You'll probably be closer to a beach than a good restaurant - Bondi Beach in Sydney

Australia's Best Beaches This is the kind of list that the author, despite the best research, is sure to get flamed by readers.  What constitutes the best beach?  Is it the best place to pickup a romantic partner, the best sand, the best surf, the best access to high quality brews and restaurants, the best access to public transport?   Most visitors to Australia will only visit Australia's east coast, the area from Brisbane to Sydney, but Doug's Republic will go further and describe beaches all over Australia.   This is, by no means, a comprehensive list.   Most of Australia's beaches are deserted.  Wiki Travel publishes a list of the most popular beaches here and Doug has been to seven on that list.  Bugbog documents a list of Australia's more popular beaches with pictures.  Free Beach Australia reveals places to bathe in Australia nude, and Doug reluctantly admits that his first (and only) nudist experience was done in Australia.  The full story is not suitable for those under 18.    On Doug's Republic, we're going to break down a list of a dozen of the beaches Doug personally visited and single out what makes that beach special.   This is not a comprehensive list nor a supreme best list.  If, for example, you're a world-class surfer, get your ass to Bell's Beach in Victoria.  We won't discuss it because it's more than amply discussed by other web sites we've recommended.  SURFING   As a general rule, if you draw a horizontal line across the country, from around Exmouth on the west coast across to Rockhampton in the east,  any areas north of this line will not be great for surfing.  There are reefs in these northern Australian areas off both coasts that obscure the surf.  Hence, most of the famous surfing spots in Australia are located in southern Queensland and southern Western Australia and New South Wales, with other beaches bordering the Southern Ocean off Western Australia, South Australia, and Victoria.  For more information, consult here.   Beach Location Unique Aspect Coronation Beach Geraldton, Western Australia With a population of under 35,000 and 265 miles from Perth, Geraldton and its Coronation Beach do not get a lot of traffic. As such, it's a perfect place for the beginning surfer to practice his skills, as he doesn't have to fight with the more skilled for waves or with crowds to get to the beach. Adventure Bay  Bruny Island, Tasmania Features swimming and beautiful views and a chance to see albino kangaroo.   Cable Beach Broome, Western Australia 22 km of white sands and turquoise waters adjoining the Indian oceans.  At sunset, you can take a ride on a camel.   This is one of the very few beaches I've ever been to where riding a car onto the beach was permitted, and driving not too far would get you your own private place in the sand. Going nude is permitted. Not the best surfing beach and jellyfish are a concern, but romantics will enjoy it for the setting. Depending upon who you ask, Cable Beach ranks in the top twenty of all beaches in the world.  Cottlesloe Near Perth, Western Australia  An excellent beach for learning how to surf and to go surfing. Cottlesloe is a suburb of Perth, the capital of Western Australia, and easily and cheaply accessible to Perth by train, sparing the surfer any traffic jams. No other Australian capital has such cheap and accessible transportation to quality beaches.  80 Mile Beach Between Broome and Port Hedland, Western Australia People rave about the famous Cable Beach in Broome just a few hours drive away, but this beach hardly gets a mention. Because 80 Mile Beach is not within a few miles of a tourist town, it gets very little traffic. A small caravan park is nearby where inexpensive accommodation and camping is available. 80 Mile is a perfect respite for fishing, beach lounging, and jogging. Probably not ideal for watersports.  Since Australia is no longer on the British imperial unit system, this beach really should be called 128 Kilometer Beach Near Eli Creek Fraser Island, Queensland About 75 miles long and a World Heritage site, Fraser offers some picturesque beaches and freshwater lakes for swimming.  A 4-wheel driver is necessary to get around the island.   Coolangatta Gold Coast, Queensland Boasting some of the best surf breaks on Australia's Gold Coast with a pleasant town offering all amenities.  When I was there, my pinky finger was higher than any of the waves. I noticed someone kiteboarding in the far distance, and I vowed to myself that if I ever had the time, I'd learn that sport. Sure enough, I kept that promise to myself four months later in Thailand. Rapid Bay  Rapid Bay, South Australia Virtually empty beach, probably because the waters in the Southern Ocean are freezing, but home to the leafy sea dragons, found only in western and southern Australia.  Worth snorkeling or scuba diving.  Be forewarned that renting scuba gear a la carte in Adelaide was the same as paying interest to a loan shark. Bondi  Sydney, New South Wales It might well be the most famous and recognized beach in Australia. It's crowded, sometimes insanely so, the place to see and be seen and attempt a superficial pickup.  Bondi has nice sand and surf, but you have to compete to get it and to find an inexpensive parking space. Bondi is near restaurants and bars and a beautiful coastal walk that takes you past several other nice beach communities in Sydney. Esperance Beaches  Esperance, Western Australia Known for the whitest beaches in Australia, where one can scuba dive and surf without much competition.  The 38 km Great Ocean Drive will take you past many wonderful beach areas where it's possible to have a beach entirely to yourself.  Whitehaven Whitsundays, Queensland Regularly makes the top ten of world beach lists.   Tours of the Whitsundays usually make a stop on Whitsunday Island for an hour or two to experience the fine white sand of Whitehaven.  You'll be lucky to do a little snorkeling.  Forget the idea of surfing here.  Ningaloo Reef area Coral Bay, Western Australia Ningaloo Reef is meant to be Australia's other great reef.   Scuba diving and snorkeling are the primary activities.  For a day out of the water, the open sand and lack of cars makes it a great place for an ATV trip.