The 9 top nude beaches to get your kit off at

Australia

04 Sep 2024

These beautiful beaches are well worth a visit for the nude curious.

Australians love a reason to get naked. While there’s no official nude beach in Queensland, a (mostly) warm nude-friendly climate coupled with the world’s best beaches, means there are plenty of amazing Australian nude beaches for those who dare to go bare.

A recent worldwide study by pour moi put Australians as the keenest to nude sunbathe, closely followed by New Zealanders. So, here’s our list of Australia’s top nude beaches.

1. Lady Bay Beach, Sydney, NSW

This well-known, gay-friendly, nude beach in Sydney Harbour National Park has been a popular spot with naturists since it became one of Australia’s first nudist beaches in 1976. It’s a pretty small beach, so if you like your space it’s best to visit at low tide when there is more sand, given its city locale it can get busy.

the entrance of Lady Bay Beach — Dare to bare at Lady Bay Beach. (Image: John Yurasek)

Address: Between South Head and Camp Cove in Sydney Harbour National Park. From Camp Cove car park follow the South Head heritage trail to the beach.

2. Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT

Casuarina Coastal Reserve encompasses a large coastal area, including eight kilometres of white sand beaches, in Darwin’s northern suburbs. The central section of the reserve includes a ‘nudist zone’ on the beach north of Darriba Road.

Perfect for those taking their first foray into nude sunbathing given its remote setting and ample space to find some privacy. Combine your visit with a look around the heritage-listed ruins from World War II that can be found dotted through the reserve.

sunset at Casuarina Beach, Darwin, NT, Australia — Admire sunset views over Casuarina Beach.

Address: 445 Trower Rd, Brinkin, NT 0810

3. Armands Beach, Bermagui, NSW

Armands Beach is the only nude beach on the Sapphire Coast in NSW. A secluded and serene beach, there is very little shade so remember your beach umbrella.

Named after Armand Lemmeric, a French man who owned a farm behind the bay and regularly swam nude at the beach, nude cricket matches were reportedly played here in the 1930s, but it wasn’t given its official ‘clothing-optional’ status until 1993.

Address: Barragga Bay, Kullaroo Road, Bermagui, NSW 2546

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

4. Samurai Beach, One Mile, NSW

Pack light and make a weekend of it at Samurai Beach in Port Stephens as behind the dunes that line the beach is a clothing-optional campground. A 4WD is a prerequisite to drive along the access trail that leads to the campground, via Gan Gan Road. Pristine waters, good surf and clean expanses of white sand in a beautiful setting make this a top spot.

Aerial shot of Samurai Beach — Show your skin some love at Samurai Beach, One Mile. (Image: Destination NSW)

Address: Tomaree National Park, (Near Port Stephens) One Mile, NSW 2316

5. Kambah Pool, Canberra, ACT

Not technically a beach but the sandy banks of Kambah Pool at the northern end of the reserve that sits on the Murrumbidgee River in Canberra’s south are nudist-friendly. Enjoy tranquil river views and perhaps a spot of fishing as you become one with nature.

Address: Off Kambah Pool Road, Kambah, ACT 2901

6. Sunnyside North Beach, Port Philip Bay, Vic

Sunnyside North Beach can be found on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. This small, sandy beach has held clothing-optional status since 1986.

Mornington Peninsula Shire Council ran a survey in early 2022 with locals to gauge whether the beach would continue to be nudist. The consultation showed strong support for this secluded beach to retain its clothing-optional status.

Address: North of Sunnyside Road Car Park. Mount Eliza, Vic 3930

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7. Maslin Beach, Fleurieu Peninsula, SA

This three-kilometre-long beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula was Australia’s very first nudist beach. With its beautiful sandstone cliffs as a backdrop, it has an allocated nude sunbathing area, and a good snorkelling spot too, so don’t forget your goggles and your water-resistant sunscreen.

an aerial view of Maslin Beach, Fleurieu Peninsula, SA — Laze on the soft sands at Maslin Beach.

Address: Maslin Beach, Fleurieu Peninsula, SA 5170

8. Point Impossible, Torquay, Vic

This long, open, dog-friendly beach on the Great Ocean Road has a designated clothing-optional section for those wanting to enjoy a day at the beach in their birthday suit, rather than their swimsuit. It’s a popular surf spot for the locals, providing some good entertainment while you catch some rays.

Address: 425 The Esplanade, Torquay, Vic 3228

9. Long Beach, Hobart, Tas

You’ll be hard-pressed to find an official nudist beach on the Apple Isle, amongst the abundance of ‘unofficial’ ones. So, if you’re looking to toe the line your only chance may be at Dark Mofo’s annual Nude Solstice Swim at Long Beach in Hobart.

In temperatures of around three degrees, this isn’t for the faint-hearted. Gather at dawn before running into the River Derwent en masse with your fellow nudists for an invigorating start to the day.

Dark Mofo’s annual Nude Solstice Swim at Long Beach. — Get nude at Dark Mofo’s annual Nude Solstice Swim at Long Beach. (Image: Dark Mofo and Rosie Hastie)

Address: Long Point Road, Sandy Bay, Tas 7005

Janet Stone

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Victoria’s surprising new outdoor adventure hotspot

31 Oct 2025

A town charmingly paused in time has become a hot mountain biking destination.

There’s a forest reserve full of eucalyptus and pines surrounding town – when you combine all the greenery with a main street of grand old buildings still standing from the Victorian Gold Rush, Creswick looks more period movie set than a 21st-century town.

old gold bank Victoria — Grand buildings from the Victorian gold rush. (Image: Visit Victoria)

This entire region of Victoria – the Central Goldfields – is as pretty-as-a-picture, but there’s something extra-special about Creswick. I used to live 30 minutes north; I’d drive in some evenings to cruise its main street at dusk, and pretend I was travelling back in time.

It was sleepy back then, but that’s changed. Where I used to walk through its forest, now I’m hurtling down the state’s best new mountain bike trails. There’s a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails – dubbed Djuwang Baring – which make Creswick the state’s hottest new mountain biking destination.

Meet Victoria’s new mountain biking capital

Creswick bike trail — This historic town has become a mountain biking hotspot.

Victoria has a habit of turning quiet country towns into mountain biking hotspots. I was there in the mid-2000s when the tiny Otways village of Forrest embarked on an ambitious plan to save itself (after the death of its timber cutting industry) courtesy of some of the world’s best mountain bike trails. A screaming success it proved to be, and soon mountain bike trails began popping up all over Victoria.

I’m no expert, so I like that a lot of Creswick’s trails are as scenic as they are challenging. I prefer intermediate trails, such as Down Martuk, with its flowing berms and a view round every corner. Everyone from outright beginners to experts can be happy here. There’s trails that take me down technical rock sections with plenty of bumps. But there’s enough on offer to appeal to day-trippers, as much as hard-core mountain-bikers.

I love that the trails empty onto that grand old main street. There’s bars still standing from the Gold Rush of the 1850s I can refuel at. Like the award-winning Farmers Arms, not to be confused with the pub sharing its name in Daylesford. It’s stood since 1857. And The American Creswick built two years later, or Odessa Wine Bar, part of Leaver’s Hotel in an 1856-built former gold exchange bank.

The Woodlands — The Woodlands is set on a large bushland property. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

Creswick is also full of great cafes and restaurants, many of them set in the same old buildings that have stood for 170 years. So whether you’re here for the rush of the trails or the calm of town life, Creswick provides.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

1970s log cabin — Inside the Woodlands, a chic 1970s log cabin. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

RACV Goldfields Resort is a contemporary stay with a restaurant, swimming pool and golf course. The Woodlands in nearby Lal Lal comprises a chic log cabin set on a 16-hectare property abundant in native wildlife.

Eating there

Le Peche Gourmand — Le Peche Gourmand makes for the perfect pitstop for carb and sugar-loading.

The menu at Odessa at Leaver’s Hotel includes some Thai-inspired fare. Fuel up for your ride on baguettes and pastries from French patisserie Le Peche Gourmand. The Farmers Arms has been a much-loved local institution since 1857.

Playing there

Miss NorthcottsGarden — Miss Northcotts Garden is a charming garden store with tea room. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Creswick State Forest has a variety of hiking trails, including a section of the 210-kilometre-long Goldfields Track. Miss Northcotts Garden is a quaint garden store with tea room.