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With the news cycle as it is right now, it’s really no wonder why 'Quietcations' are one of the coolest travel trends to come out of the 21st century. More and more, people are escaping their loud city lives for remote islands free from crowds, cars and chaos. If your noise-cancelling headphones need a break, a new study has revealed the world's quietest island destinations - and one of them is right here in NSW.
To pull together the rankings, BookRetreats.com evaluated 100 of the most incredible islands against the European Environment Agency's description of a quiet area: a pleasant soundscape, where unwanted sound is absent or at least not dominant. Using open satellite and mapping data, it scored each destination on six criteria: rich nature, few roads, low air traffic, uncrowded space, dark night skies and natural coastal spots.
According to the final ranking, the absolute quietest island in the world is just a short hop across the ditch. Nicknamed the 'Land of Glowing Skies,' New Zealand's Stewart Island took out the top spot with a total score of 94.6 out of 100. As the world's southernmost International Dark Sky Sanctuary – where just 2.3 per cent of the island registers any artificial light – it has no main roads, a population of just 500 residents and 280 kilometres of untouched trails to explore.
The highest-ranked Aussie spot – and fourth in the world – is the stunning Lord Howe Island, located less than a two-hour flight from Sydney. With a strict cap of 400 visitors at a time and fewer than 500 locals, this island paradise offers a peaceful, postcard-perfect break surrounded by World Heritage-listed nature.
Life here rolls at the speed of a bicycle, with zero main roads and only one small airstrip. Scoring near-perfect marks for naturalness (98/100), Lord Howe is home to a rare ecosystem of 241 native plants – 113 of which are found nowhere else on Earth. You’ll often have entire tracks and beaches to yourself, and can fall asleep under crystal-clear night skies with no artificial light to dim the stars. During our visit last year, we spent our days hiking up mountains and snorkelling with sharks – surprisingly, much more peaceful than it sounds. You’ll find our full guide to the magical Lord Howe over here.
Closer to the mainland, Queensland’s Magnetic Island ranks as the 13th quietest island on Earth. Just a 20-minute ferry from Townsville, ‘Maggie’ offers a super accessible quietcation for those short on time – though you’ll definitely want to linger longer. The island is 78 per cent protected national park, home to dozens of secluded bays and beaches, and has plenty of peaceful bushwalks where you can spot wild koalas. Don’t disturb their peace because they certainly won’t disturb yours!
Keen to plan a cortisol-free escape? You can check out the full list of quiet island destinations below.
The world's 15 quietest islands
- Stewart Island, New Zealand
- Anafi, Greece
- Ilha Grande, Brazil
- Lord Howe Island, Australia
- St Martin's, Isles of Scilly, England
- Tioman Island, Malaysia
- Koh Chang, Thailand
- Koh Rong, Cambodia
- Havelock Island, India
- Santa Catalina Island, USA
- Isle of Skye, Scotland
- Isla Holbox, Mexico
- Magnetic Island, Australia
- Herm, Channel Islands
- Boa Vista, Cape Verde
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