Australia's top beaches for 2018 named

Nudey Beach in Far North Queensland, once a nude bathing beach,  has been named Australia's top beach in the 2018 Australia's top beaches list.

The white coral beach with only a small stretch of sand located on Fitzroy Island,  some 29 kilometres south of Cairns,  scored the top spot out of 11, 761 beaches. Western Australia's Horrocks Beach was named Australia's No.2 beach – also being the country's best mainland beach.

Last year, Cossies Beach on Australia's Cocos and Keeling Islands was named the country's top remote beach, but dropped back to fourth spot this year behind Dreamtime Beach in NSW, and ahead of Burleigh Heads in Queensland.

Assessed by ‘beach expert’ Brad Farmer, the rankings were scored according to three criteria - affordability, accessibility and authenticity - and included beaches that have a ‘yet to be discovered’ element.

Significantly, the list ignores some of Australia’s best known beaches such as Syndey’s Bondi and Manly Beaches and Queensland’s Surfers Paradise, with landscape,  location and culture being taken into account.

Beaches are the number one reason why tourists visit the country and the number one reason why Australians travel domestically, according to tourism figures.

Farmer, a conservationist,  has been travelling to and researching Australian beaches for over 30 years. He and his colleague Professor Andy Short, a coastal geomorphologist, spent several months travelling the country to assess beaches for the 2018 Australia's top beaches list.

Farmer and the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, announced the list at Perth’s Cottesloe Beach, named the 15th best beach in the country for 2018.

Australia's top 101 beaches list was launched in 2016.

The 20 best beaches in Australia 2018
1. Nudey Beach, Queensland 
2. Horrocks Beach, Western Australia 
3. Dreamtime Beach, NSW 
4. Cossies Beach, Cocos Keeling Island 
5. Burleigh Heads, Queensland 
6. Seal Rocks, NSW 
7. Bay of Fires, Tasmania 
8. Quobba - Red Bluff, Western Australia 
9. Dolly Beach, Christmas Island 
10. Second Valley, South Australia 
11. Neds Beach, NSW 
12. Little Beach, Western Australia 
13. Wineglass Bay, Tasmania 
14. Moonee Beach, NSW 
15. Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia 
16. Agnes Waters - 1770, Queensland 
17. Horseshoe Bay, Queensland 
18. Kitty Miller Bay, Victoria 
19. Mindil Beach, Northern Territory 
20. Cylinders, Queensland 

For more information go to www.101bestbeaches.com

Image: Nudey Beach on Queensland's Fitzroy Island.

9th August 2017 - AUSTRALIA’S GREAT OUTDOORS NEEDS TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR NATURE-BASED TOURISM

7th June 2017 - AUSTRALIA CELEBRATES RECORD INTERNATIONAL VISITOR SPENDING

6th January 2017 - 70% OF AUSTRALIANS TO TAKE A SUMMER HOLIDAY 

15th December 2016 - REMOTE ISLAND BEACH NAMED AUSTRALIA’S BEST 

6th March 2016 - 2016 TRIPADVISOR TRAVELLERS’ CHOICE AWARDS REVEAL AUSTRALIA’S BEST BEACHES

16th October 2015 - GOLD COAST ANNOUNCED AS THE 8TH WORLD SURFING RESERVE

15th August 2015 - GUILDERTON WINS AUSTRALIAN CLEAN BEACHES AWARDS 2015