Long Coastline, HUGE Landmass, Low Population.

Our amazing unspoiled coastline, stunning natural attractions give us a fantastic array of AMAZING Australian coastal and beach holiday destinations!

So how do you choose one?

I’ve made it easy with my two-part virtual tour – so sit back, slip on your sunnies*, sip something soothing, and get set for a stunning scenic All-Around-Australia tour of 12 coastal destinations to inspire YOUR next holiday!  And look out for Part Two coming SOON!

For more information, click each heading below!

1.  Port Fairy, Great Ocean Road, Victoria

Choosing a vacation base along the 400 km (~248 mile) long Great Ocean Road trail starting at the South Australian border and stretching nearly to Melbourne is WAY too hard.  It’s got (almost) too many surf beaches, shipwreck sites, holiday towns, hiking tracks, National Parks, cafés and historic points of interest.

But you have to start somewhere. So for a cross-section of what the Great Ocean Road has to offer, base yourself at Port Fairy.  It’s a 2-bakery teaser with historic Griffiths Island and lighthouse (photo above).  There’s also a Short-tailed Shearwater nesting spot, site of the Bonney Upwelling phenomenon, and a rich maritime heritage with magnificent coastal scenery.

Plus access to a LOT of other attractions at nearby towns Portland and Warrnambool!

2. Port Philip Bay, Victoria

Bird watchers like me just don’t understand why most visitors to Melbourne don’t want to visit the sewage ponds at the Western Treatment Plant – one of the best birding hotspots in OZ.

Weirdly, many non-birding visitors seem to prefer water sports, sailing, swimming, fishing, cruising and hiking.  Not to mention visiting the many National Parks, gardens, lighthouses, historic sites and cultural hot spots.  They’d probably agree that Melbourne exists merely as accommodation while they indulge in the amazing variety of water- and beach-based activities in, on and around Port Philip Bay.

35 times larger than Sydney Harbour and home of Australia’s biggest cargo port, finding enough things to do on your seaside holiday won’t be a problem.  If all else fails, just chill out on one of the many beaches and soak up the coastal culture!

3. South West Rocks, New South Wales

We were horrified to hear that the unspoiled fishing village of South West Rocks we’d ‘discovered’ in the 1990s was a favourite of Ray Martin, one-time Aussie TV ‘personality’.  It took a temporary dive in our estimation.

Its array of attractions include Macleay River fishing, the staggering scenery from Smoky Cape Lighthouse, hiking trails, a superb bakery, hinterland and nearby towns to explore.  There’s Trial Bay Gaol, and Hat Head, Stuarts Point and Scotts Head (all with GREAT beaches).  So it made a speedy recovery and it’s still one of our all-time favourite NSW coastal spots.

We haven’t yet spotted Ray there … but who knows?  You might get ‘lucky’!

4.  Broken Head, New South Wales

The amazing Northern Rivers region of NSW has (arguably) some of the best beaches and coastal scenery in Australia.  The coast also includes the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse on Australia’s most easterly point.

But wilder and less crowded is the little hamlet of Broken Head just a short distance south of Byron Bay with the best of both worlds.  It’s an awesome coastal holiday destination in its own right. It’s also easy to access the amazing beaches and other attractions in the whole region.

You might need more reason to visit than the magnificent stretch of rainforest-lined unspoiled beach that curves all the way round to Cape Byron.  If so, stop dodging the scrub-turkeys in the car park and dodge the surfers and fishermen instead on the coastal walk south across the Head to the beaches and wilderness beyond. Interpretive signs explain historic and cultural points of interest, and the view goes on forever …

On a good day, it’s pretty hard to beat!

5. Mon Repos, via Bundaberg, Queensland

There’s a lot more to do in the coastal town of Bundaberg than see turtles, but nearby Mon Repos Conservation Park is one of the largest turtle rookeries in Australia.  That makes it an interesting beach holiday destination.

At night during laying season (Nov to Jan), female turtles lay their eggs on the beach – and a few lucky people, supervised by the interpretive centre, are privileged to watch.

If you’re thinking I look a bit rough in this November 1998 photo, it’s because it’s about 3:00 am – the turtles don’t perform on demand!

This is an extraordinary opportunity to see something amazing – and a must-do for your coastal vacation bucket list!

If turtles aren’t your thing, a tasting trip to the Bundaberg Rum factory – it also makes a killer Ginger Beer and selection of fruit-flavoured soft drinks – might do the trick!

6.  Cooktown, Queensland

It’s quite possible that every visitor to Cooktown has a photo of the 1885 Grassy Hill Lighthouse. Not to mention the killer view along the wild and heavily-rainforested coastline.

Its colonial history includes a visit of several weeks by Captain Cook (yes, THAT one) while repairing the Endeavour.  There was also a busy port that serviced the nearby Palmer River goldfields.

Now a popular winter fishing destination, it’s also a jumping off point for one of the most iconic of Australian road-trips. Yes, you guessed right—the trek to the most northerly point in Australia, Cape York!

7.  Darwin, Northern Territory

Australia’s most northerly major city, Darwin isn’t for the fainthearted. The town was virtually destroyed by bombings during the 2^nd World War and again by Tropical Cyclone Tracey on Christmas Day, 1974. Regularly lashed by tropical storms and isolated by floods during the annual ‘Wet’ season (Nov-March), its tropical waters contain crocodiles and stingers.

Fair-weather tourists like me who venture this far north during the ‘Dry’ are rewarded with magnificent tropical scenery, milder temperatures and the most laid-back lifestyle in OZ.

If you like your coastal holidays served up with a dash of adventure – think fishing in crocodile-infested waters and or even bird watching in a crocodile infested dam – then head to the beaches of Darwin.  But give the swimming a miss!

Across the bay by ferry, holiday town Mandorah is a taste of the tropics at their best.

I don’t know if I’ll ever visit Darwin during the Wet. But its a sure thing I’ll be back there one day to experience it’s Aussie Winter 30ºC (86º F) temperatures again!

8.  Broome, Western Australia

Likely the worst photo you’ll ever see of Broome’s famous ‘Staircase to the Moon’, this shot is a wordless warning to anyone attempting low light photography.  Don’t forget those pre-requisites: a) tripod; b) shutter release cable; and c) skill!

Sceptical of its ‘uniqueness’ – it’s just the moon rising over water and mud for goodness sake, and that happens in LOTS of places – seeing the real thing’s actual resemblance to a staircase (don’t look for this in my poor pic) changed my mind.

Luckily, there’s plenty more to do in the coastal pearling town of Broome if moonlight and mudflats don’t quite do it for you.

Broome has some of the most amazing coastal scenery – and highest tides – in Australia. It’s colours are a perfect backdrop to exploring the rugged coastline and amazing beaches like world-famous Cable Beach, and other gems like often-almost-deserted Coconut Wells beach.There’s also the swirling tidal patterns of Willie Creek – also home to a pearl farm!

An interesting array of cultures makes the regular outdoor markets on ‘Staircase’ nights a must-do.  As is exploring dinosaur footprints and the lighthouse at nearby Gantheaume Point.  Broome is best enjoyed as a beach holiday destination during the milder Aussie winter (June-August).

9.  Quobba Blowholes, Western Australia

Never turn your back on an active blowhole – if you want to stay dry, that is!! By a happy coincidence, the tides were perfect for optimum blowhole performance, and some dodging and weaving around the rocks ensured we didn’t get too wet. Not that it would have mattered – the perfection of a fine, warm and sunny winter’s day on Western Australia’s Outback Coast means we would have dried out pretty quickly!

But high-pressure sea spray bursting through rockholes isn’t the only kind of blowhole on offer below the impressive Quobba lighthouse and beautiful bay – whales are also sighted along this stretch of coastline.

For a different perspective, try blowhole-spotting from the vantage point high above at the lighthouse. It’s easier than it looks as the white spray stands out perfectly against the deep, deep blue of the sea!

There’s a campground near the blowholes, but there’s also plenty of things to do at nearby Carnarvon – a coastal town known for its produce, and a well known winter holiday destination for those escaping the southern cold.

10.  Kalbarri, Western Australia

With one of the most distinctive coastlines in OZ, the layered sandstone of Kalbarri’s 100 metre high cliffs can sometimes overshadow its other main attraction – the 500+ wildflower species for which the area is renowned!

But a series of cliff top walks atop sheer drops right down into the wild and whale-ridden waters of the Indian Ocean make the high concentration of shipwrecks – such as the Batavia in 1629 – unsurprising.

If you can tear yourself away from the cliffs, the impressive Murchison River, after carving its way through the sandstone from 80 km inland, enters the sea at Kalbarri in the shadow of the magnificent Red Bluff. The Kalbarri National Park – full of birds, wildlife and wildflowers – surrounds the town. Just up the road is the World Heritage area of Shark Bay, another beach holiday destination.

But who needs other attractions when all roads lead to the stupendous cliffs?!

11.  Head of Bight, South Australia

Its pretty hard to just drop in to Head of Bight – at the very top of the Great Australian Bight stretching across much of southern Australia’s coastline.

It’s at least a couple of days drive along the Eyre Highway from the closest major town in any direction.

But if you’re driving Australia’s best known road trip across the Nullarbor from June to October, you’ll find a southern right whale nursery under the unbroken 200 km line of the fabulous Bunda cliffs that mark where the world’s largest karst limestone formation meets the Great Southern Ocean.  It’s also the longest continuous line of sea cliffs in the world.

But the whales are the main attraction, and they’re easily seen from the viewing platform below the cliffs.  They’ll make spending your vacation on that long drive across the middle of nowhere worthwhile!

12. Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

The long coastline around the Yorke Peninsula, a narrow neck of land a couple of hours from Adelaide, virtually guarantees one of the highest concentrations of amazing beaches (often deserted), spectacular natural attractions AND coastal Scenic Public Toilets in Australia!

The perfect beach holiday destination, it’s also got some great hiking trails, including ‘Walk the Yorke’ around the whole peninsula.  There are also lighthouses, shipwreck sites and great scenic drives along the rugged coast. Then there’s the dolphin and seal spotting.  AND the fishing …

Well, that’s Part One done!  Stay tuned for Part Two with another 12 of Australia’s best coastal and beach holiday destinations – and another virtual tour of the whole coastline!

The post 12 HOT Australian Coastal and Beach Holiday Destinations – Part 1 appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Visit Innes National Park on a fine day and if you don’t end up with a photo that looks close to the one above, you’re just not trying!

But joining the ‘Entrance to Innes National Park’ photo club isn’t the only reason to visit this smallish 9400+ hectare National Park.  It’s around 300 km from Adelaide on the toe of the ‘ill shaped leg’ (take the link to see it on the map) that is South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula.

Although I’d been here several times over the last few years, we had never actually stayed there until now. We left the camper trailer at home and stayed in the restored Engineers cottage in historic Inneston for a few days, right inside the park with entry fees included in the tariff.

If only I could say that this meant getting up early for sunrise shots, but alas …

However, being on site made our exploration MUCH more leisurely!

So let me give you my updated insider’s TOP 7 things to do – a true traveller’s teaser taste of all that’s GREAT about this FAAAABULOUS spot!

1.  The Wildlife

Thanks to a close encounter at Inneston, I know EXACTLY what to do if attacked by an emu! Just raise your hands above your head, and walk backwards until you get to a place where you can run like hell!!

You might have to forget the photo …

Getting a little too close to an emu with chicks during spring hatching season isn’t recommended. In a civilised gender role reversal rarely seen elsewhere in the animal kingdom, it’s the male who sits on the eggs and cares for the young – the female is long gone by then!

But hard core twitchers* come here for the rare Western Whipbird – the reason for the park’s proclamation in 1970, it’s virtually the whipbird’s southernmost limit and one of the few habitats preventing it from being a Western Australian endemic. It’s also a known nesting area for Malleefowl with regular sightings in and around Inneston.

And if you don’t see a kangaroo somewhere in the park, don’t bother buying a lottery ticket … you’re obviously the world’s most unlucky person!

2.  The Scenery

If magnificent (and nearly empty) beaches, rugged rocky cliffs, towering sand dunes, coastal vegetation, jewel like islands, lakes and wild coastlines leave you cold, then Innes National Park probably isn’t for you.

But while you’re gazing out over the Great Southern Ocean at a cliff top lookout, bear in mind that if not for the sea spray, waves and curvature of the earth, you’d be able to see clear to Antarctica!

3.  The History

The four clans of the Aboriginal Narungga nation maintain strong cultural links to the Yorke Peninsula area, and the historic campsites and shell middens found in the park.

Charted by Matthew Flinders over 200 years ago, the remains of civilisation from the area’s early 1900’s settlement are scattered throughout the park, including the not-quite-ghost-town of Inneston, unsurprisingly established by William Innes. In its heyday, Inneston’s Gypsum mining, with a port at nearby Stenhouse Bay supported a peak population of around 200.

Interpretive signage along the Investigator Strait Shipwreck trail tells tales of the treacherous rocks, reefs and unpredictable weather that sank many ships. Down on Ethel beach, the ever-diminishing remains of the Ethel, wrecked in 1904, show how dangerous these waters can be.

4.  The Lighthouses

And that’s where the lighthouses come in! There’s good reason why the lighthouses at Cape Spencer (see photo above) and West Cape – both accessible by short walking trails – are still operational, with Cape Spencer lighting up the night sky a short distance from our accommodation at Inneston.

But the unusual designs of all-metal West Cape and rectangular Cape Spencer lighthouses AND the amazing vistas from Cape Spencer over the cliffs and out to the Althorpe group of islands (where the Althorpe Island lighthouse overlooks 6 shipwrecks) and the panorama from West Cape across Pondalowie Bay (see photo below) make them worth re-visiting at any time of day!!

Which is the best?? It’s a near thing – but its scenic public toilet to die for (Yes! It’s in MY BOOK!) gives West Cape the edge!

5.  The Wildflowers

It’s worth visiting the park in a good season just for the bright RED Cocky’s Tongue lining the roads. And the RED Correa.

But believe it or not, there are also a few NOT RED wildflowers in Spring (Sept-Nov down here!) and half the fun of a walk in the park is finding them.

Heavily perfumed and delicately coloured Freesias are everywhere – especially in what were once the settled areas,

their beauty a compelling argument against getting rid of non-natives!

If you’re lucky enough to visit in spring, be warned! Wandering the tracks around Inneston can put you in quite serious danger of wildflower overload!

6.  The Beaches

Just how many miles of empty, unspoiled beach stretching off into the middle distance can you take? While access to some of the beaches may take a little effort with steep and treacherous tracks, who wouldn’t want to try to make it down to Browns Beach?  Where yes, there ARE two other people …

Or to explore the Ethel Wreck (see photo above)??

But I’ll leave it to you to decide if a bad weather day makes the West Cape beach more or less of an attraction!!

7.  The Walks

Exploring Innes National Park on foot is one of the best ways to experience everything.

Wander the 11 km round trip Gym Beach walk or the 4km return Royston Head hike for wildflowers, amazing coastal scenery and beaches. Do the 1 km loop West Cape Headland hike right past the lighthouse and that awesome view. Walk through Inneston and along the Thomson-Pfitzner Plaster trail for a taste of history, wildflowers and wildlife, and the short South Cape lighthouse walk for scenery.

And do the Stenhouse Bay Lookout walk for ALL of the above.

Yes, it’s SO sounding like you’re going to need to spend more than a day here, right? And given my total lack of photo manipulation skills, this really IS what it looks like. So if it seems as if the jewel-like Innes National Park with its bountiful natural attractions is just a little too good to be true, then my work is done.

But I don’t think I could prove electronic photo theft of my first shot given the omnipresence of ‘Entrance to Innes National Park’ shots on the web!

* Twitcher = Birdwatcher! Go figure!!

Want MORE?

• Walks of Innes National Park
• Innes National Park, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
• Inneston Heritage Accomodation, Innes National Park
• Yorke Peninsula in 7 Days – my Rocky Travel guest post
• More photos of Innes National Park and Yorke Peninsula on Flickr

The post The Jewel in the Toe – Innes National Park, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Any amenities in such a setting are duty bound to be scenic, and these eco-friendly composting toilets are no exception!

Artfully placed among the dunes below the West Cape Lighthouse, the conveniences are somewhat protected from the strong winds that signs in the area warn about.

Signs in the toilets themselves warn of feral bees – several drier than average years mean they tend to swarm where there is water.  BUT … happily the amenities remained bee-free during our visit!

And the view?  See for yourself!!  Across the road, the coastline rolls away to the southeast – wild and deserted. 

The post Australia’s Scenic Public Toilets #6 – West Cape Lighthouse, SA appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.