Being Australia’s most remote brewery, we hanker after beaches with fewer footprints on them. We especially love the kind that locals keep to themselves (and frankly, we don’t blame them). So, from Australia’s nearly 11,000 beaches, we’ve plucked a handful of secret, sandy spots that you need to know about.
BEYOND BROOME: Coconut Well, WA
Revealed only at low tide, Coconut Well looks and feels completely untouched. There’s an endless, sugar-white beach, rockpools filled with turquoise water and a jagged outcrop of pinnacle-like rocks. It’s suitably remote: drive half an hour north of Broome on Coconut Well Road, then hike over sand dunes before reaching this far-flung extension of famous Cable Beach. Wander to the weather-crafted rock formations, where you’ll spot all manner of sea creatures left behind by the receding tide. Tidal movements are dramatic in the Kimberley, so expect to walk quite a way to dip your toes in the ocean. Check the tides here. This being in Broome, we reckon having a Matso’s beer in hand only betters the experience.
BEYOND BYRON: Torakina Beach Reserve, NSW
Byron Bay’s little secret is described as a “hidden paradise” complete with motionless, crystalline water, bush that edges the soft sand and public barbeques primed for a sausage sizzle. The petit cove is tucked away in Torakina Park at the point the Brunswick River flows into the ocean. It’s an easy 20min drive north of bustling Byron and only a 5min stroll from Brunswick Heads’ café strip. The trees offer handy shade, while the shore is primed for sandcastles and paddling. Bring an esky and make a day of it on the grassed picnic area nearby.
BEYOND VICTOR: Rapid Bay Beach, SA
South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula is a coastal wonderland waiting to be discovered. Backed by towering cliffs, Rapid Bay is one of its many pristine pockets of sand. The ocean beams highlighter blue on a sunny day, and draws divers and snorkellers searching for a leafy seadragon or exploring the submerged shipwrecks. The bay’s extra-long jetty is a lure for fisher folk, while numerous caves captivate the curious (the best ones are reached by kayak). Search for a boulder carved with W.L., the circa-1830 initials of Colonel William Light, who chose the capital city site for SA. The beach is 105 kilometres south of Adelaide, and ps, the view-blessed drive there is half the fun.
BEYOND FREYCINET: Honeymoon Bay, TAS
With a name like that, you know you’re going to swoon on arrival. This transformative little treasure is squirrelled away in Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park, and often forgotten - everyone else is too distracted by well-known Wineglass Bay, just nearby. Fringed by native bush and facing the Hazards mountain range, you can swim and snorkel in translucent waters, hop over the rounded granite rocks and watch for wildlife along forest walking tracks. Take the trail from the Freycinet Visitor Centre the sheltered bay, and steal a peek at glamorous Freycinet Lodge en route.
BEYOND THE GOLDIE: Froggy Beach, QLD
Now that the Hemsworth brothers have blown the lid on Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach – both epic 4WD getaway spots north of Noosa – we give you the tip on Gold Coast secret, Froggy Beach. Delivering palm trees, rockpools and surfable breaks (it lies between popular surf spot, Snapper Rocks and whale watching site, Point Danger) this surprise strip is peaceful, sheltered and tourist-free. Track it down on the edge of the Queensland border at Coolangatta, reached via a walking trail that leads you to the Rainbow Bay RSL (look for a green frog painted on a rock on the hill): just behind is the target.
