the prevailing westerly wind and backdropped by the hulking granite peak of Mount Strzelecki. The shallow waters surrounding Flinders Island mean the water is warmer than you might expect at this latitude, and there’s good snorkelling around the picturesque headland – look out for weedy seadragons. On the foreshore you’ll find toilets, a campground, and the trailhead for the two -kilometre return Trousers Point coastal walk, one of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks.Make it happen Trousers Point Beach is 18.5 kilometres south of Whitemark, the island’s main town. A weekly car ferry runs between the island and mainland Bridport and takes about eight hours. Charter flights from Bridport take about 30 minutes. See visitflindersisland.com.auLady Elliot Island, QldSnorkelling off Lady Elliot Island.Tourism and Events QueenslandThe beach Lady ElliotThe lowdown One of the best ways to enjoy this 42‐hectare island is to walk around the crushed coral and sand beach encircling it, which takes about 45 minutes without stopping. Lady Elliot’s eco‐resort is on the east‐facing sunrise side of the island, where a shallow reef stretches towards the horizon, and durable plastic sunloungers provide a comfortable seat for quiet contemplation as the sun rises above the Coral Sea. You can only snorkel here at high tide, when you’re likely to meet a few turtles. Head clockwise around the island and look out for rare red-tailed tropic birds nesting under the octopus bushes lining the shore. As you round the southwestern corner of the island, see its 1893 lighthouse towering over the west-facing sunset beach. As the sun begins its evening descent, overnight guests gather here to watch the sky light up with a cool drink in hand and the sand between their toes.Make it happen Lady Elliot Island is only accessible by a small aircraft flight from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Brisbane, or the Gold Coast, arranged by Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort as part of your visit. Day trips are possible, but a longer stay is recommended.See ladyelliot.com.auTasmaniaBinnalong Bay, at the southern end of the Bay of Fires.Tourism TasmaniaThe beach Binalong Bay, Bay of Fires/LarapunaThe lowdown The long main beach in front of the small town of Binalong Bay in the north-east corner of Tasmania is part-outdoor gallery, part-artwork, with nature the artist. The sand is canvas white with the blue sky dialled to 11. The rounded granite boulders are cloaked in tangerine, a creeping lichen resembling splashed paint; and lapped by an aquamarine sea, clear as champagne, that glints in the sunshine. All of it tempting you to strip off, dash across the soft sand and plunge in. But beware – swimming in such a scene can be life-changing, like a saltwater ice‐bath on steroids, even in February, the warmest month in Tasmania.Make it happen Binalong Bay is 11 kilometres north-east of St Helens and 175 kilometres east of Launceston, at the southern end of the Bay of Fires Conservation Area that stretches 50 kilometres up the coast to Eddystone Point.See discovertasmania.com.au Norfolk IslandEmily Bay and the pines, Norfolk Island.The beach Emily BayThe lowdown Ringed by high volcanic sea cliffs and surrounded by deep ocean trenches and undersea mountains, Norfolk Island, classified as an external territory of Australia, is ruggedly natural. There’s a national park, multiple walking trails, and a botanical garden with eponymous pine trees growing everywhere. It all comes together at Emily Bay. One of the island’s best swimming beaches – and picnic spots – just happens to be within the Kingston UNESCO World Heritage Site, surrounded by Norfolk Marine Park. It’s a stone’s throw from the ruins of the island’s notorious penal settlement, and includes a pier, boathouses, prisoners’ barracks and a cemetery overlooking the sea. You can swim in water that’s as clear as a glacial stream, but warm all year round because Norfolk lies at the same latitude as Byron Bay in Northern NSW. Swim out a little way, and you can even snorkel over a coral reef.Make it happen Norfolk Island is 1400 kilometres east of Byron Bay. Flights to the island depart from Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland. Emily Bay is five to 10 minutes’ drive from the main township of Burnt Pine (be mindful of the island’s cows, which have right of way). See norfolkisland.com.au Maria Island/Wukaluwikiwayna, TasMaria Island and its Painted Cliffs, at one end of Hopground Beach.The beach Hopground BeachThe lowdown In its entirety, Maria Island National Park, 115.5 square kilometres, has several beautiful beaches. Given there’s a hulking quartet of concrete silos rising from the northern end of Darlington Bay, not everyone would immediately pick Hopground Beach as the island’s best. But its prime position, surrounded by history and wildlife, gives it an edge. Those silos are in fact the legacy of Italian entrepreneur Diego Bernacchi, who secured a long‐term lease of the convict-era island in 1884, planted a vineyard on the sloping hillside above Darlington Bay, and set up a cement work to use the island’s limestone deposits. Bernacchi’s island business empire eventually went belly up, with the silos – along with the home he built in 1890, now used by the Maria Island Walk – left standing as reminders of his ambitious pursuits. The grassy area around Hopground Beach doubles as the wildlife-rich island’s campground, so you can pitch up just steps from the sand and wake to wombats (and equally cute pademelons) grazing alongside your tent.Make it happen Maria Island/Wukaluwikiwayna is a 45‐minute ferry ride from Triabunna, which is 86 kilometres or a 75‐minute drive north-east of Hobart. See discovertasmania.com.au Rottnest/Wadjemup, WAIn for a paddle, Little Salmon Bay, Rottnest Island.Tourism Western AustraliaThe beach Little Salmon BayThe lowdown Slip beneath the shimmering surface at Little Salmon Bay, and you’re in another world – a shallow reef garden where coral fans sway with the tide, colourful fish cruise in lazy schools, and the occasional octopus peeks from a rocky hideaway. Located at the southernmost tip of Rottnest Island/Wadjemup, this secluded bay is home to a marked snorkel trail, with discreet underwater information panels guiding you through a maze of marine life. Offshore reefs create a natural swell barrier, making the bay an ideal snorkelling spot for families and beginners. Occasionally, Australian sea lions haul out on nearby rocks, and, above the water, sunbathers linger on soft white sand beneath limestone cliffs and low dunes.Make it happen Multiple daily ferries run to Rottnest Island from Fremantle (25 minutes), Perth (90 minutes) and Hillarys (45 minutes). Little Salmon Bay is five kilometres from Thomson Bay, the island’s main township. See rottnestisland.comKing Island, TasDisappointment Bay, on the wild waters of King Island.Alamy The beach Disappointment BayThe lowdown This remote beauty of a beach owes its name to a tragic shipwreck, one of more than 140 that haunt the coastline of King Island. At dawn on May 13, 1835, the ship Neva, transporting female convicts, free settlers and their children from Ireland to Sydney, struck submerged rocks. Of the 239 passengers, 224 lost their lives. It was one of the worst shipwrecks in Australia’s history. Today Disappointment Bay is a 1.7-kilometre stretch of white sand and smooth rocks book-ended by Cape Wickham and its 1861 lighthouse to the west, and the headland of Rocky Point to the east. It’s also a world‐class picnic spot, the perfect place to enjoy some award‐winning King Island cheeses while gazing out at the Southern Ocean.Make it happen King Island is in Bass Strait, about 80 kilometres off the north-western tip of Tasmania. There are regular commercial flights to the island from Melbourne, Launceston and Burnie. Disappointment Bay is at the island’s northern end, 43 kilometres from Currie, the main town. See kingisland.org.auFitzroy Island, QldIn the swing of it – Nudey Beach, Fitzroy Island.Tourism and Events QueenslandThe beach NudeyThe lowdown Cairns is not a beach destination with its muddy foreshore more popular with coastal birds. But with Fitzroy Island on its doorstep, it really doesn’t need to be. Now a national park, Fitzroy Island offers a classic tropical island experience just 45 minutes from Cairns. Ferries arrive at Welcome Bay, where a 1.2-kilometre return shaded rainforest track leads to small, undeveloped and interestingly named Nudey Beach which, despite its name, isn’t clothing‐optional. Book-ended by granite boulders, with turquoise water lapping its crunchy, white-coral sand, the setting is sublime. There is good snorkelling off the northern end of the beach, with pretty patches of hard and soft corals visited by angelfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish and wrasses, along with the odd green turtle.Make it happen The Fitzroy Flyer ferry runs three daily services between Cairns and Fitzroy Island in both directions. There is a resort with two restaurants and a campground on the island. See tropicalnorthqueensland.org.auTasmaniaSqueaky sand and aqua‐blue waters … Boat Harbour, Tasmania.The beach Boat HarbourThe lowdown The serene loveliness of Boat Harbour Beach belies its location on the north coast of Tasmania, facing Bass Strait, the strip of wild water between the island state and mainland Australia famous for its ship‐wrecking storms. But this squeaky‐sand cove embraced by green hills, with low headlands protecting its aqua‐blue waters, is one of Tasmania’s best kept secrets, a timeless seaside hamlet with beachfront cottages, no shops or traffic lights and a permanent population of about 80. It’s also supremely family friendly. There’s a playground, picnic tables and public barbecues, grassy areas for beach cricket or a game of Frisbee, and coastal walking trails in nearby Rocky Cape National Park. The Boat Harbour Beach Surf Life Saving Club also has the only cafe/restaurant in the village, right on the beach, where you can enjoy a flat white with your fish and chips while contemplating another swim.Make it happen Boat Harbour Beach is on Tasmania’s north coast, 80 kilometres west of Devonport, where the Spirit of Tasmania car ferries arrive from Geelong in Victoria, and 176 kilometres north-west of Launceston. See discovertasmania.com.au And our classic island-beach escapesWhitehaven Beach and its signature white sand.iStockWhitehaven Beach, Whitsundays, QldThe swirling pattern of aquamarine water and snow‐white sandbars at the northern end of Whitehaven Beach is one of Australia’s most photogenic natural icons. And when you sink your toes into its 98 per cent pure silica sands, seven-kilometre long beach, you’ll understand the hype. See tourismwhitsundays.com.auLizard Island, QldSunset Beach lies within the elegantly understated Lizard Island Resort, a one‐hour scenic flight from Cairns. It’s a beach for serenity, sea swims and sundowners; and because it faces west, it’s also sheltered from the easterly trade winds. Almost the entire island is a national park, and its waters, part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. See lizardisland.com.auNed’s Beach, Lord Howe Island, NSWOn the north-east coast of this natural wonderland lies Ned’s Beach. Wade into the gin‐clear water to swim or snorkel and you’ll immediately find yourself knee-deep in fish, all utterly unafraid of you. You’ll soon leave them behind and be drifting over Ned’s coral reefs; psychedelic in colour and activity. See lordhoweisland.infoSeventy-Five Mile Beach, K’gari, QldSpanning the entire east coast of the island national park of K’gari (formerly Fraser Island), 75 Mile Beach is one of Queensland’s wildest coastal frontiers. Stretching over 120 kilometres, it’s a sand highway, but do treat the beach with respect and keep your distance from native wildlife. See queensland.comThis story is an edited extract of Best Beaches Australia, published by Lonely Planet. RRP $49.99. See shop.lonelyplanet.com

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