How To Enjoy Australia's Most Beautiful Beaches

As the cold winter chill grips the Northern Hemisphere, savvy travelers from
Great Britain, Europe and North America are escaping to the sunny warmth of Australia. And it's not difficult to see why.

The Australian dollar is bargain basement right now and travel agents are offering fantastic recession busting deals to the land of Oz.

The real attraction is the beautiful beaches and islands. Places to soak up the sun on pristine white silicon sands and swim, dive or snorkel in warm, champagne clear water.

Here are 2 of my favorites.

I have chosen them not only for the beaches but the whole exciting, yet relaxing holiday experience. Both are in spectacularly beautiful parts of Australia. They offer great accommodation, restaurants and the opportunity to relax and enjoy life.

1.Rottnest Island, Western Australia.

Never heard of Rottnest Island? It is one of Australia's best kept holiday secrets and has some of the country's best beaches.

Situated in the Indian Ocean, just a short ferry ride from Perth, the West Australian capital, it is a "must visit" destination for all visitors to Australia's west coast.

When you arrive at "Rotto" as the locals affectionately call it, you enter a different world. The air is fresh and clean, with the salty tang of the sea.

You will enjoy an uncrowded, serene world with no private motor vehicles. The almost empty roads provide a safe haven for cyclists and walkers.

Rotto is a place to enjoy cycling, snorkeling and swimming in isolated beaches and coves with clean, white sands and turquoise clear water. Warm ocean currents attract colorful tropical fish to the coral reefs surrounding many of these beaches.

I regularly holiday at Rottnest and this undiscovered paradise is gaining popularity with visitors from Australia and overseas. They are looking for a holiday in a place that is peaceful,uncrowded, safe and totally relaxing.

Gordon Catherwood from British Columbia described it as "Like the Greek Islands without the crowds".

2.Byron Bay, New South Wales.

Byron Bay, just a few hours' drive north of Sydney, has all the ingredients for a great holiday. Its groovy bars, great restaurants and magical beaches make it one of Australia's most popular, but often crowded vacation destinations.

The former surfies' hangout has become a refuge for urban escapees looking for a more laid back lifestyle. They have transformed this former small coastal village into a busy holiday mecca.

The town' Main Beach has near perfect waves, cavorting dolphins, whales that cruise past the headland and warm crystal-clear seas.

If you want to escape the crowds, take a stroll along the beach path to Clarks Beach and you'll come across a great little restaurant with a deck overlooking another sensational, but quieter surf beach.

The Byron Bay hinterland offers lush, green volcanic hills tamed into macadamia farms and banana plantations. World Heritage National Parks offer superb walks through pristine rain forests and past cascading waterfalls.

An outstanding landmark is Mount Warning. Its rhino horn peak presides over Nightcap National Park where a track to Protester's Falls begins in a forest of Bangalow Palms and leads to a sheer cliff face with a 30 metre veil of water plummeting into a turquoise pool.