Green Island, Queensland

photo credit: bkang83

Although only reachable by boat, the Great Barrier Reef’s Green Island has it all- fine white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue water, and absolutely stunning snorkelling and diving opportunities. It’s a favourite with reef tour providers so it’s not hard to find a boat to take you out there and bring you back, and despite the island’s tiny size and environmental protection status there is a full compliment of ice cream and sandwich shops.

Green Island is protected from wave action by the reef so there isn’t much swell. The gently shelving main beach is an ideal place for kids to play. Snorkellers can see turtles, clams, coral and tropical fish in huge numbers, and what’s more, they can see them in calm waters ideal for those who aren’t 100% confident in the water.

Bondi Beach, New South Wales

Possibly the most famous beach in the world. It’s a short bus or car trip from the centre of Australia’s largest city (Sydney) but the locals recognise the value of Bondi. The water is clean and blue and the beach itself is kept nice and tidy. While it’s busy for an Australian beach it’s nothing like as jam-packed as popular Mediterranean resorts. If you want to avoid the crowds come early in the morning.

Bondi is a surf beach- in fact, you can learn the basics at the Surf School- but most visitors prefer to play in the waves, lie on the sunny sand, and generally relax and have a good time. The beach is lined with high-end cafes filled to bursting with cool drinks and gourmet snacks, and the famous Bondi Lifegaurds are almost always on patrol.

Monkey Mia, Western Australia

his beach may have the friendliest dolphins in the world. They come right up into the shallows and are just as curious about humans as we are about them. It is, without doubt, one of the surest places to see dolphins up close and in the wild. Several pods make regular stops and over the last five years there have only been a handful of days when Monkey Mia wasn’t visited.

Human tourists are asked not to touch the dolphins but they usually do come in close. They’re not in the least bit afraid of people and even little kids can have a real encounter with a playful, intelligent wild dolphin. Add that to almost year-round sunshine and stunning white sand beaches.

Jervis Bay, New South Wales

Time to get away from the crowds? The beaches of the Australia’s south eastern coast are some of the most under-rated in the world. The water isn’t as warm as it is in Queensland but you can get into the water without fear of crocodiles, deadly jellyfish, sea snakes, stonefish, and other warm-water nasties. Air temperatures can get up above 100F in the summer so it’s well and truly warm enough to swim here. Jervis Bay is a gem. The beaches are white sand, the sea is incredibly clear, and the crowds are somewhere else.

Much of the surrounding landscape is National Park. This is a beach to pick if you want unspoiled beauty and peace and quiet rather than a full compliment of modern conveniences. Think typical Australian coastal settlement rather than sophistication and five star hotels. It’s just over two hours from Sydney by car.

Wineglass Bay, Tasmania

photo credit: Incommunicado aka Max

Rarely spoken of and even more rarely visited, except by those who’ve been there before. Wineglass Bay is a perfect crescent of white sand lapped by amazingly clear blue water on one side and lush greenery on the other. Above are a magnificent stack of cliffs known locally as the Hazards.

You can’t drive right up to the sand. The closest carpark is an hour or so away but don’t be put off. You’ll be walking through pristine National Park and the walks that take in both the beach and lookout points are some of the best in Australia. Don’t forget your camera!

Jess Spate now lives in the UK and works for American companies like Fountain Spirit and Sustainablog, but she spent more then 20 years in Australia and still thinks the beaches there are the best in the world.

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Where is the best diving to be found is a matter of personal taste, but for my two cents worth, here are my top 5 picks in no particular order:

Cozumel – Mexico

Nestled off the eastern shore of the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, lies the island of Cozumel made famous by Cousteau who claimed the island to be the very best dive location in the world.  Cozumel may or may not be the best dive location in the world but there is no dispute that it deserves a space in the top five dive locations in the world.

The water is crystalline blue, exotic wildlife, unspoilt beaches though commercialization is getting there and the island is essentially a community of some of the best divers and instructors you will find anywhere in the world.  You can source great training here and for those who are experienced and want a permanent reminder, you can hire photo-dive guides who will take you to the best dive locations around the island and act as your underwater photographer.

Outside of the water, there is great food, great nightlife and plenty to get up to without getting your feet wet.

The Great Barrier Reef – Australia

The Great Barrier Reef hits the top slot for many divers but I’m of the opinion that a lot of this is hype and not so much down to the diving aesthetics.  Some places just breed a reputation which is out of whack with reality, but so saying, this is still one of the great dive locations of the world.

I particularly like the Reef because you can find new dive locations which are off the beaten track.  One of my pet hates is to go dive a location which has been marketed to me as “untouched”, only to find a veritable beaten, underwater track has been blistered by the time I arrive.  The Reef has a lot of visitors for sure, but it  covers a huge expanse and has to be one of the most beautiful spots in the world irrespective of its divers reputation.

Sharm El-Sheikh – Egypt

Egypt is not simply the Pyramids, camels and desert – it is home to one of the best dive locations in the world and here you get the opportunity to dive on several wrecks in the Egyptian Red Sea.  The most notable wreck is the SS Thislegorm, a British merchant ship which sank in 1941 and today, you can find yourself instantly transported back to a World at War, with a cargo of motorcycles, trucks and military equipment waiting for you to explore just over 50 feet before the sea surface.

Sharm El-Sheikh is not for beginners – the water is full of currents and eddies while strong winds attack the surface, but it does also offer the opportunity to dive for pearls.  Not saying you can make your own pearl jewelry with what you find, but it’s one of the better places in the world to do so.

Sulawesi Island – Indonesia

Sulawesi Island must be a contender for the definitive top slot of dive locations.  I know the Great Barrier Reef is almost universally and continuously cited but Sulawesi for my money has a far better setting, more interesting dive spots and there is no dispute that there are more species of flora and fauna here than on the Great Barrier Reef!

The site is also 100% green – coral destruction and poaching is non-existent (or so low it doesn’t matter).  Dive operators who misbehave are removed – fast!  What is left is an environment which has allowed biodiversity and natural chaos to rule supreme and this is the main reason why the 186,000 acres of Bunaken National Park on the northern tip of Sulawesi Island have become so popular.

Expect lots of rules but then again, follow them to the letter and spirit because this place is magical.

The Maldives

The Maldives makes it into the top five because I especially like the food and culture around the area.  There is something to be said for basing yourself on one of the innumerable islands with your own bungalow and sharing said island with at most , three or four other bungalows.

Set in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives provide an archipelago composed of hard rock with protrusions around which lagoons and channels have been formed.  The location is ideal for both beginners and experienced divers, but you should ensure you have a dive guide to get the very best out of the time underwater.  Wreck divers will find they are in paradise here too with the Maldives Victory, a ship which sank after hitting one of the islands in 1981.  Banana Reef is great for coral fans and for the stark, raving mad, you’ll find plenty of killer sharks at where else, but Shark Point.

While you may not be able to set any depth records at any of these locations, you’re sure to have an amazing experience no matter which one (or ones) you visit.

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