The best islands in Australia
Discover the best Temptation Islands Down Under
- Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island is a small Australian island in the Tasman Sea, just an hours flight from Sydney. White sandy beaches, subtropical forests and clear water make this for an idyllic destination. In the south, a trail will lead to the top of Mount Gower, with sweeping views of the island. In the north, Ned's Beach calm inlet is perfect for snorkelling. Here you will find some of the most picturesque diving spots in Australia.
- Rottnest Island
Just offshore from the city of Perth, in Western Australia, Rottnest Island is a protected nature reserve. This island is famed for being home to the quokka, a small wallaby-like marsupial. The Basin, with its shallow waters, and Thomson Bay, the main hub and ferry port, have white-sand beaches and secluded coves. Strickland Bay is known for being a surfers paradise.
- Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island, in South Australia, is easily reached from Adelaide. Over a third of the island is a protected nature reserves and home to native wildlife such as sea lions, koalas and of course kangaroos. In the west, Flinders Chase National Park is known for penguin colonies. It also has some of the most incredible coastal rock formations that include the sculpted Remarkable Rocks and stalactite-covered Admirals Arch.
- Fraiser Island
Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island, is located in the Australia’s eastern state, Queensland. Stretching over 120km, some of the best panoramic viewpoints can be found at Indian Head, a rocky outcrop on the island's easternmost tip, and the Cathedrals, a cliff famous for sculpted ribbons of coloured sand. The island is a camping and ecotourism haven, with white sand beaches, lakes and freshwater pools
- Hayman Island
Located off the coast of Central Queensland, Hayman Island is the most northerly of the Whitsunday Islands and a true paradise. Here you can escape it all and lounge by the whitest sand in the world. Hayman has earned the reputation as Australia’s foremost leisure and honeymoon destination attracting widespread international recognition.
- Heron Island
Heron Island is a coral cay located near the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of central Queensland, Australia. The island is about 800 metres long and 300 metres at its widest, while the highest point is 3.6 metres. The island is also famous for its green sea turtle nesting ground and a snorkelling paradise. There is only one eco-resort on the island with limited accomodation in order to protect the fragile ecosystem.
- Maria Island
Maria Island is a mountainous island located in the Tasman Sea, off the east coast of Tasmania, Australia. Stretches of white sandy beaches and turquoise waters are set amongst lush green vegetation. There is only one town on the Island, Darlington. It lies near the northern tip and has many wonderful old buildings but no permanent inhabitants other than a few park rangers. The island is one of the most intensively studied marine protected areas in Australia and is a popular diving destination.
- Great Keppel Island
Great Keppel Island lies 15 kilometres off the coast of Yeppoon along Central Queensland, Australia. The island is the largest of the eighteen islands in the Keppel Group, and offers accommodation and camping grounds. The best beaches are all on the eastern side of the island and include Fishermans Beach, Long Beach and Putney Beach. Great Keppel Island is also called Wappaburra which means 'resting place'.
- Bigge Island
Bigge Island is an island off the coast of the Kimberley region in Western Australia. The island lies approximately 6 kilometres from the mainland, from which it is separated by Scott Strait. Bigge Island is famous for its amazing galleries of Aboriginal rock art. Both Gwion Gwion (also known as Bradshaw) art and Wandjina art is in evidence in the coastal caves of the island. Potentially up to over 50,000 years ago, the Gwion Gwion images are possibly the oldest known to man.
- Moreton Island
Moreton Island is just off the coast of southeastern Queensland, Australia. The protected sand island is known for its beaches and steep dunes, like Mount Tempest, considered the highest coastal sand dune in the world at 285 metres. On the west coast, a dive site features a group of sunken boats called the Tangalooma Wrecks. A popular spot to see Humpback whales and dolphins is Cape Moreton, the site of a 19th-century lighthouse.
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