Australia’s best beaches & islands

WA’s barefoot paradise just got easier to visit

The Mackerel Islands – the sort of isles likely to be cast for an episode of Alone or Survivor – now have simple mod-cons for visitors.

• October 20, 2025
• Julia D'Orazio

Queensland’s ‘least likely paradise’ is not your standard resort island

Craig Tansley discovers that the McDonald’s and Bunnings outlets on Bribie Island just add to its unusual and secret charm.

• July 24, 2025
• Craig Tansley

• ★★★★

The only resort located on one of Australia’s most famous beaches

A stay at the finest resort in Broome makes me wish I had more time to spend in this remote town.

• July 5, 2025
• Kristie Kellahan

Captain Cook gave this island the wrong name, but somehow got it right

This Queensland island seems a likely candidate to revert to its original name, even if its current name does (unintentionally) seem fitting.

• April 25, 2024
• Craig Platt

How to do Queensland’s dreamiest islands without breaking the budget

Let Airlie Beach be the launchpad for your affordable island-hopping escape. Here’s where to eat, stay and play without spending a fortune.

• January 9, 2025
• Riley Wilson

10 beach towns that are better than Byron

Byron Bay may get the headlines, but there’s a lot more beach towns out there with far less traffic, and much lower prices.

• November 24, 2023
• Craig Tansley

How to pack for a beach holiday: The 11 essential items you should bring

It's time to hit the road for a beach holiday. Here are the items you should bring.

• April 11, 2023
• Sheriden Rhodes

Remote Aussie spot is a bucket-list item for fishing fans

Few visitors and plenty of fish in the waters of the coastal creeks and reefs and the Arafura Sea make this remote resort a prized destination.

• October 1, 2024
• Sue Williams

Australia is home to the world’s most beautiful puddle

Think blue-tinged water clear as a gin cocktail, pure white sand, and one of the world’s most unusual landscapes. This is a puddle for the Instagram age.

• September 28, 2023
• Brian Johnston

There are few overseas destinations that can match this paradise

When the pandemic kept Australia’s luxury travellers within our borders for almost two years, it was here they flocked.

• September 22, 2023
• Craig Tansley

Ten amazing, hard-to-reach Aussie beaches worth the effort

Australia is home to some of the world’s best beaches – but 43 per cent of them aren’t accessible by road.

• January 12, 2024
• Craig Tansley

Nine must-do highlights of Lord Howe Island

Stunning Lord Howe Island is home to the world's most southerly coral reef.

• March 4, 2022
• Elspeth Callender