Australia’s 12 Best Surf Breaks Revealed

Looking for a new summer holiday destination to get your surf fix? These 12 surf breaks have you covered.

Some of the best surf breaks in the world are right here in Australia. In fact, there are some Australian towns that may not have been established were it not for the presence of barrelling waves and the surfers who travel far and wide to find a magical break. Here’s our guide on the top 12 best surf breaks around Australia, be it in a thick neoprene wettie, or boardies and bikinis.

Qld

1. Noosa, Queensland

No guide to Australia’s best surf breaks is complete without including Noosa, which became the 10th World Surf Reserve in 2020.

There she is, made up in green eye shadow, giving surfers the ‘come hither’ with her voluptuous curves that wrap around five kilometres of coastline from the mouth of the Noosa River to North Sunshine Beach.

All up, Noosa offers five world-class point breaks and three consistent beach breaks that everyone from learners to champions are comfortable with.

Sit by the sea and spectate or sign up to compete in The Noosa Festival of Surfing which scores extra points for offsetting more than 100 per cent of the carbon emissions produced as a result of the 10-day event held annually in March.

Two surfers paddling out to surf at Noosa Heads — Noosa offers five world-class point breaks and three consistent beach breaks. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

2. Agnes Water

Agnes Water is not on most surfers’ radars, which makes it appealing for beginners and those who want to surf waves that are rarely crowded. It’s probably most well known for being the most northerly beach on the East Coast of Australia to attract swell served up by the Tasman Sea.

The best season to surf at the exposed point break in Agnes Water is summer and autumn when the wind direction is from the southwest. Forgo the wetsuit as the warm water makes surfing in boardies and bikinis doable.

Like the waves in Agnes Water, the pace of the place is slow, which means you can simply enjoy taking in Kellys Beach and Rules Beach along this stunning stretch of coastline, located on the southernmost point of the Great Barrier Reef.

Surfers waiting for a surf break at Agnes Water Main Beach in Queensland. — The best season to surf at the exposed point break in Agnes Water is summer and autumn. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Tas

3. Shipstern Bluff, near Nubeena

This heavy break is for experienced surfers only. Named after the headland that towers above it like the prow of a ship, its remote location ensures that the crowds are kept to a minimum. Which is just how Tassie local Shaun Wallbank and his mates like it.

For decades, the wave he describes in Lonely Planet’s Epic Surf Breaks of the World (Lonely Planet, $44.99) as a man-eating leviathan, seemed more of a myth than a reality to mainlander Australians.

That all changed on a big southwest swell, on a low tide when Tracks magazine turned up with a photographer in tow and put the hellish righthander on the radar of surfers from around the world. Although the wave’s location, southeast of Hobart, was never disclosed, the secret was out attracting intrepid surfers to the ‘wave at the end of the world’ ever since.

The most defining feature of Shippies, according to Wallbank, is the ‘step’ which is what usually brings surfers undone as they try to take the drop.

Man surfing a wave at Shipstern Bluff in tasmania — Shipstern Bluff is for experienced surfers only. (Image: Stu Gibson)

4. Martha Lavinia, near Currie, on King Island

Surfing doesn’t get any more scenic than while riding the coast of King Island, Tasmania, in the Bass Strait. This perfect A-frame wave is one of the best surf breaks in Australia and is formed as the swell wraps around both sides of the island, like curved parentheses.

This beautiful beach break is named in honour of the 52-tonne schooner, Martha Lavinia, which was wrecked on the reef in 1871.

Drone shot of waves crashing at Martha Lavinia Beach on King Island in Tasmania — Surfers seek out this stretch of coastline. (Image: Stu Gibson)

Surfers seek out this stretch of coastline as much for its natural beauty as its barrelling beachie. The island is a drone photographer’s dream inlaid with the jewel that is Pennys Lagoon, one of the only perched lakes in the world. Book your flight to King Island when there’s a south-westerly on its way and camp on the beach under the stars. BYO 4/3 wetsuit and booties as it’s pretty close to Antarctica , the coldest continent on Earth.

Surfing waves at Martha Lavinia Beach in Tasmania — Surfers seek out this stretch of coastline. (Image: Stu Gibson)

NSW

5. Black Rock (Aussie Pipe), Jervis Bay

Wreck Bay, also known as Black Rock, Summercloud Bay and Aussie Pipe, is featured in the book, The Pilgrimage: 50 Places to Surf Before You Die. While most surfers would probably avoid a book that had both ‘surf’ and ‘die’ in the title, this is somewhat of a bible for big-wave surfers from around the world.

Wreck Bay, located on the rugged edges of Booderee National Park, is where you will find Aussie Pipe which, when it’s firing, challenges even the most experienced surfers. Hands down one of the best surf breaks in the state.

The beachside haven is run by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council in Booderee National Park and the surrounding landscape remains very sacred to its Traditional Owners. Booderee means ‘bay of plenty’ and there are certainly waves aplenty here in the autumn and spring.

This is for experienced surfers only when the barrelling waves are at their best but if you hit a flat spell, there’s plenty more to do on the NSW South Coast.

Surfer surfing waves at Wreck Bay in NSW — Wreck Bay is challenging for even the most experienced surfers. (Image: Dee Kramer)

6. Gaire Beach, near Heathcote

Garies is an exposed beach and reef break that is a swell magnet for much of the year. Located next to the town of Helensburgh, north of Wollongong and south of Cronulla, the break is popular with Shire locals, some of whom are lucky enough to have quirky holiday cabins at Little Garie, just around the headland. Head here when the winds are from the north northwest to get Garie at its best.

Garie Beach is a bit of a gem in the Royal National Park and is also popular with Sydneysiders who want to swim and fish, as well as surf. If you hike along the coastal track, you will discover lots of sandy outposts to stop at and picnic post-surf.

The region’s natural beauty is preserved here in Australia’s first national park, just a 20-minute drive from Bundeena, one of our best summer beach towns, where you will find pristine pools, rocky white cliffs, canyons and caves.

Drone aerial shot of Garie Beach in NSW — Garie Beach is a gem in the Royal National Park. (Image: Adam Krowitz)

WA

7. Red Bluff, near Beagle Bay, WA

Surfers in southwestern WA are known to drive for up to six and half hours from Perth to Red Bluff when they see a weather front forecast to roll in. And arriving here as the sun puts a marigold light over the rugged red cliffs and the sea is creased with horizontal wrinkles is 100 per cent worth the epic road trip, considered one of the best in WA.

Red Bluff is a perfect lefthander, a wave that was pioneered by surfers from Margaret River in the 70s and remains the preserve of experienced surfers only. The wave starts breaking at about 4ft and holds up to a meaty 10ft as it thunders along a stretch of reef in the Indian Ocean.

The dramatic coastal cliffs around Red Bluff and the fact it’s located on a stretch of coast dubbed the humpback highway add to the allure of this sought-after surf spot.

Drone shot of Red Bluff cliffs contrasting with the water. — The dramatic coastal cliffs around Red Bluff add to the allure of this sought-after surf spot. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

8. Margaret River

This hippie town has been drawing discerning surfers to Australia’s Wild West for decades. Most of the surfers in the line-up are long-term locals who surf gnarly waves, and commune in the car park to shoot the breeze, before and after the dawn patrol. There’s also a sprinkling of salty-haired crypto bros, and #vanlifers road-testing their digital nomad fantasies.

It’s like a composite scene, collaged together from Tik Tok stills and old surf mags.

There are wineries to visit and humpback whales to watch out for in the season in seas that appear to have been lacquered blue.

Located 290 kilometres south of Perth, Margies is the affectionate local term for Margaret River Main Break and is for experienced surfers only. Bring a quiver of surfboards to tackle Surfers Point Beach, where walls of water can reach 25ft.

Aerial shot of Wyadup Rocks Injidup — Margies is the affectionate local term for Margaret River Main Break. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Vic

9. Ocean Grove, The Bellarine

Get in the surf groove at Ocean Grove, located in Greater Geelong & The Bellarine, located just over an hour southwest of Melbourne via the Princes Highway. If you’ve got non-surfers in the family and want another reason to visit Ocean Grove beyond the surf, you’ll find the popular beachside town surrounded by world-class wineries, pristine beaches and golf courses.

Book a lesson with an instructor at the local learn-to-surf school, Surf Sessions, who can be heard cheering on their students against the rumble and roar of the ocean at Ocean Grove main beach, where conditions are more often than not ideal for surfing lessons.

Check out the webcam on Magic Seaweed to see the swell and wind forecast before choosing a local break such as Thirteenth Beach, Quarantines and Point Londsdale.

Wide shot overlooking Ocean Grove in Victoria — Book a lesson with the local learn-to-surf school at Ocean Grove.

10. Bells Beach, near Torquay

Pack your thruster. You’re gonna need it when Bells is firing. You’ll find the best conditions for this iconic right-hand reef break, made famous thanks to world-class events such as the Rip Curl Pro are found between April to September when low-pressure Southern Ocean storms start rolling toward the coast. Best wind directions range from the northwest to northeast, with low tides generally best.

Bells was a bucket-list wave well before it was referenced by Patrick Swayze’s character Bodhi in the climactic scene in Point Break where he paddled to his demise while chasing the famed 50-year swell. Fun fact: it wasn’t even filmed there.

But Bells was well known by the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wathaurong people, who are actively involved in the Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles, which are held here every year. When it’s working, Bells is one of the best surf breaks on the land. But it’s known for being inconsistent; if it’s not breaking, there are plenty of other attractions along the Surf Coast.

People surfing at Bells Beach in Victoria. — Bells Beach is a bucket list surf spot.

SA

11. Cactus Beach, near Penong

Head to Cactus Beach for dusk, when the sun is like a piece of polished amber, and you’ll likely find a few prickly locals making the most of the onshore conditions. The waters of the Southern Ocean off the Eyre Peninsula are brisk, to say the least, so bring an extra-thick wetsuit and a few extra blankets to build a nest in the sand post-surf.

Cactus is on the east side of the Great Australian Bight, some 870km northwest of Adelaide, and is a dream when the wind is funnelling in from the east-northeast.

While this is considered a special place for surfers, it’s a sacred place to the Wirangu Aboriginal people, who are the Traditional Owners of the land.

The area was declared a national surfing reserve in 2012. What better way to break up a road trip across the Nullabor Plain than to score a few waves at Cactus, Caves and Castles?

Surfing the waves at Cactus Beach in South Australia — Cactus Beach is a sacred place to the Wirangu Aboriginal people. (Image: Michael Waterhouse Photography)

12. Kangaroo Island

Kangaroos outnumber humans on Kangaroo Island, which is just one of many reasons it’s a popular spot for tourists. And while the food and wine scene is the main draw for visitors, KI is also known for its killer surf.

The south coast of the island gets hammered by swell year-round, but it’s so isolated it appeals to adrenalin-seekers only.

A flanno counts as formal wear on KI and it’s worth heading to one of the wineries, pubs, cafes or restaurants to make friends with locals who can steer you toward the best surf breaks and keep you company in the line-up.

Hanson Place is the holy grail for surfing, renowned as much for its epic swells as its rips and undertows. BYO Sharkbanz.

High shot of Pennington Bay on Kangaroo Island. — The south coast of Kangaroo Island gets hammered by swell year-round. (Image Isaac Forman)

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat , now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate , whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor , who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will , who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods . “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield , embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House .

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument , which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds .

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens , hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Australia’s 12 best surf breaks you can’t miss this summer