While Australia has many beautiful beaches, some are much more remote than others. Unlike famous beaches such as Bondi and Manly, these beaches will allow you to escape the crowds and relax in peace.
Kitty Miller Beach on Phillip Island is a 90-minute drive from Melbourne, but the solitude is worth it. Here you can watch the nightly penguin parades or cast a line in the surf, though strong rips make swimming unadvisable.
Frangipani Beach
Located on a soft stretch of white sand along Meads Bay — arguably Anguilla’s most beautiful beach — Frangipani Beach Resort is an exquisite boutique getaway.
The hotel’s 23 unique rooms and suites have cool limestone flooring, custom mahogany furniture and some bathrooms with a series of massaging shower columns. There’s also a secluded pool and a beachside cabana service.
The on-site Straw Hat Restaurant serves local twists on breakfast dishes, lunch and dinner. A good place to sip a rum punch and enjoy the scenery.
Mallacoota Beach
A white whale carcass that washed up on a remote beach in Victoria is not the famed albino whale Migaloo, according to researchers. The carcass was spotted on Big Beach at Mallacoota in East Gippsland, on the humpback highway, but scientists determined it was a female and not a male after examining genetic material from the whale.
A popular holiday spot surrounded by wilderness, Mallacoota is the perfect escape from Melbourne’s winter heat. Explore the waters of Mallacoota Inlet by boat or stroll around the cliffs, beaches and inlets of Croajingolong National Park.
Camping is allowed on Wharf Beach, but it’s best to bring a tent. This secluded strip is framed by she-oaks and protected from strong swells. It’s the ideal spot for swimming and fishing King George whiting, as well as enjoying the views of the eucalypt and cypress forest around Davis Creek steps.
Mungo Beach
A stunning stretch of beach fringed by sand dunes and backed by untouched bushland. It feels a million miles from civilisation here.
A UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, Mungo National Park is steeped in Aboriginal history and features lunar-like landscapes including dried lake beds and strange lunette formations like the ‘Walls of China’. Tours of this fascinating place with a local First Nations guide will give you a window into Australia’s past.
Mungo is around an 11 hour drive from Sydney and a 6 hour drive from Melbourne. Make sure you have plenty of fuel in your car, or arrange to pick up a tank from Mildura, Wentworth or Balranald before heading into the park.
Kitty Miller Beach
Kitty Miller Beach is a beautiful and sheltered beach that’s ideal for snorkeling and swimming. The 500 metre long beach has a large rock platform that exposes at low tide and is home to amazing starfish and marine plants. Surfers can also enjoy the waves that break into the bay on a high tide.
The area is also the location of Phillip Island’s famous Penguin Parade, where you can watch little penguins waddle up to the beach as darkness falls. You can also take the Kitty Miller Bay walk, which gives you beautiful coastal views and includes a visit to the bow of the SS Speke shipwreck (best done at low tide). You may even spot whales in season!
Store Beach
A hidden jewel on North Head, Store Beach can only be reached by kayak (you can hire a pair from Manly Kayak Centre) or boat. It’s a fairy-penguin breeding ground so access is prohibited from dusk when the birds waddle in for the night.
A popular bush trail takes you to this secluded beach north of Sydney. With gorgeous emerald water, rocky outcrops and unbelievably soft sand, this is one of the best beaches in Australia to go for a swim.
Cape Leveque
The northern tip of the Dampier Peninsula is adorned with pristine beaches and dramatic pindan cliffs. A soulful walk by the beach or a picnic with family and friends is the perfect way to enjoy this untouched wilderness.
Visiting this remote area is best done with a four wheel drive vehicle and either self driving or joining a tour from Broome. Alternatively, you can take a scenic flight and visit the beautiful area.
The most popular place to stay here is Kooljaman Cape Leveque, a remote wilderness camp owned by the Indigenous Bardi Jawi communities. They welcome visitors to their country and offer cultural tours, fishing and mud crabbing.