The 12 Best Islands in Australia (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 12 picks

The best islands in Australia in 2026 are Whitsunday Island for Whitehaven Beach, K'gari (Fraser Island) for four-wheel-drive adventure, Kangaroo Island for wildlife and food, Lord Howe Island for a quiet, protected paradise, Rottnest Island for quokkas near Perth and Bruny Island near Hobart.

Australia has more than 8,000 islands, from Great Barrier Reef coral cays to wild southern islands full of wildlife. The tropical Queensland islands are at their best from June to October, outside the wet season and stinger months. The southern islands (Kangaroo Island, Bruny, Maria) are best from late spring to early autumn. Several, including Lord Howe, cap visitor numbers, so book well ahead. For the mainland coast, see our best beaches in Australia.

1. Whitsunday Island — Whitsundays, Queensland

Home to Whitehaven Beach, Australia's most photographed sand.

Best for Couples · First-timers

Whitsunday Island is the largest of the 74 Whitsunday Islands, mostly national park. Its east coast holds Whitehaven Beach, seven kilometres of pure white silica sand, and Hill Inlet, where the tide swirls sand and turquoise water into patterns best seen from the lookout above.

Day trips by boat or seaplane run from Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island; overnight sailing trips are the best way to explore the islands.

Good to know: Time your visit to Hill Inlet for low tide, when the sand patterns are clearest.

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island QLD 4802

Google Maps

2. K'gari (Fraser Island) — Fraser Coast, Queensland

The world's largest sand island, with rainforest, lakes and a beach highway.

Best for Families · First-timers

K'gari is a World Heritage–listed sand island with freshwater lakes such as Lake McKenzie, rainforest growing in sand, the Maheno shipwreck and 75 Mile Beach, which doubles as a highway for four-wheel drives.

Visit on a guided 4WD tour from Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach, or bring your own 4WD with a vehicle permit. Swimming in the ocean is unsafe; swim in the lakes and Eli Creek.

Good to know: Don't swim in the sea; strong currents and sharks make it dangerous.

K'gari, Fraser Island QLD 4581

Google Maps

3. Kangaroo Island — South Australia

Australia's wildlife-and-food island, off Adelaide.

Best for Families · Couples

Kangaroo Island has sea lions lying on the beach at Seal Bay, kangaroos, koalas and echidnas, and the Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase National Park. Its food and wine, from honey to gin and oysters, make it a gourmet trip too.

Take the car ferry from Cape Jervis (about two hours' drive from Adelaide) or fly. Allow at least two or three days.

Good to know: Book the guided beach walk at Seal Bay to get close to the sea lions.

Kangaroo Island SA 5223

Google Maps Website

4. Lord Howe Island — New South Wales

A World Heritage island with a coral lagoon and capped visitor numbers.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

Lord Howe Island sits about 600 km off the New South Wales coast, a crescent of mountains and beaches around the world's southernmost coral reef lagoon. Only 400 visitors can stay at once, so it never feels crowded.

Snorkel at Ned's Beach, hike Mount Gower with a guide and get around by bike. There's no mobile coverage in most places, which is part of the charm.

Good to know: Book the guided Mount Gower climb well ahead; it's one of Australia's best day hikes.

Lord Howe Island NSW 2898

Google Maps Website

5. Rottnest Island — Western Australia, Perth

Car-free bays and friendly quokkas, a ferry ride from Perth.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Families · Budget · First-timers

Rottnest Island has more than 60 beaches and 20 bays with clear water for swimming and snorkelling, and it is home to the quokka, a small, smiley marsupial found in few other places.

Ferries leave from Perth, Fremantle and Hillarys. Hire a bike and ride between bays such as the Basin, Little Salmon Bay and Parker Point.

Good to know: Stay overnight to have the island to yourself after the last ferry.

Rottnest Island WA 6161

Google Maps Website

6. Bruny Island — Tasmania, Hobart

Sea cliffs, penguins and local produce, near Hobart.

Best for Couples · Families

Bruny Island has two halves joined by a thin isthmus, The Neck, where little penguins come ashore at dusk. South Bruny National Park has towering sea cliffs, best seen on a wilderness cruise, and the island is known for its cheese, oysters and berries.

A car ferry crosses from Kettering, about 40 minutes from Hobart.

Good to know: Climb the steps at The Neck lookout for the view across the isthmus.

Bruny Island TAS 7150

Google Maps Website

7. Hamilton Island — Whitsundays, Queensland

The Whitsundays' resort island, with its own airport.

$$$ UpmarketBest for Families · Couples

Hamilton Island is the most developed of the Whitsunday Islands, with its own airport, a marina, several hotels from family-friendly to the luxury qualia, and golf buggies instead of cars.

It is an easy base for trips to Whitehaven Beach and the outer reef.

Good to know: Hire a golf buggy to get around the island at your own pace.

Hamilton Island QLD 4803

Google Maps Website

8. Phillip Island — Victoria

Little penguins parading ashore, 90 minutes from Melbourne.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Families

Phillip Island is best known for the Penguin Parade, where little penguins waddle up the beach at sunset. The island also has koalas, a seal colony, surf beaches and the MotoGP circuit.

It's joined to the mainland by a bridge, so you can drive from Melbourne.

Good to know: Book Penguin Parade tickets ahead, and bring warm clothes even in summer.

Phillip Island VIC 3922

Google Maps Website

9. Maria Island — Tasmania

A car-free national park island with wombats and convict ruins.

Best for Families · Couples

Maria Island off Tasmania's east coast is a national park with no cars and no shops. Wombats graze around the old convict settlement of Darlington, and walks lead to the Painted Cliffs and Fossil Cliffs.

A passenger ferry runs from Triabunna, about 90 minutes from Hobart. Bring all your food.

Good to know: Visit the Painted Cliffs at low tide, when you can walk around their base.

Maria Island TAS 7190

Google Maps Website

10. Heron Island — Southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

A coral cay where you can snorkel straight off the beach.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples · Families

Heron Island is a small coral cay on the southern Great Barrier Reef with a single resort and a research station. The reef starts at the beach, so snorkelling and diving are right there.

Turtles nest on the island from November to March, and hatchlings run to sea from about January.

Good to know: Visit between November and March for turtle nesting and hatching.

Heron Island QLD 4680

Google Maps Website

11. Lizard Island — Far North Queensland

The ultimate luxury island escape on the northern reef.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

Lizard Island, north of Cooktown, is a national park with a small luxury resort and 24 white-sand beaches. The fringing reef is excellent for snorkelling, and Cook's Look gives a famous view.

Reach it by light plane from Cairns. It suits honeymooners and once-in-a-lifetime trips.

Good to know: Book a private beach picnic; the resort drops you at your own beach for the day.

Lizard Island QLD 4892

Google Maps Website

12. Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) — Queensland, Brisbane

Shipwrecks, sand dunes and dolphins an hour's ferry from Brisbane.

Best for Families · Couples

Moreton Island is a large sand island off Brisbane, mostly national park. Snorkel around the Tangalooma Wrecks, toboggan down the sand dunes and see the wild dolphins that visit Tangalooma Island Resort in the evening.

Ferries run from Brisbane; you'll need a 4WD or a tour to explore beyond the resort.

Good to know: Snorkel the Tangalooma Wrecks on a calm day; the water is clear and full of fish.

Tangalooma, Moreton Island QLD 4025

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What is the most beautiful island in Australia?

Whitsunday Island, home to Whitehaven Beach's swirling white silica sand at Hill Inlet, and Lord Howe Island, a World Heritage–listed island with a coral lagoon and steep mountains, are the two most often called the most beautiful.

Which Australian island is best for wildlife?

Kangaroo Island, with sea lions at Seal Bay, kangaroos, koalas and echidnas. Phillip Island's penguins, Rottnest's quokkas and Maria Island's wombats are also highlights.

Can you visit K'gari (Fraser Island) without a 4WD?

Not on your own; the island has no paved roads. Join a guided four-wheel-drive tour from Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach, or stay at a resort that runs tours.

How do you get to Lord Howe Island?

Fly from Sydney, Brisbane or Port Macquarie; flights take about two hours. Only 400 tourists can stay at a time, so book accommodation first.

Which island is easiest to visit from a city?

Rottnest Island from Perth (25 to 90 minutes by ferry), Bruny Island from Hobart (a short car ferry from Kettering) and Moreton Island from Brisbane are all easy day trips or overnighters.

1. Whitsunday Island — Whitsundays, Queensland

2. K'gari (Fraser Island) — Fraser Coast, Queensland

3. Kangaroo Island — South Australia

4. Lord Howe Island — New South Wales

5. Rottnest Island — Western Australia, Perth

6. Bruny Island — Tasmania, Hobart

7. Hamilton Island — Whitsundays, Queensland

8. Phillip Island — Victoria

9. Maria Island — Tasmania

10. Heron Island — Southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

11. Lizard Island — Far North Queensland

12. Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) — Queensland, Brisbane

Frequently asked questions

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