It’s been quite a couple of years for South Australia’s secluded beach, Stokes Bay. In 2023, it claimed the number one spot on Tourism Australia’s Best Beaches list and now the stunning spot has been crowned Australia’s Best Hidden Gem. 

Tour operator and software provider Bókun ranked Stokes Bay as the country’s best hidden gem after analysing Tripadvisor reviews of more than 1,000 destinations across Australia. Located on Kangaroo Island, Stokes Bay sits on the gentler north coast and spans 500-metres where low impact waves lap at the sandy shore. Here, swimmers can also take a dip or snorkel in the safe tidal swimming pool. The natural wonder is accessed through a ‘secret tunnel’ made of hand-hewn cavernous carved trail. 

Coming second to Stokes Bay is Victoria’s Panorama Garden Estate followed by Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden in Sydney in third place. Although the list of 10 is mainly made up of natural wonders there were some man-made spots that made the cut, like Victoria’s State Library, which came in at number 10. 

Here’s the full list of Australia’s 10 Best Hidden Gems:

1. Stokes Bay Beach, SA
2. Panorama Garden Estate, VIC
3. Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden, NSW
4. Himeji Garden, SA
5. The Drip Gorge, NSW
6. Little Beach, WA
7. The Rocks Discovery Museum, NSW
8. Japanese Garden, QLD
9. Atherton Tablelands, QLD
10. State Library, VIC

Related story: Australian beach claims top spot on 50 Best Beaches in World