Here is the scoop on the best beaches on the East Coast of
Australia. I have lived in northern NSW for 20 years and
during my periods of unemplyment, I made it my point to
visit every beach from Frazer island to Sydney. I have also
been north to Cape Tribulation and south to Jervis Bay. I
have also been to over 30 countries, so this is how our
beaches compare.
First, I consider the perfect beach to be small, no
pollution, crystal clear water and have forested headlands
and no settlement.
I don't like long beaches because they are generally
rougher. Anyone who has swum at Frazer Island or Surfer's
Paradise will know what I mean. The longshore drift on
these beaches will whisk you off your feet and deposit you
100m downcurrent in no time at all. Worse still are rips
that send a large body of water out to sea. One minute you
can be standing in waist deep water, the next you will be
over your head and 100m out to sea. Many people die each
year in rips - they are no lauging matter. And in general,
the larger, the beach, the more rips it will have.
If you like parties and "alternate culture", stick to the
tried and tested Byron Bay and Noosa Head. However, if you
want to get away from "civilization" and like walking and
finding secluded beaches (and have them to yourself), read
on.
My favourite beaches are around Jervis Bay, Hat Head
National Park and Fingal Head. It is very hard to find a
"bad beach" on the east coast, but these stand out. Also in
my opinion, these beaches are nicer than on the mainland of
North Queensland. I went up to Cape Tribulation (and
everywhere in between) last year and can say that
everything that you can see there, you can see in New South
Wales. Also the water up there was muddy (yes - muddy) and
very disappointing. The postcards that you see of blue
waters and no clouds were taken on those few days where
there was no wind and no rain for a week. The reality is
different. Judging from the amount of advertising, you
would think that Queensland is the best place for a
holiday. That is not necessarily the case. The only reason
that Queensland has this reputaion is because it has the
most agressive marketting campaign and is popular in July
and August when all the "snowbunnies" are pissed off with
the cold weather and need to thaw out. Outside those times,
the heat is oppressive and there are marine stingers in the
water that can kill in 3 minutes.
My favourite beaches are the beaches around Hat Head,
Fingal Head, Steamer's Beach at Jervis Bay and Gap Beach at
South West Rocks. These places don't see many (if any)
overseas tourists and quite often you will have the beach
to yourself. You will need your own transport and a good
map to find these places, but if you do get to them you
will think them much nicer than Byron Bay or Nossa Head.
The two best beaches in Sydney (by the way) are Shelley
Beach at Manly and Neilson Park at Vaucluse. You can get to
these beaches by public transport and the water at both is
sensational.
Even in Sydney, I go rock fishing and get to places where I
can't see a soul. If you really want to escape to such
places, try walking around the rock platforms under Rosa
Gulley, north from under the "ladders" behind the North
Bondi Golf Course and around the platforms at Old Man's Hat
at Manly. As well as being red-hot fishinf places, the
chances are, you won't see a soul (these places may be a
bit dangerous to get to - so be careful).
If you want more advice, please e-mail me. And I don't want
any flamimg from Queenslanders!
[There are 2 posts - the latest was added on Tue 18 May, 21:46]
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Hat Head and South West Rocks. Just returned form a few
days in that area. Not many people about and the beaches
were absolutely beautiful.
The view from Smoky Cape Light house is something to see.
Bryce's comments about inshore waters in the north are
mostly true...after a lifetime diving along the coast of
Northern NSW and Queensland as far as Cape Trib, what I miss
most of all in NQ where I live is clear inshore water. The
basic problem is the Great Barrier which traps the sediment
runoff inshore and blocks the ocean currents which clean the
southern beaches and Sydney's sewage. This means to get the
water clarity for diving you need to get offshore a few
miles unless you are very lucky with weather and tide or you
are somewhere with little runoff like Bowen which still has
pretty inshore diving in spots. Most other places there are
just too many cane farms covering the reefs!
There must be hordes of photographers poised with their
polaroid filters, waiting for those "one day of the year"
shots for the tourist brochures! (Except for Whitehaven
Beach, there it's all true!!)
That said, there's still plenty to see...enjoy it!