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If you needed another reason to lace up your hiking shoes and head harbour-side, this is it. In its recently published guide to the best beaches in Australia, Lonely Planet has just named Reef Beach in Sydney Harbour National Park the best beach in Australia for bushwalking – a hefty accolade for one of the city’s most unassuming little coves.
Tucked along the harbour between Manly and Mosman on the Spit to Manly walk, and reachable only on foot or by water, Reef Beach is a magical protected cove that feels worlds away from the city’s buzz. The journey there is half the magic: a 50-minute wander along the Manly Scenic Walkway, where angophoras lean over sandstone shelves and the harbour glimmers through the trees.
RELATED READ: These are our favourite scenic walks in Sydney
The beach itself is small, calm and sweet as heck. Once a famously clothes-optional (read: nudist) beach, today Reef Beach is a local favourite for picnics, gentle swims and post-walk decompression under the shade of the gums. It’s also a living time capsule, offering a glimpse of what this coastline might have looked like in 1788, long before ferries, boardwalks and beachfront cafés. When my family visited from overseas over the Christmas break, this was their absolute favourite swim spot – a surreal, quiet pocket with views across the world-famous harbour.
Reef Beach isn’t the only NSW standout on Lonely Planet’s radar. Ned’s Beach on Lord Howe Island scored a double mention, ranking among Australia’s top five beaches for wildlife watching and snorkelling – no small feat when you’re swimming alongside fish so friendly they practically escort you into the water (as I found out when I visited Lord Howe back in November). Pebbly Beach in Murramarang National Park also made the wildlife list, thanks to its famous beachside kangaroos lounging just metres from the surf.
For families, Hyams Beach in Shoalhaven ranked as the nation’s second best, while The Pass at Byron Bay earned its place as a family-friendly favourite too. Bondi Beach flew the flag for accessibility, recognised for its inclusive facilities – from beach wheelchairs to accessible baths.
Sydney’s snorkelling fans are in luck too, with Manly Beach ranking as the fifth best beach in the country for snorkelling (though with the recent tragic shark attacks, we understand if you’re putting your snorkelling adventures on ice for a little while). On the surfing front, NSW landed two beaches in the top five: with Merewether Beach in Newcastle ranking as the second best surfing beach in the country, and Crescent Head on the Mid North Coast coming fourth on the list.
Still, it’s Reef Beach’s win that feels especially sweet – a little local gem claiming the title as the country’s best coastal highlight for hikers.
These are the best beaches in Australia for bushwalking
- Reef Beach, Sydney Harbour National Park, NSW
- Wreck Beach, Great Otway National Park, Great Ocean Road, Victoria
- Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park, Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania
- Misery Beach, Albany/Kinjarling, Western Australia
- Horseshoe Bay, Bowen, Queensland