<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>337857</docID> <postdate>2025-02-08 10:49:09</postdate> <headline>Beach bliss: top 10 Australian beaches revealed</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-337858" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20180108001329564352-original.jpg" alt="" width="2016" height="1512" /></p> <caption>A southern island beach has been recognised as Australia's best beach. (Lisa Martin/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>William Ton</strong></span></p> <p><strong>With pristine waters, wide open beaches and orange lichen-covered rocky foreshores backed onto estuaries and lakes providing a green backdrop, an island beach has stolen the show as Australia's top stop for beachgoers. </strong></p> <p>Australia's beach ambassador Brad Farmer AM cycles through 130 individual points to decide the nation's best beach and he found the one in a stretch of coastline featuring clear blue seas, white sand and striking rock formations.</p> <p>The Bay of Fires in Tasmania, a 10-kilometre stretch of beaches along the island's northeast coast, has topped Mr Farmer's Top 10 Best Australians Beaches list for 2025, making it the first time a beach from the island state to come out on top.</p> <p>"You've got such a fusion of environmental gifts in that area, and the bounty you can take from the sea or from the paddock is also something," he told AAP.</p> <p>"It's not just what are we doing today, where are we staying, it's what you're eating as well."</p> <p>Recent temperatures at the bay have been at a brisk 14C to 17C, with the coastal veteran noting an increasing number of swimmers transitioning to cooler waters for their therapeutic benefits.</p> <p>Woolgoolga Beach north of Coffs Harbour in NSW came second while Emily Bay Lagoon located on Norfolk Island between New Caledonia and New Zealand rounded out the top three.</p> <p>"This year's list showcases to the world what Aussies already know - that Bondi and Brighton are great, but it's worth the journey to see some truly unique beaches in regional Australia," Tourism Minister Don Farrell said.</p> <p>Mr Farmer is one of four beach experts in the world, and takes a qualitative approach to his studies with his world-first 130-point selection criteria for best beaches in the world.</p> <p>With more than 12,500 beaches, rivers, lakes and lagoons in Australia, the conservationist researches the location online before contacting various stakeholders in the region, including fishermen, tourist operators and councillors.</p> <p>He then travels to the locations and spends at least one day to a week in the area.</p> <p>But the job is more than just lounging around on the beach, with a vast and exhaustive process getting third-party endorsements, and a feel for the nuances and peculiarities of the location.</p> <p>"I will stop, have lunch, go for a swim, ride a board, speak to the fishermen, go to the local government and interview visitors to get a broad cross-section so that it truly speaks to the nature of that particular spot," Mr Farmer said.</p> <p>With 70 per cent of international visitors coming to Australia for its beaches, Mr Farmer's work as a beach researcher is held to the highest standards with his findings released internationally from Tourism Australia's 35 offices.</p> <p>But the beach ambassador has noticed an increasing "NIMBY (Not in my Backyard)" attitude from some locals who don't want their beaches listed due to over-tourism fears, sparked by social media influencers.</p> <h3><span style="color: #800000;"><strong>TOP 10 BEST AUSTRALIAN BEACHES 2025</strong></span></h3> <p><em>1. Bay of Fires, Tasmania</em></p> <p><em>2. Woolgoolga, NSW</em></p> <p><em>3. Emily Bay Lagoon, Norfolk Island</em></p> <p><em>4. North Kirra Beach, Queensland</em></p> <p><em>5. Little Lagoon, Western Australia</em></p> <p><em>6. Fishery Bay, South Australia</em></p> <p><em>7. 1770, Queensland</em></p> <p><em>8. Scarborough Beach, Western Australia</em></p> <p><em>9. Caves Beach, NSW</em></p> <p><em>10. Cowes Beach, Victoria</em></p> </body>