Sydneysiders stand down — because a beach in Victoria has been crowned as one of the best Down Under.
Travel experts at Lonely Planet, who issue the best of beach list each and every year, have once again compiled a list of the absolute best places to enjoy some sand and surf from across the globe.
In the new book Best Beaches, researchers from Lonely Planet put their lists together to cover every type of beach experience imaginable.
Covering off the top 100 around the world, a handful of Aussie spots made the list — with some surprise winners in the mix.
Of course Byron Bay’s ever-popular beach The Pass secured a spot at the pointy end, but one surprise addition to the list was Bells Beach in Victoria — known as being one of the best surfing spots in the country.
With travel experts loving the “red-clay cliffs framing this natural amphitheatre”, the beach is just 90 minutes from Melbourne and best for swimming and surfing from November to March. The swell kicks off from April to October, making Bells a popular spot for more experienced surfers during the cooler months.
In addition to The Pass and Bells Beach, Cable Beach in Broome unsurprisingly made the list thanks to the stretch of “blonde sand sandwiched between the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean” and obviously being famous for the spot in WA to jump on the back of a camel and follow the coastline at sunset.
For visitors, the best time to visit Cable Beach is between May and October when the deadly Irukandji jellyfish, crocodiles and jellyfish aren’t plaguing the waters.
The cold waters off the coast of Tasmania also got a nod, with the crystal clear waters Wineglass Bay is one of the most popular spots to visit when venturing through Freycinet National Park.
Coming in the top five Australian beach suggestions within the book, travel gurus say the mix of “pink granite mountains, azure bays and rugged coastal forest, the Freycinet Peninsula is a slice of heaven dangling off Tasmania’s northeast coast”.
Globally, some of the other additions include Blue Lagoon Beach in Fiji, Sunayama Beach in Okinawa, Japan, Durdle Door Beach in Dorset, England and Venice Beach in Los Angeles, USA.