Latest news with #TourismAustralia
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Aussie tourist spots make the list of most disappointing beaches in the world
Australia is world-famous for its stunning coastline, but in a surprising twist, two beloved Aussie beaches have found themselves in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons — landing in the top 20 most complained about beaches worldwide. While Bondi Beach is the most well-known beach in Australia, being the most popular also comes with its fair share of pitfalls, including overcrowding, rubbish and high noise levels. A new study has ranked the top 100 most complained about beaches in the world, with some of the biggest tourist destinations named as the most disappointing. Bondi Beach was Australia's only entrant in the top 10, coming in at number 9 with a complaint score of 57.1 out of 100. Of the negative reviews, 75.9 per cent were due to overcrowding, while 13 per cent found it 'dirty'. Manly Beach also made an appearance at number 20, with a score of 47.4. Again, the biggest issue for visitors was overcrowding. The research, by Cloudwards, analysed thousands of reviews from TripAdvisor to find out which destinations were ultimately not living up to tourist expectations. The study focused on four main areas of criticism – cleanliness, overcrowding, long queues and noise disruption. The more negative reviews, the higher the overall complaint score. Four American beaches featured in the top 10, taking 39 spots in total in the top 100. Here are the top 10 most complained about beaches worldwide: Waikiki Beach, USA: 100/100 Venice Beach, USA: 89.7/100 Playa Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica: 73.5 Clearwater Beach, USA: 65.5/100 Bournemouth Beach, UK: 65.1/100 La Jolla Cove, USA: 64.3/100 Elafonissi Beach, Greece:: 60.3/100 Magens Bay Beach, US Virgin Islands: 58.1/100 Bondi Beach, Australia: 57.1/100 Maho Beach, Sint Maarten: 57/100 Find the full list here. Cloudwards CEO Mauricio Preuss said the study shows how important it is to look beyond the 'highlight reel' of a destination. 'The most rewarding beach experiences might be found at lesser-known destinations that haven't yet been overwhelmed by mass tourism. Sometimes the best paradise is the one that isn't trending on TikTok,' he said. Earlier this year, Tourism Australia crowned a beach in Tasmania as the country's beach for 2025. A pristine, 10km stretch of coastline in the Bay of Fires Conservation Reserve took out the top spot, which was the first time a Tasmanian beach had been awarded the honour. It beat over 12,000 other entrants. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Sydney Morning Herald
25-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Where does the outback actually begin? Even Tourism Australia isn't sure
Tassie's not the outback. Neither is Canberra. Uluru – that irresistible drawcard in the geographic and spiritual heart of Australia – most definitely is. Between those far-flung certainties are hundreds of thousands of square kilometres that aren't as easy to define, even if you're an Australian who is extremely familiar with this 'wide brown land' (brown? Surely Dorothea Mackellar meant 'red'). No wonder you find odd questions on Google such as 'what city is near the outback in Australia?' and 'what is the real outback in Australia?' Strewth. The outback is real, all right, but also myth and legend, as hard to grasp as a shimmering mirage. So where does the outback begin and end? I started pondering this question a few years back after chortling over a cover line on an esteemed weekly magazine. It boldly stated that Biloela was in outback Queensland. Having spent part of my childhood in the nearby town of Monto, I knew that was wildly untrue. Biloela is surrounded by verdant countryside and is a mere 100 kilometres from the coast as the crow flies. In less than two hours, you can drive north to the thriving city of Rockhampton – Australia's Beef Capital - and join its throng of 85,000 residents. Only a headline writer in Sydney would think Biloela is in the outback. Mount Isa caravan park co-owner and outback ambassador for Drive Queensland, Kylie Rixon, has thoughts on the subject. 'We're not the bush, we're not the country – we're the outback,' she tells me, when describing her remote mining community that's roughly halfway between Darwin and Brisbane. 'The outback to me is a feeling which is hard to put into words. It's that sense of community, that calmness, the serenity, the isolation, which a lot of the time is not geographical. 'We are geographically isolated but, as far as community goes, we're far from isolated. Because we all live so remotely, our friends become our family and our sporting teams become our Christmas barbecues. That's why we've got such a strong community with sporting groups and so on, because they do become our little outback families. All of that stuff contributes to a society that's really welcoming and nurturing and friendly.' According to a Tourism Australia article titled 'Guide to the Outback', some 81 per cent of our country can call itself the outback but it's also a place with 'no defined borders'. More helpfully, it adds that the outback typically falls into three climate categories: arid, semi-arid and north of the Tropic of Capricorn, a latitudinal line that runs through Rockhampton's southern suburbs (perhaps that headline-writer wasn't so far off after all). Regional coastal cities such as Townsville and Cairns aren't the outback but Broken Hill, in Far West NSW, is part of the mysterious landscape that lies somewhere beyond the 'back of Bourke'.
The Age
25-05-2025
- The Age
Where does the outback actually begin? Even Tourism Australia isn't sure
Tassie's not the outback. Neither is Canberra. Uluru – that irresistible drawcard in the geographic and spiritual heart of Australia – most definitely is. Between those far-flung certainties are hundreds of thousands of square kilometres that aren't as easy to define, even if you're an Australian who is extremely familiar with this 'wide brown land' (brown? Surely Dorothea Mackellar meant 'red'). No wonder you find odd questions on Google such as 'what city is near the outback in Australia?' and 'what is the real outback in Australia?' Strewth. The outback is real, all right, but also myth and legend, as hard to grasp as a shimmering mirage. So where does the outback begin and end? I started pondering this question a few years back after chortling over a cover line on an esteemed weekly magazine. It boldly stated that Biloela was in outback Queensland. Having spent part of my childhood in the nearby town of Monto, I knew that was wildly untrue. Biloela is surrounded by verdant countryside and is a mere 100 kilometres from the coast as the crow flies. In less than two hours, you can drive north to the thriving city of Rockhampton – Australia's Beef Capital - and join its throng of 85,000 residents. Only a headline writer in Sydney would think Biloela is in the outback. Mount Isa caravan park co-owner and outback ambassador for Drive Queensland, Kylie Rixon, has thoughts on the subject. 'We're not the bush, we're not the country – we're the outback,' she tells me, when describing her remote mining community that's roughly halfway between Darwin and Brisbane. 'The outback to me is a feeling which is hard to put into words. It's that sense of community, that calmness, the serenity, the isolation, which a lot of the time is not geographical. 'We are geographically isolated but, as far as community goes, we're far from isolated. Because we all live so remotely, our friends become our family and our sporting teams become our Christmas barbecues. That's why we've got such a strong community with sporting groups and so on, because they do become our little outback families. All of that stuff contributes to a society that's really welcoming and nurturing and friendly.' According to a Tourism Australia article titled 'Guide to the Outback', some 81 per cent of our country can call itself the outback but it's also a place with 'no defined borders'. More helpfully, it adds that the outback typically falls into three climate categories: arid, semi-arid and north of the Tropic of Capricorn, a latitudinal line that runs through Rockhampton's southern suburbs (perhaps that headline-writer wasn't so far off after all). Regional coastal cities such as Townsville and Cairns aren't the outback but Broken Hill, in Far West NSW, is part of the mysterious landscape that lies somewhere beyond the 'back of Bourke'.
The Age
20-05-2025
- The Age
Freycinet National Park, Tasmania, things to do: Seven highlights
It's one road in and one road out of Freycinet National Park, and that road will take you straight past Freycinet Marine Farm. Owned by Julia and Giles Fisher, this no-frills, order-at-the-counter affair serves up homegrown Pacific oysters, overflowing bowls of exceptional Tasmanian blue mussels and bright orange prawns on plastic trays. The seating is rustic, the service is quick and the oysters – creamy, succulent and lightly oceanic – are unforgettable. See 4 Seal sightings and noisy Nuggets Meet the locals … Australian fur seals congregate along the coast. Credit: Tourism Tasmania/Bodhi Images Once you've done the very comfortable walk up to Cape Tourville (pausing to look down at the whale size scale on the sealed path), cast your eyes off to the horizon until you find The Nuggets, a group of small granite formations, some just 300 metres from the cliffside. If you're lucky, you'll spot Freycinet's happiest, laziest residents: seals who stake claim to these rocks for all-day tanning and napping. Their more lively (and loud!) antics are worth a watch. 5 Scoops and seabound excursions Hit the water with Wineglass Bay Cruises. Credit: Tourism Australia Technically just before you start your journey into Freycinet National Park, the community of Coles Bay enjoys uninterrupted views of the park's best features and shares the area's pristine waterways (and local wildlife). It's also packed with exceptional Airbnbs and the well-appointed, family-friendly BIG4 Iluka on Freycinet Holiday Park ( Wander the level foreshore track and pause at local favourite Ice Creamery & Co ( for a boysenberry scoop, before booking tickets for a day on the water with Wineglass Bay Cruises ( to explore coves via catamaran on a leisurely four-hour, fully catered trip. 6 Scenery from beyond the tracks Kayak the region's many sparkling bays on a tour with Freycinet Adventures. Credit: Tourism Australia BYO standup paddleboards or kayaks and set out for a paddle in Freycinet's many sparkling bays. If you're not bringing your own equipment, Coles Bay's Freycinet Adventures ( does a three-hour family-friendly kayaking tour and Freycinet Paddle Boards Outdoor Hire ( hires paddleboards, surfboards, boogie boards, fishing rods, camping gear and more. Freycinet's waterways make for idyllic snorkelling (especially the sheltered Sleepy Bay pocket) and the Freycinet Walk and Cycle Track is a gentle cycle through bushland and eucalypt forest not visible by car. The Freycinet National Park Visitor Centre runs guided walking tours. Credit: Tourism Australia Loading Freycinet is home to hundreds of species of bird, mammal, insect and off-the-coastline marine life. Forty-three species are native and seven are endemic to Tasmania, so if you spot red-necked wallabies (Bennetts), eastern quolls or red-bellied pademelons, you're meeting the locals. The park is home to 600 native species of plants, too, including 50 plant species endemic to the state. If you're visiting in December and January, head to the visitor centre for a guided tour, part of the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service Discovery Ranger program. The writer travelled at her own expense.
Los Angeles Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times and Tourism Australia to Present 2nd Annual Great Australian Bite
Presented by the Los Angeles Times and Tourism Australia, the second annual Great Australian Bite, an exclusive farm-to-table dining event, will take place May 31 at Four Stones Farm in Malibu. Tickets are on sale now. In celebration of Australia's vibrant food scene and world-renowned produce, acclaimed Australian chef and television personality Curtis Stone (Gwen, The Pie Room) will invite guests to his private Malibu farm for a one-night-only dinner experience. Stone will partner with emerging Australian talent Clare Falzon (staġuni) to craft a menu that showcases the evolution of Australia's exciting dining scene for Los Angeles food and drink aficionados. 'People are always asking me, 'What is Australian cuisine?' so I'm really looking forward to the chance to show everyone here in L.A. just how special it is,' said Stone. 'Expect beautiful fresh ingredients, top-notch wine and spirits, and proper Aussie hospitality. It's going to be a whole lot of fun!' The multicourse menu, inspired by the best of Australia's local produce and culinary heritage, will be paired with world-class wine and beer selections curated by Australian wine and drinks journalist Mike Bennie (P&V Merchants). Additionally, winemakers Kim and Tennille Chalmers (Chalmers) will showcase wines produced from their family's vineyards in Victoria: Heathcote and Merbein. Indigenous culinary entrepreneur Daniel Motlop (Seven Seasons) will serve his vodka made from native yams harvested from the Northern Territory. Building on the success of last year's soldout event on the Malibu Pier, the second iteration of the Great Australian Bite will feature a family-style meal prepared by Stone and Falzon in the heart of Malibu's wine country. A pre-dinner reception will include entertainment, appetizers and craft cocktails. 'After last year's unforgettable collaboration with the Los Angeles Times, we're excited to showcase the diversity and excellence of Australia's culinary offerings once again,' said Susan Coghill, chief marketing officer at Tourism Australia. 'In 2025, Curtis and Clare will take Los Angeles food lovers on a journey to explore how our chefs, producers, winemakers and distillers work in harmony to create dining experiences that truly set Australia apart on the world stage.' Known for his appearances on Netflix's 'Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend' and Fox's 'Crime Scene Kitchen,' Stone will draw inspiration for his menu from his time at Michelin-starred restaurants and his collaborations with iconic Australian chefs. Falzon, transporting the taste and tones of South Australia's Barossa Valley to Malibu, will showcase the ethos of her new eatery, staġuni, which incorporates her Maltese heritage. Great Australian Bite sponsors include Qantas, Four Pillars Gin, Starward Whisky, Brash Higgins, Jansz Tasmania, Yalumba and Heaps Normal. Last year's inaugural event took place on the Malibu Pier with over 300 attendees. The event, which featured chefs Josh Niland, Jo Barrett and Monty Koludrovic, provided guests with a unique experience and a taste of Australia. Tickets and additional information are available here.
