Describing a beach as best in Australia is audacious. It’s tantamount to saying best in the world – or equivalent of. Is Cossie’s Beach the best in Australia? It’s been named after Peter Cosgrave, a recent governor. It’s a classic arc of pale white sand backed by palm trees (not bendy), giving way to clear azure water. I’ll mark it eight, or maybe nine, out of ten. And there are those little reef sharks....
Here are my best 15 beaches in the world - I couldn't cut it down to 10 - it's really hard to choose; there are also strong contenders in Africa (Sierra Leone and South Africa) and South America (Brazil and Uruguay). But I'm inevitably drawn to the turquoise waters, white coral sand and bendy palm trees on tropical islands. I’m not going to rank them, though Australia’s Whitehaven Beach, with its basking rays, has a pretty strong case for best in Australia at least. You’ll note that Cossie isn’t on the list…
Whitehaven, Whitsunday Islands, Australia
White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, BVI
The Baths, Virgin Gorda BVI
Tropic of Cancer, Exuma, Bahamas
Aitutaki Lagoon, Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Praia dos Tres Castelos, Portimao, Algarve
White Beach, Boracay, Philippines
Funafuti Lagoon, Tuvalu
Porthcurno, Cornwall
Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda
Matira, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
