A little-known WA beach called Misery has taken out the title of Australia’s Best Beach.
Described as ‘picture perfect’, the white sandy shores of this paradoxically named spot were once stained deep red with blood from a neighbouring whaling station in Albany, Western Australia.
Misery Beach is one of 20 beaches judged to be the country’s best for 2022 by Australian coastal veteran and Tourism Australia appointed Friend of Australia and beach expert, Brad Farmer AM.
Farmer has been writing 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 First Nations peoples.
1 – Misery Beach Albany, WA
2 – Horseshoe Bay South West Rocks, NSW
3 – The Spit Gold Coast, QLD
4 – Flaherty’s Beach Yorke Peninsula, SA
5 – Loch Ard Gorge Port Campbell, VIC
6 – The Neck Bruny Island, TAS
7 – Blue Pearl Bay Whitsundays
8 – Depot Beach South Coast, NSW
9 – Murrays Beach Jervis Bay Territory, ACT/NSW
10 – Dundee Beach Darwin, NT
11 – Dudley Beach Newcastle, NSW
12 – Thompsons Beach Cobram, Rural, VIC
13 – Coogee Beach Perth, WA
14 – Mots Beach Marlo, VIC
15 – Alexandria Bay Noosa, QLD
16 – Emu Bay Kangaroo Island, SA
17 – Lake Wabby K’Gari Fraser Is
18 – Congwong Beach Sydney, NSW
19 – Jellybean Pool Blue Mountains, NSW
20 – Ethel Beach Christmas Island
Images: @josh_burkinshaw & @adventure_never_stops & Lake Macquarie City