Aussie surf and turf
Sometimes you need look no further than your own backyard for some of the world’s best beaches
Autumn is a gift for Australian beach goers. Ocean temperatures linger behind the seasons and often stay warm right through April. Out to sea storms generate powerful swells which become bigger and better as Autumn rolls on. Surfers can’t stop smiling. It’s an ideal time for families too. The sun is not nearly as feisty as in peak summer. You seek it out rather than run from it. Ice creams maintain their structural integrity. Thongs don’t stick to the tarmac. Small children don’t finish the day beetroot red. It’s perfect weather for barbecuing, fishing and playing beach cricket. But where do you go?
Australia is generously sprinkled with great beach towns. Nobody does them better. Broadly speaking, there are two main options. The most popular havens are usually within striking distance from a major city. Here you’ll find cafes, shops and restaurants lining the beach, bustling with sandy patrons. Drive a little further on and you’ll more likely to be surrounded by open space: empty beaches, bountiful national parks and curious wildlife. Instead of gawping at screens you’re camping with kangaroos, cooking over an open fire or sleeping under the stars. Choose wisely and you can combine the best of both approaches.
Noosa, Queensland
Two hours north of lies Noosa, one of Australia’s most glamorous beach towns. The township bustles with trendy cafes, designer shops and hip eateries but none outshine the enchantments of Noosa Point itself, a series of five classic surf breaks set in a shady national park. Bob McTavish, one of Australia’s best loved surfers, once described a good day at Noosa as “like having a cup of tea with god”. The waves are long and measured, ideal for elegant longboarding or determined learning. On any given weekend the surf will be packed with Australia’s broadest surfing demographic: from bodyboarding kids in floaties to sun-mottled grandmas showing everyone how it’s done. Noosa hosts Australia’s biggest surf festival in March every year which attracts big name legends and the world’s best longboarders. noosafestivalofsurfing.com
Crescent Head, NSW
If you were designing the perfect family beach town you’d be doing well to beat Crescent Head. Tucked away on the mid north coast, Crescent has everything you could want. There’s great fishing and surfing, a six-hole golf course adjacent to the waves and a teatree infused creek spanned by a pedestrian bridge you can fish or jump off. The campground is ideally located and very popular (prime cabins sell out years in advance) or else there are plenty of beach shacks for rent. The main street has a great family-run bakery, a proper fish and chip shop, a lovely health food cafe as well as a pub, a club and a post office which doubles as a surf shop. Everything is within walking distance. Crescent has a special place in the heart of many including the author Thomas Keneally, who has holidayed here since boyhood. Keneally is especially fond of the wild back beaches. “Each are fit to be nominated for the most beautiful beach on earth,” he told The Australian recently. macleayvalleycoast.com.au
Merimbula, NSW
The NSW south coast is dotted with beautiful beach towns and camp grounds. They tend to be prettier, less touristy and have far better bakeries than on the north coast. Gerringong, Milton, and Jervis Bay are among the most popular but further south Merimbula is worth the longer drive. Roughly equidistant between Melbourne and Sydney, Merimbula rarely gets inundated with tourists. The water can be cool (around 18C in April) but it’s rare clarity and colour earn the moniker, the Sapphire Coast. Merimbula is surrounded by lakes ideal for fishing, diving, paddle-boarding and growing the tastiest oysters in the land. It has a selection of fine restaurants including great Italian at Vicolo. Further south the neighbouring town of Pambula boasts a great skate park and arguably the best sausage rolls on the south coast (Wild Rye’s). merimbulatourism.com.au
Torquay, Victoria
Torquay, retail capital of the Surf Coast, is proudly and inescapably, a surf town. Two of the world’s biggest surf brands — Rip Curl and Quiksilver — started here and their mega retail stores dominate the highway through town. There are a dozen quality waves nearby including the prized Bells Beach, a National Surfing Reserve and home of the world’s longest running surf contest. The Rip Curl Pro runs over Easter and has been attracting the world’s best surfers since its inception in 1962. The cliffs and headlands around Bells provide a natural ampi-theatre to watch the action (arrive early to get a park). Torquay knows how to party especially at Easter, New Year and during schoolies week. Outside of peak season there is a more relaxed family pace. The cafe and food scene is vibrant, the locals friendly and it’s only a short drive from Melbourne’s Avalon Airport. visitvictoria.com
Apollo Bay, Victoria
The revered Great Ocean Road becomes no fuss Collingwood Street when it reaches Apollo Bay, before it forks inland to skirt the Otway Ranges. On one side of the main drag are a succession of cafes and small shops on the other the Southern Ocean in all its windswept glory. Apollo Bay is popular with surfers, fishers and nature lovers. Inland there are waterfalls and koalas to be found in the Otway National Park. Oceanside, anglers can caste for a feed from the jetty, the surf beaches or along the Barham River. If you’re feeling fit there’s a 100km walking track which goes all the way to the Twelve Apostles via some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Australia (and if you’re super fit, the Great Ocean Marathon happens in May). But generally, a visit to Apollo Bay is not about exertion. It’s about short walks and long lunches. Camera enthusiasts should pack a sturdy tripod to do the breath-stealing seascapes justice. visitgreatoceanroad.org.au
Port Elliot, South Australia
Adelaide beachgoers head to the Fleurieu Peninsula, a 45-minute drive to the east of the capital, whenever they feel like a relaxing weekend escape. The scenic coastline features an enticing mix of natural wonders and sensory delights. Set in sheltered Horseshoe Bay, part of the much bigger Encounter Bay, Port Elliot is often a huge pool of clear, calm water. It’s ideal for ocean swimming, snorkelling, diving and stand up paddle boarding. After a round of water activity, you’ll be ready to sample some of the food and wine for which South Australia is justifiably famous (try the beachside Flying Fish Restaurant). Victor Harbor, 10 minutes down the road, has more dining and nightlife options but there’s something special about a base in Port Elliot. It still has that small-town charm and egalitarian friendliness for which regional Australia is renowned. fleurieupeninsula.com.au
Yallingup, Western Australia
Margaret River hogs the attention but Yallingup, 40 minutes north, has its own charms. The small village is nestled in a national park wilderness and surrounded by the bounty of the south west: wineries, limestone caves, world class surf breaks, art galleries and boutique eateries. Western Australia’s best surfer, Taj Burrow, developed his formidable skills nearby at Smiths Beach and Rabbits and still calls the region home. Yallingup, which means “place of love”, is favoured by thrillseeking surfers, fishers and hikers but it’s also popular with whimsical art lovers and gourmands. The region boasts eight art galleries as well as the Warden Aboriginal Centre which tells the story of the south west’s first inhabitants. Wine lovers will want to book a tour of the nearby premier wineries or head for of the many great restaurants which specialise in local seafood. margaretriver.com
Coles Bay, Tasmania
Tasmania’s east coast enjoys a surprisingly dry climate and its lightly populated shorelines harbour some of the prettiest beaches in Australia, if not the world. This being Tasmania, the best examples require a little effort to reach but the experience is richer for the isolation. Coles Bay, 2.5 hours north of Hobart, is a scenic village with a sweeping view of mountain-rimmed Oyster Bay. You can happily splash about the bay in a kayak or fishing boat but the bigger siteseeing attraction is nearby in Freycinet National Park. Wineglass Bay, with its halfmoon of aquamarine water set against gleaming white sand, is nature at its finest. It’s best appreciated from an overlooking ridge, requiring a steep one-hour hike. Coles Bay caters for everyone from campers and caravanners to folks spoiling themselves at the five-star Saffire Freycinet Resort (voted world’s best boutique hotel in 2014). wineglassbay.com
Kalbarri, WA
Regional towns north of Perth are spaced so far apart they can feel like fuelling stops, for cars and humans. One notable exception is the attractive township of Kalbarri, a fishing village turned resort town with much to recommend it. It has great beaches for fishing and surfing but is perhaps more famous for the surrounding bushland. Kalbarri National Park is an ancient netherworld of winding gorges that look freshly carved by a rainbow serpent. Hikers can spend days exploring its many features, returning to Kalbarri for a fresh seafood meal at the local pub. Crayfish are so common around these waters they are known as the cockroaches of the sea. Kalbarri, six hours north of Perth, is at its best in early winter when hundreds of species of wildflower transform the landscapes into a patchwork of patterns and humpback whales tear holes in the sparkling Indian Ocean. Sunsets here are always worth raising glass to. kalbarri.org.au