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Smix
United States4549 Posts
I've been to several different beaches in Australia now and been awestruck by the natural beauty that exists here and thought I would share some of the places I've seen.
Sunshine Coast+ Show Spoiler +Seemed a bit more chill than the gold coast - super clean, super nice. My only regret was going there when it was right in the middle of the winter season, which albeit was still pretty warm (was about low to mid 60's fahrenheit), but not when you're wearing beach clothes. Definitely plan on heading back again since it's warmer now.
Stradbroke Island+ Show Spoiler +(Found this made already and abandoned) Ridiculously pretty. Was completely thrown off guard because I had spent the last two days on this island on a different part of the island that was nowhere near this gorgeous. All we did was walk around the coast for an hour before we hit this gem of a beach. There were hardly any people around and I seriously felt like I was on the set of lost haha.
Brown Lake (not a beach but still a gorgeous lake)+ Show Spoiler +The brown color of the lake is actually not because it's dirty - the lake is stained brown by the leaves of the Ti trees around it. The cleanest, most peaceful lake I've ever seen. The history behind this lake is pretty interesting - while officially it's open as a tourist attraction, it's actually a very sacred lake to the Aboriginal community that lives there... was sad hearing about how attractions like jet skiing, etc. are slowly polluting the lake.
Heron Island - Great Barrier Reef+ Show Spoiler +In terms of sandy, tropical-like goodness, this was the best place by far. In the second picture, that is a shark. The sharks were swimming so close to shore we could see them. I eventually went in later to snorkel and they swam right around us just minding their own business. SO awesome. Besides sharks, we also saw sea turtles, manta rays, and other species of fish. Being such an isolated island (only about 100 members of staff work on the island) it's pretty unaffected by humans thus far and a great place to observe wildlife in its natural domain.
Sydney+ Show Spoiler +Unfortunately I was too busy doing the coastal walk to really sit down and enjoy any of the beaches but from what I observed, there were a LOT of surfers here. The beaches here were beautiful as well - the waves seemed pretty ferocious at some points though. Glad I wasn't in the water haha.
Gold Coast+ Show Spoiler +The sand here was ridiculously soft and fine... felt wonderful but was a bitch to handle when I got home because I kept finding more and more sand in my clothes. The only complaint I had here was that it was so commercialized - people swarming everywhere. You had to walk pretty far down the beach to get some space. The gold coast had a really good nightlife though.
Byron Bay+ Show Spoiler +This felt like THE beach town. A majority of the people were walking around town barely clothed, some with no shoes on, etc. There were several beaches to choose from - some were mainly for those who wanted to surf (it was cute - I saw some kids decked out in pro surfing gear and apparently these kids are sponsored surfers - already starting the pro life it seems). We eventually settled at the more "popular" beach where people just go to mingle and tan. At one point there was a man standing next to us and it wasn't until he walked away that I was informed that he was the former world champion in surfing. O_O!
When I first got here I was so thrown off by the sheer blueness of the water... was so used to murky brown/grey being "normal". Have no idea how I'm going to settle for the beaches back home now...
Note: My friend took most of these pictures with a normal canon digi.
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mate if you ever come to tasmania.
wineglass bay is the place to go. one of the best in the world.
but yeah us aussies got it good with our beaches
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You didn't make it over to Perth? We have some beautiful beaches!
i.e. Rottnest Island
![[image loading]](http://images.theage.com.au/2009/01/12/345700/420-Rottnest-Island-420x0.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.discoverwest.com.au/australia-images/l181b.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/MUeMK.jpg)
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Smix
United States4549 Posts
Bah, if time and money allowed I'd love to visit Tasmania/Perth. I already booked the rest of my flights (visiting Adelaide, Sydney, Gold Coast, and Melbourne before I leave) and now my bank account is crying =/
If I get a chance to visit again, Perth/Cairns/Tasmania will be at the top of my list!
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Yeah, our beaches are really, really good. Unfortunately where I live in Melbourne the only near-by beaches are quite terrible. I'd have to say the best beaches I've seen are up north.
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FREEAGLELAND26781 Posts
Omgggggg I want to visit Aussieland @_@
Smix take me witchu next time I can hide in a suitcase or something
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What beach is that at the sunshine coast? I love visiting the Sunshine coast, definitely a lot more relaxed than the Gold Coast beaches.
From the looks of it you stayed in some really nice places at Stradbroke.. Is the third picture Main beach or something else (like the view to Adder rock from Cylinder?) Fourth picture looks like Cylinder beach too, one of (if not the most) popular smaller beaches on the island, mind you I haven't been there in a while so I could be wrong.
Btw, did you go cliff jumping at Byron Bay??
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Yeaa Aussie beaches are awesome.
Bayney stop lurking around on TL and get you bum on bnet.
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Ohhh Byron Bay
How i love thee.
If you're heading to Melbourne, you should definitely check out Phillip Island or the Mornington Peninsula.
With Summer on the way it's almost the perfect time to check them out 
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Australia seems amazing. I want to go and have fun.
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Ahh, the closest I've gotten to crystal clear blue beaches like that is in Marathon, FL.
![[image loading]](http://www.tjadventures.com/images/florida/trip18.jpg)
It's kinda murky here because of the sky, but usually it's nice and white and the clear blue water. Other than that, this blog shows me more of a reason to visit Australia one day >.< Been dying to go!
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Wow did you take those pictures or google image them? If thats how those beaches look on a day to day basis then just....thats incredible, the water is so clear.
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Smix
United States4549 Posts
LoStYouRSkiLLS: oh god I wish I can answer all your questions... about sunshine coast - I have no idea about the name of the beach itself... can only say it's near noosa? Hope that helps ><. Also about Stradbroke - again, no idea about the name. It has to have been a beach near Dunwich park though because we hiked about 1-2 hours to get to the beach from there... Most of the time we have a guide who leads the way and we just follow along happily haha. and no on the cliff jumping but i went skydiving... if that counts! haha
BookII: Oo~ thank you I'll definitely look into those places. Everything is kind of up in the air right now haha..
ZlaSHeR: the pictures were taken by my friend ^^ The beaches really are this gorgeous on a day to day basis haha
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United States37500 Posts
Those are some nice looking beaches. I went to my personal favorite last summer in the Grand Caymans. White sand, warm blue waters. So simple, yet so hard to find.
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Beautiful pics
definitely when I have some free time and money I'm going to Australia.
In fact the only thing stopping me from really deciding to move there is the government's stance on the internet
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Smix
United States4549 Posts
On November 03 2010 14:43 Zona wrote:
In fact the only thing stopping me from really deciding to move there is the government's stance on the internet
LOL this capped internet is killing me. I have to pick and choose when to watch starcraft because streaming literally gobbles it up.
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holy crap that looks amazing. i've never been to big long beaches like any of those. I'm hoping to getting around to doing it sometime in the next couple years.
On November 03 2010 14:18 flamewheel wrote:
Omgggggg I want to visit Aussieland @_@
Smix take me witchu next time I can hide in a suitcase or something
omg me too. i swear you won't catch us making out when you open it...
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If anyone gets the chance to check out Broome (top end of Western Australia) you should really do so. It's not as well known as most places but that just means most of the time you about 10 miles of beach to yourself
+ Show Spoiler +
I used to live in Broome right next to the beach around 10 years ago:
+ Show Spoiler +
Not all the water in Australia is crystal clear though, the Yarra in Melbourne (where I live at the moment) is notoriously murky and brown.
+ Show Spoiler +
I still like Melbourne but I wouldn't go swimming in the Yarra
Pictures stolen shamelessly from Google image search.
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intrigue
Washington, D.C9933 Posts
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wow, my cousin is living in paradise then. haha, but he does complain alot about the UV lights (is in med school)
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On November 03 2010 14:47 Smix wrote:Show nested quote +On November 03 2010 14:43 Zona wrote:
In fact the only thing stopping me from really deciding to move there is the government's stance on the internet LOL this capped internet is killing me. I have to pick and choose when to watch starcraft because streaming literally gobbles it up.
Internet isn't that bad anymore. You can get a 40 Gb plan pretty cheap these days. It's only if you live in rural areas that it's shit. The government is trying to make internet cheaper through massive investment... But anyway [/offtopic]
You should check out some victorian beaches. Down around Lorne/Apollo Bay/Great Ocean Road theres some pretty cool ones. Melbourne beaches suck though, don't bother. Phillip Island is good too. There's some nice secluded beaches around Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Port Land too.
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I used to live in Byron Bay. That place is baller. I don't know if they still run it but the Blues Festival there is fucking awesome.
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For your third Byron picture, if you go just past the Pass, (the rocks at the end) there is a cove that nudists tend to frequent.... :D
But yeah beaches in Australia are awesome, is the rest of the world really that different, I honestly wouldn't know.
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Queensland beaches are so amazing, Surfer's Paradise remains my personal favourite. If you're coming down to Melbourne definately check out the Mornington coast as the beaches closest to the city are pretty average.
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Whoa, those do look awesome Luckily for me I will be spending my honeymoon there next year! Going from Brisbane up to Daintree national park.
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My dad just moved down there... These pics are hyping me up for a visit :D
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On November 03 2010 14:17 prOxi.swAMi wrote:
Yeah, our beaches are really, really good. Unfortunately where I live in Melbourne the only near-by beaches are quite terrible. I'd have to say the best beaches I've seen are up north.
williamstown beach is where its at
but seriously the beaches up north put even the best beaches in victoria to absolute shame. i was at surfers paradise at the beginning of the year and I couldn't believe just how massive the differences were.
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I always take to granted how good our beaches are. I remember going to Korea, what the fuck they had like gay sand and grey water.
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You go to Australia for the beaches (Caution: There may or may not be a pun in the last sentence).
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Australia7069 Posts
i'm glad you appreciated the sunshine coast. Gold coast has been going downhill for a while, whereas you can always find a near empty awesome beach up at the sunshine coast!
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On November 03 2010 17:03 ooni wrote:
You go to Australia for the beaches (Caution: There may or may not be a pun in the last sentence).
Bitches no (after going overseas a lot and even working in a place with a ton of foreigners, I have come to realise how timid girls are here, girls here are also pretty meh), beaches yes.
Nice photos they look beautiful. I used to go to the beach nearly every weekend for years because my dad managed a resort near sorrento. I never go anymore though, I can't stand sitting in the car for an hour with sand all over me, I don't like cold water and jellyfish scare the living daylights out of me. 
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I used to live on the Sunny Coast the beaches were great! Not much of a beach guy now though, haven't been to any beaches in Sydney in 4 years here. Tell us when you're coming to Sydney next!
Good to see you're spending your time wisely here and it's not all just study like some people who visit. Seems like you're enjoying it!
On November 03 2010 16:07 NeoLearner wrote:Whoa, those do look awesome Luckily for me I will be spending my honeymoon there next year! Going from Brisbane up to Daintree national park.
Daintree is awesome! Make sure it's not wet season though.
On November 03 2010 17:15 sluggaslamoo wrote:Show nested quote +On November 03 2010 17:03 ooni wrote:
You go to Australia for the beaches (Caution: There may or may not be a pun in the last sentence). Bitches no (after going overseas a lot and even working in a place with a ton of foreigners, I have come to realise how timid girls are here, girls here are also pretty meh), beaches yes. Nice photos they look beautiful. I used to go to the beach nearly every weekend for years because my dad managed a resort near sorrento. I never go anymore though, I can't stand sitting in the car for an hour with sand all over me, I don't like cold water and jellyfish scare the living daylights out of me.
I also can't stand jellyfish even the harmless ones T_T Lots of Asians here told me they find Aussie girls prettier cos there's a lot of mixed races.
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Where is Brown Lake? Never heard of it, it looks interesting.
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Smix
United States4549 Posts
Ludrik - I paid 100 bucks for 60 Gb internet... don't know if that's considered a good deal but T_T Thanks for the recommendations though. I'll see how much I can get in in the month I have left here..
Suc - Dude there were plenty of topless girls tanning even in the non-nudist areas... was kind of shocking at first but the area is so chill you don't even notice after a while haha. And yes, the rest of the world is uglier hahaha
On November 03 2010 16:35 youngminii wrote:
I remember going to Korea, what the fuck they had like gay sand and grey water.
Sorry, what is 'gay sand'?
sluggaslamoo - What?? I've seen plenty of wild/crazy girls here... also a lot of pretty ones! Especially in the bigger cities. As for jellyfish - I went snorkeling and got stung a couple of times because at one point they were literally everywhere and you couldn't escape them. Gahh ;;
and deL - brown lake is a lake on north stradbroke island... you can google image it
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Sand with dicks obviously.
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United States11637 Posts
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I spent almost every weekend at Gold Coast in the past 3 years ... chillax!
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On November 03 2010 18:02 boesthius wrote:so jealous 
You jealous of the gay sand? It's not too late to gay up your local sand.
Those are some very pretty looking beaches. I generally don't much give two craps about beaches, but those sure did look pleasant.
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the beaches is all well and good... but the sand would get in my laptop, and then how would i be able to play starcraft? And think of the glare!
Thanks for the pics though! Makes me realise how fortunate many of us here who live on the east coast. It's also sad, cause (at least in the cities) we all live so close to these wonderful beaches and sceneries, but hardly ever have the time to go. They make brilliant road trips though.
WA/Tas are all so different! WA has some awesome fishing if ur into that, and some pretty hectic scenery (if u can get to those places... australia is all about being able to drive there :-/). Tas you have some really nice scenery especially with the old forests...
ahh i want to go on holiday!
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United States11637 Posts
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Well, You can get unlimited 24mbps here for $70 dollars so its not that bad really.
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Nice pics!
Grew up on the Gold Coast, and our beaches are really something you take for granted until you go pretty much anywhere else.
I'm really glad you got to go to Straddy, it has some of the nicest beaches i've ever seen, and you barely ever have to fight anyone for them. I'm pretty sure I recognise some of the locations in those photos too. I think some of them are from Cylinder. Did you walk down a big-ass wooden staircase?
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Gorgeous pictures! Hamilton Island is meant to be pretty stunning too. Damn, I wished I lived closer to the beach, I don't live too far from the coast, but it still takes a 45 minute drive to get there :/ Are the beaches back in the US really that shitty though? Hope you enjoy the rest of your stay, what else are you planning to do here?
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Belgium9945 Posts
Holy shit those are some sick beaches.
Initially expected a pube trimming guide or something though.
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Smix
United States4549 Posts
@RisingTide: I'm pretty sure I did! I wish I knew the names of these ridiculous beaches but I spent more time googly-eyed staring and taking pictures rather than listening to our guide... ;; Straddy had some of the prettier beaches for sure, and that's saying a lot in Australia.
@Kms: Most of the beaches I've been to in Australia have clean sand and shores, pretty much free of rocks and shells and whatnot. Beaches back home for me are usually ridden with those things... kinda hurts to walk around without shoes on, then hurts even with shoes on because the rocks get inside or under your feet ;; Water is almost always some shade of brown... haha. It's not TERRIBLE but definitely not comparable to the beaches here. (also keep in mind I'm from NY.. I'm sure the beaches down south are much nicer but I wouldn't know - I haven't been yet) You can imagine how O_O I was when I finally got to see a beach with blue water. Once finals/papers are done, I want to head to the sunshine coast again since the weather is nice, then headed to the gold coast, then sydney, then adelaide, then melbourne ^^. Booked my flights and everything!
@mapthesoul: Holyyyy crap. O_O that actually looks amazing but I won't be able to head there this time... definitely next time if I get a chance. Wow.
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I can remember going to England when I was 5, walking onto a beach with rocks and being like wtf? How are you supposed to play beach cricket and have fun?
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Pity you couldn't visit any of the Pacific Islands if you like beaches.
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intrigue
Washington, D.C9933 Posts
On November 03 2010 21:29 RaGe wrote:
Holy shit those are some sick beaches.
Initially expected a pube trimming guide or something though.
=P
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