The 25 best coastal walks in Australia

Start: Near the Apollo Bay Visitor Information Centre
Distance: 104km one-way
Duration: 6–8 days
Difficulty: Moderate

The Great Ocean Road gets all the credit, but let’s shine a little light on a breezier option than driving. Victoria’s Great Ocean Walk is a wonderful multi-day hike to soak up all the sights of the famous rugged terrain down south. It's so beautiful, Time Out's global team named it as one of the best hikes in the world for 2025. The track takes you from the expansive Apollo Bay, through waterfalls, secluded beaches and historical sites, all the way to the Twelve Apostles. Accommodation options along the way match budgets from conservative right through to luxury.  

Start: Southern end of Punchbowl Road, San Remo
Distance: 7km one-way
Duration: 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

Less than two hours from Melbourne, the Bass Coast is a mesmerising combination of unspoiled coastline, scenic hinterland and sandy shore. Its famous namesake cliff-top trail from San Remo to Kilcunda traces the path of explorer George Bass, who sailed these rugged edges of the Anderson Peninsula more than 200 years ago. The walk dips through coastal gullies and down to a secluded beach, with potential whale sightings from May to November. Finish up with a cold bev and hearty pub feed at the Kilcunda Ocean View Hotel. 

Start: Eastern car park of the Cape Schanck Lighthouse
Distance: 2.7km one way
Duration: 45 mins
Difficulty: Easy to medium

This spectacular coastal clifftop walk in Mornington Peninsula National Park boasts picturesque vistas over the Bass Strait. To begin, set off from the Cape Schanck car park through sandy outcrops, adjacent farmland and banksia forest. Keep an eye out for whales, chatty birds and maybe the occasional kangaroo as it makes its way across the grassy clearings. Top it off with a dip in the cool waves at the trail’s namesake beach. 

Start: End of Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh Heads
Distance: 1.2-2.3km return
Duration: 30-60 minutes 
Difficulty: Easy

Craving more sunshine on the Gold Coast? Stretch your legs on the leisurely and flat 1.2km Oceanview Track, which winds around the rocky headland, connecting Burleigh Head with Echo Beach and Tallebudgera Creek. For a bit more adventure, tackle the 2.3km Rainforest Circuit. This route rewards you with a climb to the 88m summit at Tumgun Lookout, where you can enjoy panoramic views stretching towards Snapper Rocks. Keep an eye out for humpback whales during winter and spring.

Start: Noosa National Park car park
Distance: 5.4km one-way
Duration: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate 

You can’t visit Noosa without exploring one of Australia’s oldest and most visited national parks. An Instagrammer’s paradise, Noosa National Park is home to heavenly slices of coastal scenery, lush rainforest, adorable beaches and thriving wildlife. From Hastings Street, you can set off on the stunning half-day Coastal Walk, which passes all of Noosa's best beaches, including Little Cove, Tea Tree Bay and Alexandria Bay. You'll finish up at Sunshine Beach, where you enjoy a refreshing post-sweat dip. 

Start: Tongue Bay, Whitsunday Island
Distance: 1.3km return
Duration: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate

Considering the Whitsundays are 70 per cent national park, you’ll have no trouble finding somewhere to stretch your legs and feel the sand between your toes. One of the Whitsundays’ most popular walks is the 1.3km Hill Inlet Lookout Track, which offers panoramic views of the famous Whitehaven Beach. On the way back, follow the path leading down to the beach where you can feel the 98 per cent silica sands (meaning it's whiter and softer than pretty much anywhere in the world) between your toes. Note: The Hill Inlet Lookout Track is only reachable by boat.

Where: K'gari (Fraser Island), Queensland
Distance: 90km
Duration: From a half-day hike to 6-8 day treks
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

K'gari (Fraser Island) is a very special place. The world's largest sand island, this astoundingly beautiful place off the Queensland coast is full of all kinds of magic. The K'gari Great Walk is a spectacular multi-day hike that you can choose to tackle in sections if overnight hiking ain't your thing. Walk along sugar-white sand beaches, swim in the crystal-clear lake (but not the sea; it's not the safest), and explore the green serenity of the island. Watch out for dingoes and, if you're doing it alone, make sure you go prepared with adequate supplies.

Start: Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island
Distance: 1.2km return
Duration: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy to moderate 

The boardwalk built around the North Gorge on Stradbroke Island (Straddie) allows easy viewing of this natural wonder. The elevated platform lets you get close to the cliffs and see the waves being funnelled into the spectacular gorge. The walk is 1.2km and will take you 30 mins to an hour. There are several great spots to linger and watch the waves roll in. We’ve seen turtles, rays and dolphins from here, and it's a great spot to spot migrating humpback whales between June and November. Plus, there’s a giant blowhole down in the rocks when the tide and waves are just right. The views are excellent and the walk starts and terminates at local shops and eateries. Please don’t stray from the designated areas (it's not a good place to fall in) and bring a hat and sunscreen. You’ll need to get the ferry over to North Stradbroke Island either with your car or on foot (and catch a bus to Point Lookout). Ferries depart from Toondah Harbour, Cleveland, and access to the walk is on Moloomba Road at Point Lookout. 

Start: Yardie Creek car park, Cape Range National Park
Distance: 2km return
Duration: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: Challenging

Our Editor, Melissa Woodley, has crowned the Yardie Gorge Trail as her new favourite walk in all of Australia – and she reckons it’s one you’ve got to try for yourself. It's one of only a few marked tracks within Western Australia’s stunning Cape Range National Park – which is often likened to Australia’s mini Grand Canyon by the sea. The trail features a mix of steep climbs and descents over red rock cliffs, and if you’re lucky, you might spot rare black-footed rock wallabies tucked into the rock faces. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with knockout views of the ranges to your left and the 300km-long Ningaloo Reef to your right. 

Start: Rossiter Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park
Distance: 20km one way
Duration: 8-9 hours
Difficulty: Challenging

Esperance has some of Australia’s (let’s not be modest – the world’s) best beaches. The white sand is about as pure as it gets, and the blue colour of the sparkly water is unreal. However, it takes some effort to reach this untouched paradise. While you’re popping in, make your time worthwhile with this challenging hike just 30 minutes away. The beaches you’ll pass by are just as unreal.

Start: Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse
Distance: Up to 129km
Duration: 1-7 days, depending on how you choose to do it
Difficulty: Moderate

For new and old hikers alike, the Cape to Cape is a spectacular walking odyssey between the lighthouses at Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia that is bound to (at some point) take your breath away. You can choose to do this walk in small segments in a day-walk kinda way (there are a number of shorter, accessible paved walking tracks available), or you can go for the full week-long walking challenge. You can do this self-guided or with a guided company, like Walk Into Luxury. Expect wild cliffs, remote beaches and sheltered woodlands, all in one. 

Start: Lower car park at Cape du Couedic Lighthouse, Kangaroo Island
Distance: 2.9km return
Duration: 30-60 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate

Kangaroo Island’s most jaw-dropping natural wonders lie in the island’s wild West End, within Flinders Chase National Park. This remote wilderness area has made an incredible comeback after 96 per cent of it was scorched during the 2019–20 bushfires – and its trails are not to be taken for granted. Our favourite, the Cape du Couedic Loop, starts from the upper car park near the lighthouse, or the lower car park at the start of the Admirals Arch Walk (we recommend combining the two for the full experience). The trail is clearly marked with interpretive signs, and along the way, you can expect to see long-nosed fur seals and kangaroos.

Start: Cape Jervis (southern trailhead) or Parachilna Gorge (northern trailhead)
Distance: 1,200km one way
Duration: 50-60 days
Difficulty: Challenging

This whopper of a hike is a pretty bloody good way to get a taster of what South Australia’s coast has to offer. We don't blame you if you’re not feeling up to the mammoth task of traversing more than 1,000km of terrain, but why not build up to it by sampling split-up sections of the walk? Brace for forests, national parks, vineyards (hello, Barossa Valley) and historic towns. You’ll pass through the mammoth Flinders Ranges and also the gorgeous cliffs of the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Start: North Haven or Sellicks Beach, Adelaide
Distance: 70km
Duration: 2 days
Difficulty: Easy

The South Australian Government and six local councils teamed up to create this epic walking track starting just above Adelaide and working all the way down to Sellicks Beach. It’s a two-way path, so you’ll encounter many cyclists as you go along. The trail can be completed in just a day or two if you really want to, but passing through so many quaint seaside towns just begs for a detour to stay the night and explore the area. If you’ve limited your holiday to only one place, like laid-back Glenelg or the natural Moana, the track is split into many smaller walks that are only around 5 to 6km.

Start: Wineglass Bay Lookout car park, Freycinet National Park
Distance: 6km return
Duration: 2.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

Regularly ranked among Australia’s best beaches, Wineglass Bay is a slice of wild Tassie perfection worth the effort to reach. Getting to this curvy cove takes a bit of legwork, but trust us – the views are pure magic. Located in Freycinet National Park, the short, fairly steep track climbs through bushland to a saddle between Mount Amos and Mount Mayson, before branching off to a side track with an incredible lookout. Here you can admire views of the bay’s vibrant blue water and soft white sand. Keen for more? Continue down to the beach itself for a well-earned dip.

Start: Darlington Probation Station, Maria Island (arrive by ferry from Triabunna)
Distance: 25–48 km (depending on your tour)
Duration: 4 days
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

We wouldn’t blame you if the sheer cliffs on Maria Island made you want to grab the nearest rock and yell "cooee" into the wind. Chances are, the only other beings who'll hear you are the resident wombats and wallabies. Tasmania often flies under the radar for its colder climate and isolation from Australia’s mainland, but a journey down south is worth it for the astonishing sights on this car-free island. If you’ve opted for a guided walkthrough of the track, Maria Island Walk will book you in for a night at the heritage-listed Bernacchi House that’s been around since convicts settled in Tassie. However, you can also do the walk independently and camp overnight – just BYO snacks and supplies.