2. Mission Beach, Queensland
This is a relatively hidden village located in a rainforest off the main highway. It’s one of Australia’s truly hidden gems. Locals know it’s here, but most visitors would miss it if they didn’t already know it existed.
Being almost a well-kept secret, Mission Beach isn’t crowded with tourists, which will make your visit much more pleasant, since you won’t have to fight the crowds to enjoy the town’s many charms. It’s well worth a trip to find it, because the beaches are beautiful and relatively deserted.
There are plenty of rainforest trails to keep you occupied, too. You’ll be so glad you took the time to seek out this secluded, romantic location, and will surely want to visit it again soon.
Mission Beach is a favorite with tourists in Australia. Its small town feel is part of its attraction, and something that the town has been able to successfully maintain despite its many visitors. The town feels smaller than it is, because it is long in length, but narrow across, making things more spread out up and down the area between the hills and the ocean that the town occupies
The beach itself is lovely. There are mountains rising in the background, while there are islands close enough to shore to be seen from the beach. There is also a shallow reef just offshore that sometimes becomes visible at low tide, providing lovely views of ocean life.
Mission Beach is surrounded on all sides (except the ocean) by a World Heritage site rainforest. This rainforest is home to the cassowary bird, which is a large, flightless bird that only lives in this particular rainforest. Therefore, the rainforest is also a bird conservation area, and a popular place to visit for eco-tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of one of these rare creatures.
