These 20 Beaches Have Been Named The Best In Australia

Alana is the staff writer on AWOL who thinks the…

Aussies have no shortage of incredible beaches, but now Tourism Australia has revealed the sandy spots that are set to become the top 20 for 2020.

The official list comes to us via Tourism Australia’s Beach Ambassador, Brad Farmer, who’s been reviewing beaches around the world for 35 years. He’s frolicked on most of our nation’s 11,761 coastal beaches first-hand, and now he’s ready to make a call on the best of the best.

[related_articles]74148,78881,73835[/related_articles]

The winner is Cabarita Beach, in the laid-back surf town of Cabarita on the NSW North Coast, tucked away between Byron Bay and the Gold Coast and less than an hour’s drive from both. It’s a quiet beach with great surfing, and a handful of gorgeous walks and cycling tracks winding around the coast.

NSW cleaned up in the top 20 list, with another five local beaches being featured. Ned’s Beach on Lord Howe island featured thanks to the colourful fish and turtles that inhabit the crystal-clear water, and Diamond Head beach was praised as an ideal spot for surfing, fishing or hiking.

But the official list includes a wildcard — for the first time ever, an inland beach made the cut. Coming in at number nine, Wagga Beach is a five-hour drive from Sydney and the coast, but Farmer said it’s “time we extend the meaning of a beach given there are so many aquatic environments across Australia’s interior.”

Some of Australia’s most popular beaches didn’t make it onto the list. Bondi, Jervis Bay and Whitehaven Beach are mysteriously absent, but you can check out the full list below.

Walt Disney World Resort’s Top Ten Attractions, Ranked

Australia’s Top 20 Beaches for 2020:

Cabarita (NSW)
Currumbin (Qld)
Minnamurra (NSW)
Maria Island (Tas)
Cape Tribulation (Qld)
Brighton Beach (Vic)
Bettys Beach (WA)
South Port Beach (SA)
Wagga Wagga Beach (NSW)
Lake McKenzie (Qld)
The Basin, Rottnest Island (WA)
Fingal Bay (NSW)
Smiths Beach (WA)
Neds Beach, Lord Howe Island (NSW)
Quobba Station Red Bluff (WA)
Cossies Beach (Indian Ocean)
Lake Tyers Beach (Vic)
Diamond Head (NSW)
Pondalowie Bay (SA)
Killiecrankie Beach, Flinders Island (Tas)

While you’re planning your summer adventures, check out our list of the best swimming spots in Sydney. Or maybe you just want to rent a private pool for your mates.