When people dream of Australia, they tend to picture the big-name landmarks: the world’s largest coral reef, the oldest continually surviving rainforest, the country’s most Instagrammable beach, and of course, the mighty Coathanger over Sydney Harbour. However, our beautiful country has many secrets to share and we’re here to fill you in. Shhh…
Just this week, tour operator Bókun unveiled a list of Australia’s best hidden gems based on Tripadvisor reviews of more than 1,000 destinations across the country. Topping the leaderboard as Australia’s ultimate hidden gems is the ever-so-dreamy Stokes Bay on Kangaroo Island. This secluded stretch of coast in South Australia claimed Tourism Australia's title for best beach in Australia in 2023 – so much for being a secret – but we’re still big fans of the tiny cove.
Getting to Kangaroo Island is a breeze via an easy ferry trip or flight, but you must crawl through a rocky maze of caves to actually access the Bay. It’s well worth it for the inviting blue waters, soft white sands and large, sheltered rock pool waiting on the other side. And yes, you will probably see kangaroos on the beach.
Second place went to Victoria’s Panorama Garden Estate, which is celebrated as one of Australia’s most enchanting secret gardens and wildlife reserves sprawling over 55 acres. Within the grand estate, 25 acres are dedicated to beautifully manicured gardens filled with more than 20,000 plants, along with peaceful lakes, picturesque waterfalls and many adorable animals, including rare albino kangaroos, alpacas and peacocks.
It turns out that Australia’s gardens are our best-kept secrets, with Wendy’s Secret Garden – one of Sydney’s worst-kept secrets – coming in third place and Adelaide’s traditionally-styled Japanese Himeji Gardens coming in fourth.
Here’s the full list of Australia’s top ten best hidden gems:
- Stokes Bay Beach, SA
- Panorama Garden Estate, VIC
- Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden, NSW
- Himeji Garden, SA
- The Drip Gorge, NSW
- Little Beach, WA
- The Rocks Discovery Museum, NSW
- Japanese Garden, QLD
- Atherton Tablelands, QLD
- State Library, VIC
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