Beaches, Lakes, Gorges: Here Are The Best Places To Swim Around Australia

Caroline Clements and Dillon Seitchik-Reardon took a year off work to live the Aussie dream: travelling the country in search of the best swimming spots, from beaches to lakes to gorges. Here, they talk us through some favourites from their resulting book Places We Swim, a loving homage to our national obsession with the water.

For many of us in Australia, it is impossible to separate ourselves from the water. A thousand sensory memories flood back with every slop of sunscreen: windy days picking sand from our lunch and the feeling of salt water drying on our skin, scratching us under our clothes. As people of the world’s driest inhabited continent it’s no surprise that water should have such an elevated role in our society. It’s a fixation that has defined us since the beginning, whether we are coastal or inland dwellers.

Our fascination with water remains a critical part of our social identity. Through Places We Swim (Hardie Grant Travel, $39.99) we’ve tried to capture the very best possible representation of the country – we wanted it to be as democratic as possible. Swimming cuts through age, class, gender, religion and ethnicity. After all, what is more equalising than being outdoors in near nakedness among strangers?

In this way, swimming is a natural access point to understanding the Australian experience. On a hot day, any swimming hole in the country will provide a cross section of all people. Whether it’s the beach, an ocean pool, a lake, river, gorge, dam, waterfall, hot spring or billabong, these bodies of water and the surrounding landscapes reveal our better selves. Each place tells a story of its community.

The idea of documenting our swims is something that we had been indirectly working on through years of road trip adventures. However, it was only when our far-fetched pitch was accepted by our publisher that it coalesced into a book. We had always talked about driving a big lap around the country and suddenly found the perfect excuse to do so. Writing a book about the best places to swim in Australia felt like the ultimate study on our cultural connection to water, and maybe the best job we’d ever have. Here is a snapshot of some of our favourites.

Beach

Bay of Fires, Tasmania

It might not be what you expect but Tasmania is home to some of Australia’s best beaches. You just have to be OK with the immune-boosting power of cold water. And if you like white sand, perfectly clear water and going to the beach but not sharing it with other people, this is the place for you.

Pool

Merewether Ocean Baths, New South Wales

Newcastle has a long history of popular swimming spots, but Merewether baths is our favourite. The complex opened in 1935 and is the largest in the southern hemisphere. It’s also open year-round, 24 hours a day and is free to enter.

Lake

Little Blue Lake, South Australia

Little Blue Lake, also known as Baby Blue, sits in an unassuming paddock south of Mount Gambier. This lake is actually a sinkhole, formed by the gradual collapse of an underground cave. The pool’s average depth is about 35 metres and is popular for diving, though surface swimming is more our speed.

Hot Spring

Dalhousie Springs, South Australia

Early morning is the best time to visit Dalhousie Springs, where the water temperature is 38°C. This group of 60 artesian thermal springs might be one of the most remote places in the book – sitting on the western fringe of the Simpson Desert – but is the perfect place to soak in warm waters after a long car ride. A true oasis.

Gorge

Maguk gorge, Northern Territory

The jewel in the crown of the Kakadu swimming spots, Maguk is a deep, wide gorge where sheer cliffs drop into what seems like a bottomless pool. Find a rocky platform to sit on in the sun, or jump from the ledges (though we didn’t tell you that).

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

Here are the best places to swim around Australia