I wrote the book on Australia's 80 best beaches: here are the surprising top 10

After two years, thousands of kilometres and more sandy car seats than I care to admit, I've seen the best of Australia's beaches. But these 10 stayed with me long after the salt was washed from my hair. (Save this story for your next Aussie beach trip.)

When I set out to write Ultimate Beaches: Australia, the idea was simple: explore the country's most beautiful, unique and unforgettable stretches of sand. What I didn't count on was how hard it would be to choose favourites.

After zigzagging across the nation to research more than 80 beaches, a few carved themselves into my soul. These are the ones I still dream about.

For its surf, cafe culture and barefoot lifestyle

Sitting just south of Coffs Harbour, Sawtell manages to stay blissfully under the radar - at least outside school holidays.

Start your day with a surf check on the headland and latte from the caravan coffee cart before staking out your spot. With a tidal ocean pool, consistent waves, rock pools to explore, a creek to paddle in, and the buzz of The Kiosk lawn in front of the surf club, Sawtell nails that dreamy beach town energy. It's the kind of place you come for a weekend and end up scrolling real-estate listings.

For its time-warp charm and dog-friendly shores

There's a lovely sense of going back in time at Bendalong, and nowhere more so than Washerwomans Beach. Set on a peninsula wrapped in national park, this beach is all gin-clear water and splashy shallows ideal for kids, SUPs and dogs alike (it's off-leash all day). Rays shimmer through nearby Boat Harbour, while casuarinas offer beachside shade and Dee Beach glints in the distance. Simple. Serene. Slightly addictive.

For beginner waves, easy access and penguin-side perks

Just two hours from Melbourne, Phillip Island's beaches are wilder and more wonderful than you'd expect. Smiths Beach stands out for its accessibility (hello, all-abilities ramp) and laid-back, no-fuss charm. The consistent, beginner-friendly surf makes it perfect for first-timers, while low tide reveals rock pools big enough to snorkel in. Even better? When you're done in the water, you can wander around to neighbouring YCW Beach or head to the nearby Summerland Peninsula and hang around until dusk for a parade of little penguins waddling ashore.

For wild solitude (if you're willing to hike for it)

Tucked inside Deep Creek Conservation Park on the Fleurieu Peninsula, Blowhole Beach is one of those places you earn. Unless you've got a 4WD, it's a two-kilometre downhill hike - and an even sweatier return - but the reward is immense. A wild, near-empty cove framed by soaring headlands and swaying golden grasses, with kangaroos and wallabies casually spectating. Low tide brings rock pools, galahs flutter overhead and views stretch out towards Kangaroo Island. If you're craving isolation with a side of magic, this is your beach.

For reef fossils, stand-up paddlers and desert-meets-sea magic

Found within WA's remote Cape Range National Park, Sandy Bay is like stepping into a saltwater dream. Think Maldives-blue water, fossil-rich rocks and turtles in the shallows - all with red-dirt ranges rising behind. Its beauty is understated and wild, protected by its distance from the crowds. Families paddle in warm, knee-deep water, rays shimmy beneath the surface, and coral detritus litters the soft white sand. Bring some shade and you could stay all day.

For sunsets, lighthouse views and quokkas at dusk

Rottnest Island is Perth's favourite summer fling, but Pinky Beach feels like the city's long-term love. Overlooked by the 125-year-old Bathurst Lighthouse and shielded from the island's fiercest winds, this arc of white sand serves up calm turquoise water and Indian Ocean sunsets you'll still be thinking about next winter. And yes, it's also got quokkas in the dunes. Ride your bike, climb the wooden stairs or wander barefoot with a sundowner as the sky turns pastel and the mainland lights blink back across the sea.

For laksa, sunsets and the city's beating heart

Sure, swimming's off the table (thanks, crocs), but Mindil Beach isn't about the water, it's about the ritual. Grab a sate stick or laksa from the buzzing sunset markets, wander onto the warm sand and join the crowd as the Indian Ocean swallows the sun. Someone always claps, that's the Mindil way. Equal parts community hangout, cultural melting pot and sunset spectacle, it's Darwin at its most iconic.

For Mediterranean vibes with an Aussie twist

Tucked between Main Beach and North Gorge on North Stradbroke Island, South Gorge is a petite pocket of paradise. Backed by rugged cliffs and kissed by aquamarine water, it feels like a Mediterranean cove - only with dolphins, stingrays and migrating whales just offshore. Start with the Gorge Walk (coffee and salad roll in hand), then cool off with a swim and stretch out with your beach read of choice. Small in scale, huge on charm.

For free beachfront camping and flamingo-hued sunsets

It's hard to believe places like this still exist. At Cosy Corner, on Tasmania's Bay of Fires coast, you can camp for free right above one of the most dazzling beaches in the country. White sand, granite boulders daubed in tangerine lichen and water so clear it barely looks real. Come sunset, the sky catches fire, echoing the traditional owners' ancestral fires that once lined this coast. Pull up your camper, set the table and bask in its mesmerising energy.