These Are Australia’s Best Small Islands, As Rated By Travellers
Australia – basically one big island itself – is surrounded by a bunch of picturesque islands perfect for weekend excursions and getting back to nature.
TripAdvisor has revealed a list Australia’s best small islands based on user ratings, and it’s basically a hit-list of dream island escapes.
[related_articles]61214,28290,41721[/related_articles]A mix of historical sites, nature reserves and pristine archipelagos, the top ten are spread across Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales. Scroll down to see which islands made list (in no particular order).
Green Island, Cairns
Green island is a protected coral cay smack-bang in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef, just a stone’s throw from Cairns.
[related_articles]39963[/related_articles]Lady Elliot Island, Bundaberg
Sitting at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, Lady Elliot Island boasts some of its best snorkelling and diving spots.
Heirisson Island, Perth
Heirisson Island was named for a researcher aboard La Naturaliste, a French research vessel on a scientific expedition in the area. Today, it supports a causeway running from one side of Perth’s Swan river to the other.
Penguin Island, Rockingham
[related_videos]49889[/related_videos]Undeniably the cutest island to have made this year’s list, the unspoilt Penguin Island nature reserve is home to WA’s largest colony of little penguins. It’s also teeming with other wildlife, like dolphins, sea lions, pelicans and stingrays.
Granite Island, Adelaide
A prime spot for whale-watching between June and October, Granite Island is perched next to Victor Harbour, about 80km from Adelaide. It’s so-named for the huge granite boulders that pepper its circumference.
Frankland Islands, Cairns
The Frankland Islands is an archipelago of five impeccably Aussie islands: High, Normanby, Russel, Round and Mabel. They’re part continental island, part coral cay, and all are totally uninhabited.
Cockatoo Island, Sydney
A former penal colony and shipbuilding yard, much of Cockatoo Island’s heritage sites have been meticulously preserved; you can wander through them today. Smack-bang in the middle of the harbour, it boasts some of the city’s best views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and beyond.
(All images courtesy of TripAdvisor)
