An overview of Squeaky Beach, voted Australia's best beach in 2024.
An overview of Squeaky Beach, voted Australia's best beach in 2024.
A famed stretch that got its name from the sound it makes when you walk on it has beaten shorelines across the nation to nab the title of Australia’s best beach.
Squeaky Beach, bordered by the rough wilderness of Wilsons Promontory National Park, has been dubbed by Tourism Australia as the country’s best for 2024, reports news.com.au.
Found three hours out of Melbourne, “Squeaky” is famous for the “acoustic delight” of compressed quartz and silica sand underfoot, as well as its big waves and clear blue waters. The beach is also marvelled at for the impressive granite boulders that surround it.
This marks the first time a beach in Victoria has won best beach in Australia.
The Farm in New South Wales and Australia’s southernmost beach, Cockle Creek in Tasmania, made up the rest of the top three.
The top 10 features beaches hailing from all states, as well as the Northern Territory. Also included were Pulu Blan Madar Island on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Lagoon Beach on Lord Howe Island.
Lagoon Beach on Lord Howe Island made the top 10. Photo / Tourism and Events Queensland
Brad Farmer, conservationist and Tourism Australia’s beach expert, jested that he had a tough and “sometimes controversial” job in deciding the top 10.
“The list of ‘best beaches’ attracts headlines both here in Australia and in key international tourism markets around the world,” he shared.
“That’s why I take the chance to uncover some of those destinations that might not be well-known but are home to some of Australia’s, and in my opinion, the world’s, best beaches.”
In the past, the best beach title has been won by Stokes Bay on SA’s Kangaroo Island in 2023, Misery Bay in WA in 2022 and Cabarita Beach in NSW in 2021.
While Queensland may not have nabbed a spot in the top three, it was the only state to have two beaches feature in the top 10 – Cylinder Beach and Cow Bay.
Stokes Bay on Kangaroo Island, SA, won top honours as Aussie's best beach for 2023. Photo / Tourism Australia
Australia has more than 12,000 beaches, along with some of the most varied and diverse coastlines in the world.
The best beach list is revealed annually in the hopes of opening up the minds of travellers – both locally and abroad — and inspiring people to venture off the beaten track, exploring coastlines they’ve never visited before.
Managing director Philippa Harrison reflected on Tourism Australia’s research, saying it regularly shows just how pivotal Aussie coastlines are in bringing visitors to the country.
“Beaches are one of the greatest drivers of international visitor demand to Australia and the majority of travellers enjoy our aquatic and coastal environments in some way when they are here,” she said.
TOP 10 BEST BEACHES IN AUSTRALIA
Squeaky Beach, Wilsons Promontory, Victoria
The Farm (also known as Killalea Beach), Shellharbour, New South Wales
Cockle Creek, Tasmania
Madfish Bay, William Bay National Park, Western Australia
Pulu Belan Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cylinder Beach, North Stradbroke Island, Queensland
Lagoon Beach, Lord Howe Island
Long Beach, Limestone Coast, South Australia
Cow Bay, Daintree River/Cape Tribulation, Queensland
