Lonely PLANET’S BEST BEACHES

The Bureau of Meteorology, in pretty much every state and territory, is copping it harder than storms that have belted the east and north of Australia this summer.

Back in September last year, an official El Niño event was declared by BOM which apparently meant a likely hotter and drier summer than normal.

It wasn’t unexpected, given August to October were the driest three months in Australia on record since 1900.

The excitement for a beach summer, finally, was palpable.

While Western Australians have been in the ocean for months, on the other side of the country, it seemed like wading through flood waters was sadly a more likely scenario in parts of Victoria, NSW, the ACT and Queensland.

It’s been a horrific time for hundreds of thousands of people.

But it’s our beach culture, regardless of the actual weather, that is still a major drawcard the world  over.  The  beaches  are  showcased  in  just  about  every  single  tourism advertisement ever made.

85% of Australian residents live within a fifty kilometre radius of a coastline.

Australia boasts over 10,000 beaches, arguably the most in the world.

Locally, there are some 300 million beach visits by Australian residents very year. The busiest two remain Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach and the tourism mecca of Surfers Paradise beach on the Gold Coast.

Lonely Planet, the iconic travel guide, has done its own homework, conducting a full audit of the world’s best beaches. Tough job for those writers but I guess someone has to do it right?

Overall, they have named Bells Beach in Victoria, Cable Beach in Western Australia, Wineglass Bay in Tasmania, Squeaky Beach in Victoria, Tangalooma Beach in Queensland, Lucky Bay in Western Australia, Bondi Beach in Sydney and Whitehaven Beach in Queensland as Australia’s best.

Tourism WA Managing Director, Carolyn Turnbull isn’t surprised Broome’s Cable Beach is high on the list.

“Western Australia’s coastline stretches for 12,500km – the longest of any Australian state. Broome is one of the Western Australia’s most popular destinations, with an estimated 92,000 interstate and 36,000 international visitors heading to Broome per annum, prior to the pandemic,” she said.

Chris Zeiher, Senior Director, Trade Sales & Marketing for Lonely Planet in Australia, says beach life is intrinsic in our national psyche.

“Australia ranks very, very well when it comes to surf, sand, clifs and sea. Australian beaches are also free to visit and deliver incredible coastal scenery. And, with most of our major cities and regional centres not too far from a stretch of sand, there’s no excuse not to venture to the water’s edge,” he said.

Lonely Planet’s Sarah Reid, who explored Australia’s best beaches, isn’t surprised that we bat above our average on the global stage.

“There are thousands of beautiful beaches around the world, but a few factors give Australia’s 10,000-odd slices of sand the edge. Uncluttered by sunbeds or rubbish, always free to visit, and backdropped by spectacular coastal scenery of every kind, Australia’s beaches are simply unbeatable. Australia’s beaches also boast some of the world’s best waves, and an incredible diversity of birds and marine life,” said Ms. Reid

There are ofcially only 15 days left of summer (where summer has actually happened this year!!!) so, book that last-minute weekend away as some of the world’s best beaches are literally in our own backyard.

Where the bloody hell are you?

THE LONELY PLANET’S BEST BEACHES

SEE WHERE AUSTRALIA MAKES THE LIST