The picturesque and tranquil cove will soon be flooded with tourists after Tourism Australia gave it the top spot for its annual ‘Best Beaches’ competition.
Misery is located in Western Australia’s Albany region, five hours from Perth. It has been long considered a hidden treasure.
Misery was up against stiff competition, but it managed to win the top spot due to its white sand beach and clear water.
Brad Farmer, Tourism Australia’s ambassador for beaches, was given the immense responsibility of selecting the top 20, but said that Misery’s rich and bizarre history was another reason it was ranked number one.
A large whaling station existed just two beaches from Misery until 1978.
Frenchman Bay was home to whalers who would often dump offal, blood, and teeth from the dead animals into the sea. The white sand would be stained by the remains and blubber of whales.
Frenchman Bay’s whaling station was the last in Australia. Its closure allowed the sea life to replenish its population.
Misery Beach, 40 years later, is still home to seals, whales and dolphins. There are also plenty of fish, including the occasional shark.
Vernice Gilles, a Menang elder who has lived in Albany since childhood, stated that the beach was once littered with parts of whales.
“They would dump all of the whales’ teeth,” Ms Gilles stated to the ABC.
“I can still remember seeing whales’ teeth on the beaches.”
Yesterday morning, Dan Tehan, Tourism Minister, announced the top beaches.
Mr Tehan stated that there are more than 11,000 beaches in Australia. “Selecting the best 20 beaches is a difficult task,” he said.
“As Australia continues its successful opening, we will see an increase in tourists that will support jobs.
“My message to the globe is to plan your next holiday to Australia, and include as many of Australia’s top 20 beaches as possible on your itinerary.”
This list was created to encourage tourism, as the industry seeks to rebound from coronavirus restrictions.
The top 20 spots were all in NSW, with six of them being Horseshoe Bay on NSW’s mid-north Coast. Depot Beach and Murrays Beach also made it to the top ten.
Queensland landed four spots, including The Spit on the Gold Coast which came in at number 3.
AUSTRALIA’S TOP BEACHES
1. Misery Beach, WA
2. Horseshoe Bay (NSW)
3. The Spit, Queensland
4. Flaherty’s beach, SA
5. Loch Ard Gorge, Victoria
6. The Neck, Tasmania
7. Blue Pearl Bay, Queensland
8. Depot Beach, NSW
9. Murray Beach, NSW
10. Dundee Beach (NT)
11. Dudley Beach NSW
12. Thompsons Beach in Victoria
13. Coogee Beach (WA)
14. Mots Beach Victoria
15. Alexandria Bay, Queensland
16. Emu Bay, SA
17. Lake Wabby in Queensland
18. Congwong Beach (NSW)
19. Jelly Bean Pool, NSW
20. Ethel Beach on Christmas Island
