The 9 best beach getaways in Australia.

Excuse me, but we are edging towards the best part of the year and I for one am very excited.

It’s getting warmer. Christmas is around the corner. Most of us will get some well-earned time off work, and we’re nearing six weeks of school holidays. In less than two months 2016 will finally be behind us. 

As they say, ’tis the season to start googling affordable holiday houses.

I’ve decided to go ahead and do the difficult ground work. Here are the ten best places to rent a holiday house, in our very own backyard.

1. Crescent Head, New South Wales

I thought I’d begin with a completely bias inclusion, because this is personally my favourite place to holiday in Australia.

For anyone who lives in Sydney, Crescent Head is about halfway between us and Byron Bay. It’s about an hour from Port Macquarie on the NSW coast line.

The surrounding beaches are beautiful, it’s great for fishing and surfing, it’s family friendly, and even has an incredible deep red tea-tree lake.

You can browse some stellar holiday houses here or here.

2. Byron Bay, New South Wales

Byron Bay, in the far north-eastern corner of NSW, has to be one of the most beautiful beach side locations in Australia.

Always buzzing with tourists, Byron is lively and offers incredible restaurants, cafes, and shopping.

The beaches are bloody brilliant, but Byron is so much more than that. There are spectacular rainforests, dolphins and whales always showing off, and vibrant markets.

It's notoriously more expensive than your average beach side town, but it promises to be an unforgettable holiday.

You can browse holiday houses here and here.

Life ???????? Weekends spent going from salt water to clear mountain spring water and back again. Wishing weekends didn't have to end x

A photo posted by sera j. wright ???? byron bay (@photography_byron_bay) on Nov 6, 2016 at 1:38am PDT

3. Bay of Fires, Tasmania

The Bay of Fires in Tasmania is as epic as it sounds.

A bay on the north-eastern coast of Tassy, it boasts white beaches with mesmerising clear blue water, complimented by rare orange-hued granite. The landscape is unbelievable.

Happy women's day !!! ???? #PlusPlanet #maisplaneta

A photo posted by ???? MaisPlaneta / PlusPlanet ???? (@iloveplaneta) on Mar 8, 2016 at 7:57am PST

The bay itself is about 50 kilometres long, so you can explore it by staying in either St Helens or Binalong Bay.

If you're not already convinced, this part of Tasmania's east coast has been named by Lonely Planet as "the hottest travel destination in the world", and is often referred to as the most beautiful place in Australia.

You can browse holiday houses here and here.

4. Wineglass Bay, Tasmania

While you're in Tasmania, it's probably worth visiting one of the most incredible beaches Australia has to offer.

Part of Tassie's Freycinet National Park, the bay is situated about a two-hour drive from Launceston, and three from Hobart.

Like the Bay of Fires, Wineglass Bay has brilliant white sand, contrasted by surrounding pink-granite peaks and stunning turquoise water.

It's relatively untouched, protected by a clam-like shoreline.

Got lucky with a weird gap in the clouds directly over Wineglass Bay Beach the other day. Cheers @pwcooney #discovertasmania #tassiepics

A photo posted by ???? (@lewis.mcpherson) on Nov 8, 2016 at 11:33pm PST

You can browse holiday houses here and here.

5. Torquay, Victoria

There are a bunch of places to stay along the Great Ocean Road, but Torquay is one of the most popular.

It's situated at the start point of the Great Ocean Road, southwest of Melbourne. Torquay is also the surfing capital of Australia, and is approximately three hours from the world famous 12 Apostles.

You can browse holiday houses here and here.

6. Airlie Beach, Queensland

As everyone knows, no list about beaches in Australia would be complete without the Great Barrier Reef.

Most Aussie's know that the GBR is a little awkward to get to, and Hamilton Island is extremely expensive. So, as a gateway to the Whitesunday Islands and the GBR, Airlie Beach is bloody perfect.

It features the Airlie Beach Lagoon, which is a man-made, family friendly swimming area. It's also on the doorstep of Whitehaven beach, which has been rated one of the best beaches in the world.

What a view at Mediterranean Resorts!!! Photo by @marikaday Thank you ???? ✨#visitairliebeach ✨

A photo posted by Visit Airlie Beach ????☀️⛵️???? (@visitairliebeach) on Apr 7, 2015 at 9:36pm PDT

You can browse holiday houses here and here.

7. Noosa Heads, Queensland

Noosa has been a popular tourist destination for well over 100 years.

It has a significant koala population, which can be found in Noosa National Park. It's bustling with activities, from snorkelling, diving, hiking, and fishing.

There are beaches for everyone, from popular surf beaches, to hidden coves.

Now this is what we call paradise????Welcome to Little Cove Beach in Noosa Heads. If you're all about nestling in a quiet cove that's only accessible by foot, we highly recommend a morning here as it is only a short walk from Hastings Street. Photo: @myoceanbliss. #VisitNoosa

A photo posted by #VisitNoosa (@visitnoosa) on Oct 27, 2016 at 5:54pm PDT

You can browse the millions of holiday houses it offers, here and here.

8. Mandalay Beach, Western Australia.

Mandalay Beach features on every 'Best Beaches in Australia' list.

It offers spectacular views of Chatham Island, white sand and incredibly clear, blue water. But there is also plenty to do in surrounding regions, from wineries and breweries, to local events, golf courses and outstanding caves.

Life is a beach ☀️

A photo posted by Mel (@mel_ye) on Apr 23, 2016 at 5:41pm PDT

You can browse holiday houses here and here.

9. Cable Beach, Western Australia

Cable Beach is located in Broome, Western Australia, and is a 22 kilometre stretch of white sand against red ochre cliffs.

It's safe for swimming and offers a variety of water sports from parasailing to surfcats. For an unforgettable experience, you can ride camels along the beach at sunrise or sunset.

The history of Broome is fascinating, from pearl diving to dinosaurs to the local Aboriginal community. The city also boasts incredible art galleries and crocodile parks.

From elephants to camels.???? #cablebeach #broome #camel

A photo posted by Gemma Morley (@greatheights) on Aug 15, 2016 at 2:05am PDT

You can browse holiday houses here and here.

Australia is pretty bloody special.

Where's your favourite place to holiday in Australia?