The Bay of Fires, a beautiful piece of wilderness coastline in the north-east corner of Tasmania, stretches from Eddystone Point in the north to Binalong Bay in the south. Characterised by stunning blue water, fishing lagoons, spotless white sandy beaches and orange lichen covered granite boulders, the area is often mentioned internationally in lists of the world s top beaches. A place of tranquil beauty and one of Tasmania s most popular tourist destinations, this 29-kilometre ribbon of sea, surf and sand is renowned for its island beach culture, cosy cottages and nature walks, not to mention its natural beauty.
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Jutting out between The Tasman Sea and Great Oyster Bay on Tasmania s east coast, the Freycinet Peninsula is a rugged and beautiful stretch of land, noted for its white-sand beaches, secluded coves, panoramic vistas, rocky cliffs and excellent bushwalks through the Freycinet National Park. In its own way Freycinet National Park is one of Australia s most interesting wilderness areas where else in the world do you see red granite cliffs tumbling into the cold ocean?
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An extremely scenic part of Tasmania that is dominated by rolling pastures and heavily timbered hills and surrounded by dramatic coastline of sheer cliffs, towering rocky outcrops, sheltered bays and sea caves. Walking tracks and kayaks give access to the area’s more isolated corners. And if that isn’t enough to entice you to jump on a plane to Tassie and go see it for yourself, there’s the added bonus of the peninsula being steeped in Australia’s convict history; it contains some of the country’s most important convict heritage sites, the jewel in the crown being the Port Athur settlement.
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Surrounded by over 50 mostly uninhabited islands, more than 65 shipwrecks and with over 120 pristine beaches, Flinders Island is a great place for a relaxing, rejuvenating holiday, being set amid the tranquillity of one of Australia s idyllic natural settings. Not many people live there, and not many people go there, so this is the place to be if you don t want to share the stunning scenery around you with the rest of Australia.
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Recognised as one of the world s most scenic drives, the Great Ocean Road follows the stunning coastline of Victoria s south-west. Stretching from Torquay, just south of Geelong, to Allansford, east of Warrnambool, the road winds along cliff tops beside breathtaking headlands, down onto the edge of beaches, across river estuaries and through rainforests, offering ever-changing panoramic views of Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean.
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One of the most dramatic sections of coastline on the Australian mainland occurs on the promontory 32km to the south west of the town of Port Lincoln, South Australia, at the foot of the Eyre Peninsula. Whaler’s Way, a series of unsealed tracks which pass through private property along its 14km length, give access to the area. The highlight is a series of natural crevasses, giant fissures in the rocky coastline which have created deep bays and chasms in the rock into which the sea surges back and forth. These crevasses are of varying depths, lengths and widths.
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These iconic cliffs line the shore of the Nullarbor Plain and head of the Gt Australian Bight on the South Australian side for 200 km right to the WA border. They are around 70 metres in height and are the remains of an ancient ocean bed that was subject to geological uplifting millions of years ago. Something remarkable to ponder is the fact that as you drive across the Nullarbor you are in fact driving accross the floor of an ancient sea bed. On blue sky days, the sight of these cliffs are truly hypnotic and awe inspiring. Between June and October Southern Right whales breed and train their young in the shadow of the cliffs. A lookout allows travellers on the Nullarbor to stop and view these giant creatures from the clifftop above.
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Cape Le Grand National Park contains some of the most stunning and unique bays in Australia. One of these is Lucky Bay – it stretches for over five kilometres, offering a magnificent stretch of beach and sparkling clear blue water. Here, seaweed accumulates in deep spongy masses and provides the interesting spectacle of the local kangaroos descending to the beach of an evening to dine on fresh seaweed and afterwards laze around on the sand and are happy to interact with visitors.
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Easperance is a coastal port and the only major town on Western Australia’s south east coast. The ocean here is crystal clear, the waters are a deep aqua colour; the coast is lined with stunning pink granite outcrops and offshore there are a myriad islands. Seals, dolphins and whales (in season) abound. It is one of Australia’s most serenely picturesque stretches of coastline.
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Rottnest Island, a short distance off the coast near Perth, is a true island paradise. Apart from Island Board vehicles, there are no cars. You either walk or cycle – all of which are conducive towards everyone moving at a very leisurely pace. The island’s small sheltered bays and coves, the white beaches and turquoise waters of the island’s attractive coastline, all seem to beckon the visitor to stay a while and take in the sights. The island’s semi-tame quaint marsupial residents, the Quokka, also get in on the act, popping out of the bushes as walkers approach their hideouts in the low scrub.
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Coral Bay is a beautiful and popular tourist spot in WA’s North West Cape area that many call pure paradise. Coral Bay is home to Ningaloo Reef – one of the rare places on earth where you are able to walk from the beach straight onto a coral reef. Ningaloo is a virtually untouched barrier reef of 260km length protecting a shallow, brilliant white sandy lagoon of clear tropical waters. More than 500 species of tropical fish and 220 species of coral make up the Ningaloo Reef.
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The region known simply as The Kimberley takes its evocative name from its most imposing landmark; an ancient mountain range visible from the rugged sea coast. The majority of Australians don’t even know it exists, as it is one of the most remote corners of the country, but its coastline is nothing short of stunning. According to all who have seen it, no other coastal strip in Australia comes near it in terms of its ability to inspire awe and wonder.
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The Gulf Coast is that part of the Northern Territory which borders on the Gulf of Carpentaria, a large, warm and shallow body of water that separates the north of Australia from Papua New Guinea. It is here where those in the know come to enjoy a little solitude and some of the best fishing in Australia. Over 20 rivers drain into the gulf, its mangrove lined shores are very sparsely populated due to its isolation. All of this makes the Gulf an incredibly productive destination for fly fishing and sports fishing alike.
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A place of breathtaking beauty with rugged mountain ranges rising sharply behind the narrow coastal strip, dense rainforest tumbling down the mountains to the beaches, and a bewilderingly rich variety of flora Cape Tribulation National Park features long sandy beaches, rocky headlands and steep mountain ranges intersected by numerous creeks and rivers. One of Australia’s last extensive stands of lowland rainforest is found here. Impenetrable ranges, rising steeply from the coast, are blanketed with dense upland rainforests supporting many ancient plants and animals.
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If you are looking for a picture-perfect tropical paradise on the Australian mainland, the trendy hideaway township of Mission Beach fits the bill perfectly. Mission Beach, midway between Cairns and Townsville, could well appear on any postcard requiring a long sandy beach lined with palm trees. The impressive Dunk and Bedarra Islands sit off the coast just to make the picture even more perfect. Mission Beach is surrounded by a lush backdrop of World Heritage Listed wet tropical rainforest, endless white sandy beaches and the silvery shimmering blues of the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef.
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If you are looking for a picture-perfect tropical paradise on the Australian mainland, the trendy hideaway township of Mission Beach fits the bill perfectly. Mission Beach, midway between Cairns and Townsville, could well appear on any postcard requiring a long sandy beach lined with palm trees. The impressive Dunk and Bedarra Islands sit off the coast just to make the picture even more perfect. Mission Beach is surrounded by a lush backdrop of World Heritage Listed wet tropical rainforest, endless white sandy beaches and the silvery shimmering blues of the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef.
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Cape Hillsborough is one of the most scenic mainland locations on the central Queensland coast; it features rock-strewn, sandy beaches, hoop pine-dotted hillsides plunging towards the sea, subtropical rainforest and mangrove-fringed wetlands. But what visitors like best is the rare treat of viewing wallabies on the beach around sunrise or late evenings. They go down to the water’s edge to nibble seed pods that have been washed up onto the beach overnight.
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Cape Hillsborough is one of the most scenic mainland locations on the central Queensland coast; it features rock-strewn, sandy beaches, hoop pine-dotted hillsides plunging towards the sea, subtropical rainforest and mangrove-fringed wetlands. But what visitors like best is the rare treat of viewing wallabies on the beach around sunrise or late evenings. They go down to the water’s edge to nibble seed pods that have been washed up onto the beach overnight.
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Because the city of Sydney is idylically set on one of the most beautiful harbour in the world, it is easy to forget it is also bounded on its east side by one of the most picturesque stips of coastline on the Australian eastern seaboard. Between the dramatic Barrenjoey headland in the north and the cliffs bordering Royal National Park in the south, are some of Australia’s most famous beaches – Bondi and Manly, to name two – not to mention the cliffs of North and South Head which guard the harbour’s entrance.
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The New South Wales South Coast region, which extends from the southern extremities of suburban Sydney down to the Victorian border, is similar to the NSW North Coast in that it is hemmed in by the mountains of the Great Dividing Range on one side, and the Pacific Ocean on the other. But the similarities between the two regions end there. Set against a backdrop of craggy mountains, gentle hills, lakes and forests, the coastline to the south of Sydney is varied, with ribbons of white sandy beaches punctuated by rocky head lands, bays and inlets.
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Almost an island, The Prom, as it is affectionately known, is a wild and desolate headland of some 42,000 ha which projects out from the mainland into Bass Strait. It is the southernmost tip of mainland Australia. Mountainous, heavily wooded and with an average annual rainfall of 1,143 mm, it abounds in wildlife, native flora and its spectacular coastal scenery – which is peppered with granite boulders – is visible from the many walking tracks through it.
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