10 Coastal Wonders To Marvel At Around Australia

From the country’s prettiest ocean pools, set like gems into sandstone rock shelves, to the copper tones of the Kimberley on the frayed edges of WA, our coastline inspires endless awe.

This article is part of our 100 Australian Wonders series. Throughout the series, we explore our nation’s wonders across culture, nature, food, islands and many more. We hope it inspires your own exploration of Australia’s many wonders.

1. Kimberley Coast, WA

Travelling with: Fleur Bainger

A cruise taking in the Kimberley’s cinnamon-red cliffs, crocodile-dotted rivers and diamond-scatter of islands remains one of life’s great trips.

The combination of incomprehensible age, beauty and wonder on water is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially when reaching name-drop destinations like Horizontal Falls, the rising-from-the-ocean Montgomery Reef and the 80-metre-plummet of King George Falls.

It’s not the only way to reach the Kimberley’s extremities, of course. With the Broome to Cape Leveque Road now fully sealed, remote coastal escapes can be accessed via 4WD and in some cases, 2WD.

Aboriginal-owned Mercedes Cove Exclusive Coastal Retreat , which maxes out at 18 guests, beckons with clifftop safari tents.

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm’s new safari tent circle is hotel-standard and lures with Aboriginal-led tours of the tidal flats and otherwise-inaccessible islands.

an aerial view of the Roebuck Bay coastline in Broome — The red sands of the Kimberley contrast with the cerulean seas at Broome’s Roebuck Bay. (Image: Tourism Western Australia/From Miles Away)

2. Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, NSW

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

The Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk spaghettis six kilometres along the cliffs, bays and beaches of Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

The path that follows the scalloped shoreline provides a spectacle that changes with the many moods of the sea and sky and is one that residents of the city are justifiably proud of. In fact, it’s considered one of Sydney’s greatest assets.

an aerial view of the Bondi Icebergs and surrounds — Take a plunge at Bondi Icebergs. (Image: Destination NSW/Daniel Tran)

Bondi was named after Boondi, the Aboriginal word meaning ‘the noise made by sea waves’. And it’s those crashing waves that continue to capture the imagination of locals and tourists who drift along the winding boulevard from Bondi beholding the bird’s-eye view.

a bird's-eye view of the Bondi Beach in Sydney — Follow the path from Bondi to Coogee in Sydney. (Image: Destination NSW/Lawrence Furzey)

3. Australia’s waves

Travelling with: Celeste Mitchell

We all know Australia has a reputation for its pretty stellar surf breaks. Surf culture is ingrained in everything from our cafes to the local lingo, and breaks such as Bells, Snapper and Kalbarri offer more than just a place to catch a few sets.

the surf waves at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast — Surf Snapper Rocks at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/ Sean Scott)

Which is why, over the last 30 years, 21 National Surfing Reserves have been declared in Australia as places of ‘intrinsic environmental, heritage, sporting and cultural value to our nation’. It’s as much about protecting these sandy spots of worship as it is about the community around them. It’s also empowering for those who love and use our beaches to have a say in how they’re managed.

4. Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island, SA

Travelling with: Imogen Eveson

One of Australia’s most extraordinary wildlife encounters lies in wait on the wild southern coast of the country’s third largest island. A Kangaroo Island trip is incomplete without padding your way down through the sand dunes to Seal Bay, home to Australia’s third-largest colony of Australian sea lions.

Pups play in the sand and surf, bulls fight for supremacy and mothers rest with their young. Seal Bay has been a protected area since 1954 and the population of this endangered species numbers 1000 here.

the rugged shoreline of Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island — The rugged shoreline of Seal Bay has been a protected area since 1954. (Image: Kangaroo Island Tourism Alliance)

Head to the visitor centre to follow a guide to the heart of the colony on the beach (from a safe and respectful distance) while learning about the unique breeding cycle of these magnificent wild creatures and the site’s ongoing research programs. You can also observe the action from the self-guided and wheelchair-accessible boardwalk that winds through the dunes.

A visit to Seal Bay with a guide from Southern Ocean Lodge is also a highlight of a stay at the newly relaunched luxury accommodation that puts guests in the wild heart of this wild island.

a sea lion at Seal Bay — See a resident sea lion at Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island. (Image: Imogen Eveson)

5. Ocean pools of NSW

Travelling with: Imogen Eveson

NSW’s coastline has its own architectural vernacular etched into surf-hammered rock all up and down its saw-toothed length.

Newcastle’s heritage-listed Bogey Hole is the state’s oldest ocean pool, originally built by convicts in 1819 for the personal use of Major James Morisset. Unemployment relief and funding for public works programs during the Depression resulted in a subsequent boom of ocean-pool-building in the 1920s and ’30s, as coast-dwellers embraced these safe spaces for saltwater swimming, with some 100 constructed since.

Over time, these pools have become part of the landscape – each shape and size idiosyncratic to its location, from Yamba to Forster, Bondi, Wollongong, Bermagui and Eden.

A liminal space straddling the manmade and natural that speaks not only to a part of Australia’s history but reflects the social and cultural landscape of the country at leisure.

an aerial view of Aslings Beach Rock Pool in Eden — Take a refreshing dip at Aslings Beach Rock Pool in Eden. (Image: Destination NSW/ Dee Kramer)

6. Cod Hole Dive Site, Qld

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Potato cods are members of Australia’s ‘Great Eight’ shortlist, which includes iconic species of the southern Great Barrier Reef. Named after the large, round potato-shaped markings on their body, these giant spuds of the sea are actually members of the grouper family.

And the best place to see them is at the world-renowned Cod Hole Dive Site, some 96 kilometres north of Cairns. The Cod Hole is part of a string of long, narrow ribbon reefs that necklace the waters of the Coral Sea and is most accessible from Lizard Island in Tropical North Queensland.

Challenge yourself to enter the water at night, where the inky darkness ups the underwater thrills. Or join a five-night adventure with Mike Ball Dive Expeditions .

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions at the Cod Hole Dive Site — Dive beneath the surface to explore the world-renowned Cod Hole Dive Site. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/ Tom Park)

7. Cable Beach, WA

Travelling with: Fleur Bainger

Broome’s 22-kilometre-long stretch of pale, blonde sand is synonymous with camel trains throwing shadows at day’s end.

But it’s so much more than that. Flat as a tack and lapped by water the hue of Chris Hemsworth’s eyes, Cable Beach harbours the imprints of dinosaur footprints in its rocks, hosts light-strung, long-table dinners in balmy air and grants citrus-hued sunsets that linger in the memory like a lost love. It represents escape, freedom and happiness; children delight in pearls of sand deposited by beach crabs darting between burrows, while adults relax in beach chairs with their 4WDs parked on the sand.

Above the dunes, Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa grants the closest access to the iconic beach – arrive early for seats at its Sunset Bar.

Further back, the newly opened, Aboriginal co-owned Spinifex Brewing Co. adds another lure, with its native produce-infused, low-alcohol craft brews, Indigenous botanical food forest and family-friendly vibes.

a drone shot of Cable Beach — Ride a camel on the pristine Cable Beach. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

8. Esperance from the air, WA

Travelling with: Celeste Mitchell

There’s beauty in isolation. In the untouched, lurid blue coastline of Kepa Kurl/Esperance, where you can play I-spy with dozens of white-sand beaches just an hour after take-off with Fly Esperance .

an aerial shot of Esperance with Fly Esperance — Experience Esperance from the air.

This coastal wonderland, almost an eight-hour drive from Perth, takes on an altogether more mesmerising form from the air as you fly over the peaks of Cape Le Grand National Park and the mostly uninhabited islands of the Recherche Archipelago.

Get acquainted with the emerald and sapphire swirls from above then drive along the sands to Lucky Bay. If you spot a kangaroo, you’ve got yourself the Esperance trifecta.

an aerial view of a beach in Esperance — Esperance’s emerald and sapphire swirls are stunning from above.

9. Orcas of Bremer Bay, WA

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Budding marine biologists can sign up for a marine expedition to Bremer Bay for a bucket-list encounter to see killer whales in the wild. Bremer Bay Canyon is 70 clicks offshore from the township of Bremer Bay and it’s where the largest pod of orcas in the southern hemisphere gathers each year.

While the prime time for spotting orcas in Bremer Bay is from late January through to April, it’s likely you’ll encounter other marine species such as sperm whales, giant squid, sharks and shoals of tuna, too.

Hit the water with Naturaliste Charters , part of the diverse Australian Wildlife Journeys portfolio.

an orca spotted swimming in Bremer Bay — Spot orcas in Bremer Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia)

10. wukalina Walk, Tas

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

Learn about larapuna/Bay of Fires from the perspective of the palawa on the four-day palawa-owned-and-led wukalina Walk .

Amble through the living cultural landscape of lutruwita/Tasmania’s north-east coast, which unfolds as a triptych of colour comprising turquoise waters, white sand and boulders blanketed with orange lichen.

the palawa-owned-and-led wukalina Walk — Hike through the bushlands and beaches on the wukalina Walk. (Image: Tourism Tasmania/ Tayla Gentle)

Sample coastal bush tucker and learn about palawa cultural practices, sometimes from Elders who may join you.

Spend evenings cosied around a fire pit at krakani lumi (resting place) and kick back at a restored lighthouse keeper’s cottage on your final night.

a restored lighthouse keeper’s cottage, wukalina Walk, Tas — Stay for the night in a restored lighthouse keeper’s cottage. (Image: Tourism Tasmania)

Keep reading our 100 Australian Wonders series; from road trips, outback and cultural wonders to foodie wonders and many more.

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Just 15 years ago, Federal Mills was a very different place. Once among the most significant industrial sites in Victoria, the historic woollen mill was one of a dozen that operated in Geelong at the industry’s peak in the mid-20th century, helping the city earn its title as ‘wool centre of the world’. But by the 1960s global competition and the rise of synthetic fabrics led to the slow decline of the industry, and Federal Mills finally shuttered its doors in 2001. Within a few years, the abandoned North Geelong grounds had become makeshift pastoral land, with cows and goats grazing among the overgrown grass between the empty red-brick warehouses. It was a forgotten pocket of the city, all but two klicks from the bustle of the CBD.

Geelong cellar door wine bar — Geelong has shed its industrial identity to become an innovative urban hub with reimagined heritage spaces. (Image: Ash Hughes)

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Today, the century-old complex stands reborn. The distinctive sawtooth-roof buildings have been sensitively restored. An old silo is splashed with a bright floral mural, landscapers have transformed the grounds, and the precinct is once again alive with activity. More than 1000 people work across 50-plus businesses here. It’s so busy, in fact, that on a sunny Thursday morning in the thick of winter, it’s hard to find a car park. The high ceilings, open-plan design, and large multi-paned windows – revolutionary features for factories of their time – have again become a drawcard.

Paddock Bakery andPatisserie — Paddock Bakery and Patisserie is housed within the historic wool factory. (Image: Gallant Lee)

At Paddock , one of the precinct’s newer tenants, weaving looms and dye vats have been replaced by a wood-fired brick oven and heavy-duty mixers. Open since April 2024, the bakery looks right at home here; the building’s industrial shell is softened by ivy climbing its steel frames, and sunlight streams through the tall windows. Outside, among the white cedar trees, families at picnic benches linger over dippy eggs and bagels, while white-collar workers pass in and out, single-origin coffee and crème brûlée doughnuts in hand.

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

Paddock Bakery can be found at Federal Mills. (Image: Gallant Lee)

“A lot of people are now seeing the merit of investing in Geelong,” says Paul Traynor, the head of Hamilton Hospitality Group, which redeveloped Federal Mills. A city once shunned as Sleepy Hollow, and spurned for its industrial, working-class roots and ‘rust belt’ image, Geelong has long since reclaimed its ‘Pivot City’ title, having reinvented itself as an affordable, lifestyle-driven satellite city, and a post-COVID migration hotspot.

And the numbers stand testament to the change. In March 2025, and for the first time in its history, Greater Geelong became Australia’s most popular regional town for internal migration, overtaking Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Current forecasts suggest Geelong will continue to outpace many other Australian cities and towns, with jobs growing at double the rate of the population.

Tourism is booming, too. The 2023-24 financial year was Geelong and The Bellarine region’s busiest on record, with 6.4 million visitors making it one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country. It’s not hard to see why: beyond the city’s prime positioning at the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong’s tenacity and cultural ambition stands out.

As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong is swiftly shaking off its industrial past to become a model for urban renewal, innovation, sustainability and creative communities. The signs are everywhere, from the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront, and the landmark design of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, to the growing network of local designers, architects and artists, and the burgeoning roster of festivals and events. That’s not even mentioning the adaptive reuse of storied old industrial buildings – from Federal Mills, to Little Creatures’ brewery ‘village’ housed within a 1920s textile mill – or the city’s flourishing food and wine scene.

The rise of a food and wine destination

Restaurant 1915 is housed within a restored former boiler house. (Image: Harry Pope/Two Palms)

Traynor credits now-closed local restaurant Igni, which opened in 2016, as the turning point for Geelong’s hospo industry. “[Aaron Turner, Igni’s chef-patron] was probably the first guy, with all due respect, to raise the bar food-wise for Geelong,” he says. “People now treat it really seriously, and there’s clearly a market for it.” While Igni is gone, Turner now helms a string of other notable Geelong venues, including The Hot Chicken Project and Tacos y Liquor, all within the buzzy, street art-speckled laneways of the CBD’s Little Malop Street Precinct. Many others have also popped up in Igni’s wake, including Federal Mills’ own restaurant, 1915 . Housed within the cavernous boiler house, 1915’s interior is dramatic: soaring, vaulted ceilings with timber beams, exposed brick, a huge arched window. The share plates echo the space’s bold character, playing with contrast and texture, with dishes such as a compressed watermelon tataki, the sweet, juicy squares tempered by salty strands of fried leeks, and charred, smoky snow peas dusted with saganaki on a nutty bed of romesco.

The Woolstore , one of The Hamilton Group’s most recent hospo projects, opened in February. It occupies a century-old riverside warehouse and exudes a more sultry, fine dining ambience. Much like Federal Mills, the blueprint was to preserve the original brickwork, tallowwood flooring and nods to the building’s former life. That same careful consideration extends to the well-versed, affable waitstaff as well as the kitchen. Head chef Eli Grubb is turning out an eclectic mix of ambitious and indulgent mod Oz dishes that deliver: strikingly tender skewers of chicken tsukune, infused with hints of smoke from the parrilla grill, and glazed with a moreish, sweet gochujang ‘jam’; nduja arancini fragrant with hints of aniseed and the earthy lick of sunny saffron aioli; and golden squares of potato pavé, adorned with tiny turrets of crème fraîche, crisp-fried saltbush leaves, and Avruga caviar, to name but a few stand-out dishes.

Woolstore menu — Woolstore’s menu is designed for sharing.

Breathing new life into historic spaces

On the city’s fringe, hidden down a winding side road with little fanfare, lies a long-dormant site that’s being gently revived. Built from locally quarried bluestone and brick, and dating back to the 1870s, the complex of original tin-roofed mill buildings is lush with greenery and backs onto the Barwon River and Buckley Falls; the audible rush of water provides a soothing soundtrack. Fyansford Paper Mill is one of few complexes of its time to survive intact. It feels steeped in history and spellbindingly rustic.

“We were looking for an old industrial place that had some charm and romance to it,” explains Sam Vogel, the owner, director and winemaker at Provenance Wines which moved here in 2018. When he first viewed the building with his former co-owner, it was in such a state of disrepair that the tradie tenant occupying the space had built a shed within it to escape the leaking roof and freezing winter temperatures. “To say it was run down would be an understatement,” he notes. “There was ivy growing through the place; the windows were all smashed. It was a classic Grand Designs project.”

Provenance Wines moved to Fyansford Paper Mill in 2018. (Image: Cameron Murray Photography)

The team has since invested more than a million dollars into their new home. Where paper processing machinery once sat, wine barrels are now stacked. Vaulted cathedral ceilings are strung with festoon lights, and hidden in plain sight lies a shadowy mural by local street artist de rigueur Rone – one of only three permanent works by the artist.

While the award-winning, cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay naturally remain a key draw at Provenance, the winery’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Impressed already by whipsmart service, I devour one of the most cleverly curated and faultlessly executed degustations I’ve had in some time. It’s all prepared in a kitchen that is proudly zero-waste, and committed to providing seasonal, ethical and locally sourced meat and produce under head chef Nate McIver. Think free-range venison served rare with a syrupy red wine jus and a half-moon of neon-orange kosho, shokupan with a deeply savoury duck fat jus (a modern Japanese take on bread and drippings), and a golden potato cake adorned with a colourful confetti of dehydrated nasturtiums and tomato powder, and planted atop a sea urchin emulsion.

handcrafted pieces — Bell’s handcrafted functional pieces on display.

The complex is home to a coterie of independent businesses, including a gallery, a jeweller, and its latest tenant, ceramicist Elizabeth Bell, drawn here by the building’s “soul”. “There’s so much potential for these buildings to have new life breathed into them,” says Bell, whose studio is housed within the old pump room. “Even people in Geelong don’t know we’re here,” she says. “It’s definitely a destination, but I like that. It has a really calming atmosphere.”

A Melbourne transplant, Bell now feels at home in Geelong, which offers something Melbourne didn’t. “If this business was in Melbourne I don’t think it would’ve been as successful,” she notes. “It’s very collaborative in Geelong, and I don’t think you get that as much in Melbourne; you’re a bit more in it for yourself. Here it’s about community over competition.”

10 prettiest coastal wonders around Australia

From the country’s prettiest ocean pools, set like gems into sandstone rock shelves, to the copper tones of the Kimberley on the frayed edges of WA, our coastline inspires endless awe.

1. Kimberley Coast, WA

2. Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, NSW

3. Australia’s waves

4. Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island, SA

5. Ocean pools of NSW

6. Cod Hole Dive Site, Qld

7. Cable Beach, WA

8. Esperance from the air, WA

9. Orcas of Bremer Bay, WA

10. wukalina Walk, Tas

Keep reading our 100 Australian Wonders series; from road trips, outback and cultural wonders to foodie wonders and many more.

Australia just landed 5 spots on TIME’s World’s Greatest Places 2026 list

The best autumn festivals around Australia in 2026

Australian luxury lodge pioneer Baillie Lodges enters new global era as ‘Beckons’

The best last-minute Easter getaways you can still book

Inside Geelong’s glow-up from factory town to creative capital

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

The rise of a food and wine destination

Breathing new life into historic spaces