Only 400 visitors are allowed on it at once, which is exactly why it made the list.
Lord Howe Island has been ranked the fourth-quietest island in the world. A new index scored 100 islands on how much noise, light, traffic and development they have kept out, and Lord Howe finished ahead of every island in Asia, the Americas and the Pacific bar one – New Zealand’s Stewart Island/Rakiura, which topped the list with 94.6 out of 100.
Lord Howe scored 92.8. A second Australian island, Magnetic Island/Yunbenun, placed 13th on 81.7. Bali came 78th. Santorini finished 99th and Malta last of the 100.
Lord Howe Island has been ranked the fourth-quietest island in the world. (Credit: tom-archer.com)
The reason Lord Howe rates so highly is a rule that has been in place since 1981. No more than 400 visitors can be on the island at any one time, a cap enforced through a fixed number of licensed tourist beds issued by the Lord Howe Island Board. With around 380 permanent residents, that produces something close to one visitor per local at peak capacity.
The Unspoilt Index comes from BookRetreats.com, a retreat booking marketplace. Islands were scored against six criteria – rich nature, few roads, low air traffic, uncrowded space, dark night skies and natural coastal spots – using open satellite and mapping data, then weighted into a composite score.
No more than 400 visitors can be on Lord Howe Island at any one time. (Credit: tom-archer.com)
Lord Howe has the credentials. It sits 600 kilometres east of the NSW coast, was World Heritage-listed in 1982, and has almost no artificial light after dark – it’s on track to be certified as Australia’s first Dark Sky Island. Ball’s Pyramid, the volcanic sea stack 20 kilometres offshore, rises 562 metres out of the ocean and is the tallest of its kind anywhere.
The cap that earned Lord Howe fourth place is also what could stand between you and a booking. 400 beds across a handful of stays, including the exclusive Capella Lodge and the luxury Island House, means the September to April season fills months ahead, and flights and accommodation need to be booked together.
Stay at the exclusive Capella Lodge.
Magnetic Island, which placed 13th in the ranking, is a 20-minute ferry from Townsville, eight kilometres offshore, and 78 per cent of its 5184 hectares is protected as a national and conservation park. It holds the largest wild koala population in northern Australia, and the walking tracks through the granite headlands are day-trip length rather than expedition length.
Stewart Island, the winner, sits about 30 kilometres south of the NZ South Island. It has about 500 residents who share it with an estimated 20,000 kiwi, it’s the world’s southernmost International Dark Sky Sanctuary, and the three-day Rakiura Track is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks.
Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?
Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her 4+ years at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? South Australia and The Kimberley.
Bate Bay’s sweep of beaches has been crowned Australia’s best for 2026, placing Sutherland Shire in the spotlight as a top coastal destination just south of Sydney’s CBD.
The beaches fringing Bate Bay – Cronulla, North Cronulla, Wanda, Elouera and Greenhills – have topped Tourism Australia’s 2026 list of best Australian beaches (as curated by Beach Ambassador Brad Farmer). For locals, it’s less revelation, more recognition.
The mood shifts from the moment you step off the T4 train service from Central to Cronulla and catch a glimpse of the ocean. At dawn, the Esplanade is already buzzing with regulars, and by mid-morning, parents have staked out a toasty spot on Cronulla Beach where excited toddlers clamber over rocks, and the Jellybean swim squad at Oak Park have donned their bright pink caps while singing Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.
By the afternoon, towels are being collected from across the sand as visitors wander back to Cronulla in loose formation.
Dive into the world’s best beaches.
That’s the thing about Bate Bay beaches. This isn’t a story about a single beach. This long, uninterrupted sweep of sand and sea, where you can walk for kilometres without breaking stride, is not just enjoyed over summer; it’s a year-round destination. Here, Cronulla’s buzz gives way to Wanda’s wild edges, before stretching out to the quieter reaches of Greenhills.
But while Bate Bay’s beaches may have taken top honours in the 2026 Best Australian Beaches list, they’re only part of the drawcard. Sutherland Shire stacks up as a full-spectrum coastal escape, where good food, national park adventures and on-the-water experiences sit within easy reach of the shoreline. Whether you’re planning a long weekend or stretching out a stay, here’s how to make the most of Cronulla beyond the sand, sea and surf.
Beyond the beaches
Dining
Enjoy a sundowner by the sea at Pippis Cronulla.
The Sutherland Shire dining scene delivers from early morning to late at night with a mix of vibrant cafes, bars and pubs. Start your day at Grind Espresso, where the coffee comes strong and fast. From there, drift towards HAM for pastries, best eaten buttery warm.
By midday, locals linger across sun-lit tables. Loaf and Next Door appeal to the surfers who come in for snacks after chasing waves. Blackwood’s Pantry and The Press are also popular for breakfast and lunch, while Pilgrim’s continues to hold a special place in the hearts of vegans.
Newer arrivals signal where Cronulla is heading: Homer Rogue Taverna is being hailed as one of the best restaurants in Cronulla, with the confidence that comes from understanding what locals want. Ask a local to reveal their favourite restaurant for a special occasion, and it’ll likely be Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare, Yalla Sawa or Alphabet Street. Summer Salt, Sealevel, Benny’s, Bobbys and Pippis are a few of the best waterfront restaurants in the Shire.
A short ferry ride from Cronulla, Bundeena offers a counterpoint to Cronulla’s mighty surf beaches. If Cronulla is the Shire’s social heart, Bundeena – or Bundenesia, as it’s affectionately known – is the place to go to exhale and unwind.
Hop on the ferry from Cronulla, and within 30 minutes, you’ll be inhaling the eucalyptus-scented air. Check the creative pulse of the local community by timing your visit with the Bundeena Maianbar Art Trail on the first Sunday of every month.
One of the best things to do in Bundeena is paddle into Cabbage Tree Basin with Bundeena Kayaks. Follow the five-kilometre Jibbon Beach Loop Track that leads past quiet coves to ancient Indigenous rock art, or simply find a stretch of pearl-white sand to relax on.
Pristine walking trails
Cool off with a coastal stroll.
Beyond the coastline, Sutherland Shire offers myriad ways to shift gears. Royal National Park – the oldest national park in Australia – sits just minutes from the surf. Clifftop walks trace the edge of the continent, the rugged bushland is threaded with creeks and hidden waterfalls, and a network of tracks rewards those willing to go a little further.
Take the Coast Track, where the land drops cleanly into the ocean over sheer cliffs that have been stacked together like giant Jenga. Or veer inland, where pockets of forest cool the air and filter the light. It’s a reminder of how close nature sits to the bustle of suburbs in the Sutherland Shire.
Enjoy whale watching
Spot whales from May to October. (Credit: The Edit Suite)
Twist your binoculars until the ocean is in focus, stretched like a creased blue sheet all around.Come May, the East Coast becomes the humpback highway. Thousands of whales migrate along this stretch of coastline each year, their movements tracked by keen eyes from vantage points like the Cape Solander platform in Kamay Botany Bay National Park, one of the best places for whale watching in Australia. There’s something quietly thrilling about seeing that first telltale spout or the arc of a breaching body against the vastness of the sea. From June to October, whale-watching cruises depart from Cronulla, offering a closer look at the migration.
Awards come and go. But places like Cronulla endure because they belong as much to the visitors as they do the early-morning swimmers, walkers and surfers.
