It is possible to argue that Australia’s most beautiful island is Australia. Still, this country-continent also exports its best products overseas, and its more than 8000 islands offer escapes, adventure, and oddities for travelers of all kinds. Whatever your preference, discover Australia’s most beautiful islands.
1. Whitsunday Island beaches
Australia’s islands are home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches: Fitzroy Island, with its Nudie Beach, and Great Keppel, which boasts 17 stretches of serene sand. The Cocos Islands, located in the far reaches of the ocean, also have pristine shores. Drop your towel on Whitehaven Beach, located on North Queensland’s Whitsunday Island. Whitehaven’s 7km of pure white sand and turquoise waters, along with a lush tropical backdrop, have earned it accolades from experts around the world. The sand is 98% silica, which gives it its whiteness. It won’t even burn your feet on the hottest days in Queensland. This place is perfect.
2. Wildlife: Kangaroo Island
Macropods are everywhere, as well as sea lions and Koalas! Kangaroo Island is often referred to as a “zoo without walls” because of its large number of roaming wild animals. The island, Australia’s third-largest, is home to many species of fauna, from the seal bay waddling colonies to the endemic echidnas and the ‘roos’ that give it its namesake. Rottnest Island also has a population of 10,000 quokkas, which are known for their goofy smiles. In the east, Fraser, the largest sand island in the world, is home to pure-bred Dingoes.
3. Indigenous experiences: Bremer Island
Bremer Island, located off the coast of Eastern Arnhem Land, is a Top End delight, both visually and culturally. Bremer Island is remote and unspoiled by modern life. The Yolngu live on the island, and the Banubanu Beach Resort offers visitors an insight into local indigenous traditions and customs, such as basket weaving and crab catching. Thursday Island and the 100+ islands of Torres Strait to the northeast offer a unique insight into Torres Strait Islander culture and life.
4. Heron Island Diving
Heron Island, 90km off the coast of central Queensland, is one of the best diving spots in the world. The warm, clear water is home to sharks, rays, sea turtles, whales, and over 900 species of tropical fish. A World Heritage marine national park, Heron Island offers a variety of aquatic activities for all levels. An island-based research center provides insight into Heron’s underwater world. Heron Bommie, with its coral forests and schools of colorful reef fish, was Jacques Cousteau’s number-one dive destination.
5. Snorkelling: Lady Elliot Island
Lady Elliot Island is one of the most remote coral cays on the Great Barrier Reef. It’s worth the trip to see the manta rays, dolphins, whales, and other marine life. The island is one of the Reef’s most remote coral islands, so you will need to take a charter to reach it. However, the mantas, turtles, dolphins, and whales that inhabit the area make the trip well worth it. The corals – both hard and soft – are vibrant, healthy, and flourishing, thanks to the location of Lady Elliot in a marine park, ‘Green Zone,’ that offers sub-aquatic animals maximum protection.
6. Urban exploring: Cockatoo Island
Australia’s islands don’t all have palms. Cockatoo Island in Sydney is a gritty historical complex. It’s been a convict jail, a reform school for girls, an old shipyard, and a navy base. The Unesco World Heritage Site is a somewhat creepy but highly photogenic destination. It offers visitors evocative tours, cafes, bars, and live performances, as well as overnight accommodations ranging from waterfront camping to stays in a former fire station. On a quest for quirky? Melbourne’s rival city offers a tiny island-carousing experience at Yarra River’s drinking hole, Ponyfish Island.
7. Haggerstone Island Luxury Accommodation
There are many luxury islands in Australia. For the ultimate in-island luxury, try remote Haggerstone Island. It’s only a 2-hour private charter flight away from Cairns. By ‘it,’ we mean voluptuous villas or huts with exclusive access to pristine coral reefs. We also include custom adventures, delicious meals straight from the ocean, and privacy. Spend a lot of money and rent the entire island to yourself for the ultimate in privacy.
8. Magnetic Island Backpackers
It is a must for backpackers to visit Magnetic Island, also known as Maggie. Maggie, located just a stone’s throw away from Townsville, is a party island with raucous bars, boozy beach parties, and other zany antics.
9. Adventure on Lord Howe Island
You’re not kidding when you say that you want to get away from everything. Get to Lord Howe. It is 600km from New South Wales. The island has a maximum of 400 visitors (its permanent population is only 350). Mobile phone coverage is poor, wi-fi is unreliable, and Mount Gower is the biggest attraction on land. You’ll likely be alone at this lonely mountain peak. If you’re looking for company, try Ned’s Beach. Its clear, shallow water is home to hundreds of friendly fish.
10. Whale Watching in Tasmania
Head south to Australia’s largest island, and you will find plenty of spouters. The east coast of Tasmania is directly on the path of migration for thousands of whales. These include humpbacks and southern right whales, as well as orcas, blues, and other species. The rugged Bruny island, two hours south of Hobart, is an ideal place to go whale watching. Between May and July, you can catch humpbacks as they migrate north, and between September and November, they return to the frigid feeding grounds.
