Which beach is Australia's finest?

It’s official! A little-known Western Australian beach called Misery Beach has taken out the title of Australia’s Best Beach for 2022. It’s a shame that the majority of the population won’t be able to visit it for a little while longer…

Described as ‘picture perfect’, Misery Beach, which is just south of Albany in WA, is one of 20 beaches judged to be the country’s best for 2022.

The beach is a five-hour drive from Perth and is home to a former whaling station that saw the beach covered in blood and debris when the site was operational, hence the name. While only about 200 metres long, today it has pristine squeaky white sand and crystal blue waters.

The list of 20 top beaches was headed up by Australian coastal veteran and Tourism Australia appointed Friend of Australia and beach expert, Brad Farmer AM. Farmer has written about beaches for almost 40 years and has visited most of Australia’s accessible beaches in his research travels.

This year’s list of winners focuses on nature-based locations, many quirky spots within easy reach of cities, and also celebrates the significant cultural value of the coast to Australia’s First Nations people.

Australia has the largest number of beaches of any country in the world with close to 12,000 beaches so the judging panel wouldn’t have had an easy time narrowing it down to just 20.

Tourism Australia’s Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said: “Brad has explored the coastline right around Australia, checked out islands off the coast and again looked inland to produce yet another exceptional list of beaches."

“We have the best beaches in the world right here in our own backyard, which is why they are part of the Australian way of life and why 70 per cent of international visitors enjoy a coastal experience when they visit Australia.”

Mr Farmer set a national precedent in 2020 by naming the inland Wagga Wagga Beach at number nine, including for the first-time inland river beaches and even lakes on the best beaches list, to recognise the value of water and aquatic experiences to regional and rural Australian communities.

This year’s list is unique in that it includes cultural connections to First Nations Country and some beaches not often found in internet searches. Every state and territory is included in this year’s list, including Christmas Island (Indian Ocean Territories) and K’Gari (formerly named Fraser Island), Mots Beach at the mouth of the Snowy River and Murrays Beach in Jervis Bay Territory.   

1. Misery Beach, Albany, Western Australia

2. Horseshoe Bay, South West Rocks, NSW

3. The Spit, Gold Coast, Queensland

4. Flaherty’s Beach, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

5. Loch Ard Gorge, Port Campbell, Victoria

6. The Neck, Bruny Island, Tasmania

7. Blue Pearl Bay, Whitsundays, Queensland

8. Depot Beach, South Coast, NSW

9. Murrays Beach, Jervis Bay Territory, ACT/NSW

10. Dundee Beach, Darwin, Northern Territory

11. Dudley Beach, Newcastle, NSW

12. Thompsons Beach, Cobram, Rural, Victoria

13. Coogee Beach, Perth, Western Australia

14. Mots Beach, Marlo, Victoria

15. Alexandria Bay, Noosa, Queensland

16. Emu Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia

17. Lake Wabby, K’Gari (Fraser Is), Queensland

18. Congwong Beach, Sydney, NSW

19. Jellybean Pool, Blue Mountains, NSW

20. Ethel Beach, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean Territories