3 days ago
Two famous Aussie beaches on disappointing list
When tourists think of Aussie beaches often the two that spring to mind are Bondi and Manly – and while they are both known for their scenic and vibrant atmosphere, they've also found themselves on a not so popular list.
Australia is renowned for having some of the best beaches in the world given its vast coastline, natural beauty and cultural significance.
But according to recent research conducted by Cloudwards, Bondi Beach and Manly Beach formed part of the top 20 most complained about beaches worldwide.
It 'meticulously' examined TripAdvisor reviews for 200 of the world's most popular beaches to determine 'which sandy shores are leaving visitors feeling salty'.
It then ranked the beaches from 1 – being the most complained about, to 100, the least complained about.
The study focused on four main areas of criticism – cleanliness, overcrowding, long queues and noise disruption.
Coming in first was Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, followed by Venice Beach in LA and Playa Manueel Antonio in Costa Rica.
They had a complaint score of 100, 89.7 and 73.5, respectively.
Bondi Beach ranked ninth while Manly Beach secured the 20th spot.
According to the study, Bondi has a complaint score of 57.1, a 'dirty' rating of 13 per cent, 'overcrowded' percentage of 75.9 and 'noise disruption' of 3.4 per cent.
Manly's complaint score is 47.4, has a 'dirty' score of 10.2 per cent, is 76.5 per cent 'overcrowded' and a 'noise disruption' of 4.1 per cent.
According to the study, the more negative reviews, the higher the overall complaint score.
Bondi and Manly were the only two Aussie beaches to feature on the list, while four American beaches featured in the top 10 and 39 were in the top 100.
Meanwhile, earlier this year Tourism Australia released its best Aussie beaches list for 2025,
The Bay of Fires beaches beat over 12,000 entrants including Bondi and Manly beaches.
'This year's list showcases to the world what Aussies already know – that Bondi and Brighton are great, but it's worth the journey to see some truly unique beaches in regional Australia,' Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell said.
'There will be many families, just like mine, that love looking through the 'Best Australian Beaches' list every year to pick which ones they want to visit next.
'At times, the selections create plenty of debate, which I welcome, and I look forward to the feedback on this year's top 10,' he added.
