Australia's best two-week itineraries for beach-lovers

When an island is the size of a continent you might expect it to have some good beaches, but in Australia 'good' doesn't come anywhere close. The vast majority of Australians live within 50km of the coast so it's no wonder that a day at the beach is a national obsession. Created by Australia experts, Flight Centre, we bring you three two-week itineraries which go to show that wherever you are in Australia, you are never far from a beautiful beach.

Coral Coast

For many of us, Australia's West Coast is an undiscovered and largely unspoilt gem. This two-week itinerary takes you from the urban delights of laid-back Perth to the jaw-dropping beauty of the Shark Bay World Heritage Site. Along the way you'll discover dramatic desert landscapes, lush rainforests and welcoming coastal communities, while encountering whale sharks, dolphins and quokkas – a whole procession, in fact, of wonderful wildlife.

The West Coast beaches are among the best in the country. Perth itself is a beachside city, while along the coast Coral Bay's immaculate white sand and Fremantle's trendy beachside vibe show different sides of Australia's love of all things sun, sea and fine, warm sand.

Find out more about Flight Centre's Coral Coast itinerary.

Sydney, Rock and Reef

Sydney has its iconic Opera House and towering Harbour Bridge. It has vibrant nightlife and a fascinating history. It has wonderful beaches too, whether you prefer fashionable Bondi – a people-watcher's paradise - or the more relaxed charms of laid-back Manly. Sydney is a city that has something for everyone.

After Sydney, this itinerary takes you in an entirely different direction, and plunges you into Australia's red centre. The isolated and sacred Aboriginal site of Uluru is as iconic as the Opera House and just as astonishing. Observe the giant rock at sunset as it changes, chameleon-like, from dusky pink to fiery red to deep mauve. Eat dinner under a blanket of stars, enjoying the immense inner calm that only true silence can inspire.

Reenergised by Australia's ancient heart, it's back to the east coast and Australia's tropical north. The seaside community of Port Douglas is your gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, the third Australian icon you'll encounter in this two-week adventure. After close up encounters with this incredible natural phenomenon and the sea life it supports, spend a lazy day or two soaking up rays on the town's sandy, sun-drenched Four Mile beach.

Find out more about Flight Centre's Sydney, Rock and Reef itinerary.

Best of the East Coast

Sophisticated Sydney also marks the start of another beach lover's itinerary, which this time replaces the magic of the country's hot red centre with more of the rainforests, wildlife and endless golden sands of Tropical North Queensland.

Bustling Cairns makes a perfect base for trips out to the Great Barrier Reef, or north to the UNESCO-listed Daintree Rainforest and stunning Cape Tribulation, where reef and rainforest meet.

Just a few miles south is Mission Beach, a nine-mile stretch of golden sand that links four friendly coastal villages, and an array of stylish restaurants and chic boutiques. Further south is Airlie Beach, from where you can explore the remote bays, islets and sands of the stunning Whitsunday National Park. Drive on to picturesque Hervey Bay and visit UNESCO-listed Fraser Island – the largest sand island in the world and home to an incredible array of wildlife, both on land and in the sea.

Find out more about Flight Centre's Best of the East Coast itinerary.

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