Australia’s most remote and unknown beaches have just been revealed

The wild, little-known shores most travellers never reach.

Australia has no shortage of famous beaches. But while most travellers flock to the headline acts, a new Lonely Planet book is quietly pointing towards shores that feel worlds away from the crowds.

Best Beaches Australia spans the full spectrum of the country’s coastline, from family-friendly swims and surf breaks to iconic white sand crescents. Tucked within its pages, however, are beaches chosen for a very different reason: their isolation, wild beauty and sheer remoteness.

Pulled from Lonely Planet’s broader beach picks, these are the shores that reward effort over convenience. The kind of places where getting there is half the story, and being alone is part of the appeal.

Here are seven of Australia’s most remote and unknown beaches highlighted through Best Beaches Australia.

Greenly Beach, Coulta, SA

Greenly Beach, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia — Embrace isolation on Greenly Beach. (Image: City of Port Lincoln)

On the rugged Eyre Peninsula, Greenly Beach is the kind of place that feels untouched by time. Framed by towering limestone cliffs and windswept dunes, it is raw, powerful and completely unpolished.

One of the best natural swimming spots around Australia, access requires a four-wheel drive and a sense of adventure, which helps keep the crowds away. When conditions are right, surfers chase heavy swells here, but most visitors come simply to take in the drama of the landscape and the sense of total isolation.

Turquoise Bay, Ningaloo Coast, WA

Aerial view of Turquoise Bay in Western Australia — Take in the breathtaking colour at Turquoise Bay. (Image: Getty Images / Jonathan Stacey)

The name barely does it justice. Turquoise Bay is famous for its colour, but what truly sets it apart is how remote it feels despite its global reputation. It was the highest-ranked Australian beach on the 2025 World’s 50 Best Beaches list, coming 11th.

Sitting within Ningaloo Reef, this beach offers one of Australia’s best drift snorkelling experiences straight from the shore. Coral gardens, turtles and reef sharks are all part of the underwater scenery, with the vast outback stretching endlessly behind you.

Hellfire Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park, WA

Hellfire Bay in Western Australia — Hellfire Bay is under the radar.

Cape Le Grand National Park is known for its postcard perfection, yet Hellfire Bay somehow remains under the radar. One of Australia’s prettiest white sand beaches, and protected from strong winds, its calm waters are framed by smooth granite headlands that glow pink at sunrise and sunset.

It is quieter than nearby Lucky Bay and just as beautiful, making it ideal for travellers who want the look without the crowds. Wildlife sightings are common and the sense of remoteness is constant.

Dolphin Beach, Yorke Peninsula, SA

Dolphin Beach in Yorke Peninsula’s Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, South Australia — Dolphin Beach is not a swimming beach. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Yorke Peninsula’s Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park is packed with dramatic coastline, but Dolphin Beach stands out for its seclusion. Reaching it involves a hike, which filters out all but the most determined visitors.

What you get in return is a wild sweep of sand backed by cliffs and pounding surf. It is not a swimming beach, but it is unforgettable for coastal walks, photography and that rare feeling of having a national park beach entirely to yourself.

Nudey Beach, Fitzroy Island, Qld

Nudey Beach on Fitzroy Island in Qld — Snorkel peacefully off Nudey Beach.

Despite the cheeky name, Nudey Beach is less about shock value and more about stunning tropical scenery. Located on Fitzroy Island off Cairns, this secret beach is accessible by ferry but feels a world away from the mainland.

Smooth boulders, clear water and fringing reef make it one of the most beautiful beaches in the tropics. Once you step away from the island’s main hub, the crowds thin quickly and the beach lives up to its reputation as a hidden gem.

Childers Cove, Great Ocean Road, Vic

Childers Cove on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria — Childers Cove proves there are still secrets to be found on the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road is rarely described as remote, yet Childers Cove proves there are still secrets to be found. Tucked between the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, this secluded cove requires a steep walk down a narrow track.

At the bottom, you will find a sheltered crescent of sand framed by cliffs and sea stacks, often with no one else in sight. It is a reminder that even Australia’s most famous road trips still hold surprises for those willing to look beyond the main stops.

Landing Beach, Macquarie Island

If remoteness had a definition, Landing Beach would be it. Located on subantarctic Macquarie Island, halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica, this beach is accessible only by expedition cruise.

There is no swimming here. Instead, visitors are met with black sand, roaring winds and vast colonies of king penguins, elephant seals and seabirds. It is raw, confronting and extraordinary, and easily one of the most isolated beaches Australia can claim. It has been governed as a part of Tasmania since 1880 and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

The charm of Mildura is hidden in plain sight along the Sturt Highway. The capital of Tropical North Victoria is in a league of its own.

From the moment you arrive in Mildura , the warm air and palm trees invite you to slow down. While most Australians might drive right past it, Mildura is full of surprises. Here you’ll spend one day witnessing over 50,000 years of First Nations history in a UNESCO-listed National Park, and the next dining in a hatted restaurant after wandering through 12,500 fireflies as the outback sunset bursts to life above. From roadside fruit stalls and family-run wineries to houseboats and galleries, it’s time to explore Mildura.

Feast Street, at the heart of Langtree Avenue in Mildura. — Taste, wander and be surprised in Mildura.

Taste Mildura’s produce

It makes sense to start your trip by addressing the most important question: where to eat. In the beating heart of Australia’s food bowl, sample the local produce directly from the source. And then, of course, experience it through the menu of a hatted chef. Or sandwiched between pillowy slices of Nonna’s ciabatta.

Rows of orchards and olive groves invite you to spend the day traipsing from farm to farm. Taste olives propagated from Calabrian trees brought over in the 40s, oranges picked right from the tree and squeezed into juice and spoons full of honey . Bring the holiday back to your kitchen by stocking your pantry at roadside produce stalls, or calling into the ‘silver shed ’ (Sunraysia’s gourmand Mecca).

Thanks to the warm, balmy air and fertile soils, the wineries dotted along these hills produce award-winning local wines. Like Chalmers , a family-run, innovative winery dedicated to making their wines as sustainable as possible. And picturesque Trentham Estate offers views of the snaking Murray River as you sample their vintages.

Venture beyond the gnarled shadows of olive groves and fragrant rows of blossoming fruit trees and you’ll find an otherworldly side to Mildura. With Discover Mildura as your guide, visit Murray River Salt’s Mars-like stacks. The naturally pink salt is formed from an ancient inland sea and evaporated entirely by the sun to create one of the region’s most iconic exports.

Start your day with just-squeezed sunshine.

Hatted dining & Italian history

Mildura is home to a proud community of Calabrians and Sicilians. This, paired with the exceptional local produce, means that you can find paninos on par with those in Italy. The Italian is a Paninoteca serving up made-to-order, hefty, authentic Sicilian paninos. Nonna Rosa’s pork meatballs, slowly cooked in tomato ragu and served in a crusty, fluffy roll topped with gratings of Grana Padano cheese and salsa verde, will call you back to Mildura for the rest of your days.

To find hatted dining in Mildura, simply follow the staircase down into the basement of the historic Mildura Grand Hotel to find Stefano’s . Following the muscle memory and instinct of his Italian roots, he delivers on the principle of ‘cucina povera’. That is, the Italian cooking ideology that turns simple, local ingredients into magic.

Things to do in Mildura include dining at the acclaimed Stefano’s, where simple local ingredients are transformed into Italian culinary magic beneath the historic Grand Hotel. — Bite into Mildura’s Italian heritage.

Discover a thriving culture scene

The city is alive with culture. Whether it’s painted on the town’s walls, told in ancient yarns, or waiting for you in a gallery.

The Mildura Arts Centre was Australia’s first regional art gallery. Behind the walls of Rio Vista Historic House, you’ll find a lineup of ever-changing exhibitions. The gallery’s wall space pays tribute to the art and songlines of local First Nations People, the region’s awe-inspiring landscapes and more. Outside, on the gallery’s lawn, find 12 contemporary sculptures in the Sculpture Park.

Mildura’s streetscapes are a punch of colour. Swirling strokes of paint blend the winding artery of the Murray River, red dirt and local characters into a story you can see with your own eyes, thanks to the Mildura City Heart’s Mural Art Project . Pick up a copy of the Murals of Mildura guide from the Visitor Information Centre.

Follow the border of NSW and Victoria on a map and you’ll see it hugs the curves of a tiny island on the Murray. That’s Lock Island, where, as the sun and moon trade places, the island comes alive as darkness falls. The island is dotted with 12,500 firefly lights that lead you on a meandering path through the outback sunset. The installation is known as Trail of Lights and was created by the same visionary who dreamt up Field of Light at Uluṟu, Bruce Munro.

Things to do in Mildura include exploring its rich cultural scene. From vibrant street art and ancient stories to exhibitions at the Mildura Arts Centre, Australia’s first regional gallery. — Find culture around every corner.

Wonder at ancient landscapes

The landscapes of Mildura feel almost transcendental. The skyline bursts to life with reds, pinks, and deep, sparkly night skies.

The nature will leave you in awe. See hues of pink water changing with the weather at Pink Lakes inside Victoria’s largest national park, Murray Sunset National Oark. Cast a line into Ouyen Lake. Watch the sunset against 70-metre tall red cliffs that reflect the setting sun. Or get the heart racing and sandboard down the Perry Sandhills dunes, formed 40,000 years ago at the end of an ice age.

Just don’t leave without following the twists and turns of the Murray. Stroll or ride along the Shared River Front Path, or jump onboard a boat for a scenic ride.

Your itinerary will be incomplete without a visit to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park . Head out with an Indigenous ranger to witness ancient campsites and footprints, before standing in awe of ancient civilisation near the discovery site of Mungo Man—Australia’s oldest human skeleton at 42,000 years old.

Mungo National Park at night is a vast, silent landscape where ancient dunes glow under moonlight and stars blanket the sky in breathtaking clarity. — Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisation.

Meet your home away from home

On equal par with planning your meals and adventures, is finding the perfect place to relax at the end of each day.

Sleep inside a Palm Springs postcard at Kar-Rama . A sleek boutique hotel complete with a butterfly shaped, sun-soaked pool. Here you’re staying right in the heart of Mildura but you’ll feel worlds away. Or if you really wish to connect with nature, a night glamping under the stars at Outback Almonds will have you spellbound.

When in Mildura it’s only right to stay on one of the Murray River’s iconic houseboats . Wake up each day to the calm waters of the Murray lapping outside your window. Enjoy days full of river swims, fishing and exploring. All boats are solar-powered and can be self-skippered or moored along the river.

A solar-powered houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura. — Stay and play on the Murray in a solar houseboat.

Start planning the perfect getaway at mildura.com .