These are the cheapest places for a beach holiday in Australia
Coastal holidays can be the most affordable escapes.
Australia's coastline plays hosts to some of the world's most pristine, spectacular and sensational beaches, surrounded by quaint, budget-friendly towns and villages, ideal for a summer holiday escape.
The latest Roy Morgan Holiday Tracking Survey lists the most affordable coastal destinations across Australia, state-by-state, revealing a bevy of cheaper-than-average holiday spots.
Surprisingly, topping the list of low-priced localities is world heritage-listed Fraser Island. The popular tourist destination is the largest sand island in the world, home to an abundance of natural flora and fauna, beaches, freshwater lakes, mangrove forests, swamps, sand dunes and sunken shipwrecks. Paradise on earth costs just $94 per person per night.
According to the survey, many visitors to Fraser Island prefer to stay on the mainland, which also happens to be one of Queensland's more affordable holiday hotspots.
An average night in Hervey Bay/Maryborough will set travellers back $122 per person per night.
Conversely, just one night in Port Douglas in the tropical far north is twice as much ($245 per person per night), making it the costliest coastal holiday spot in Queensland.
South Australia's Yorke Peninsula, located south-west of Adelaide, is the cheapest place to holiday in the southern state at $102 per person per night.
Kangaroo Island ($161 per person per night) is the most expensive South Australian coastal getaway.
The towns of Dongara, Geraldton and Kalbarri on Western Australia's mid-west coast are home to the state's cheapest nightly rates ($107 per person per night), while Tasmania's east coast is also incredibly affordable ($131 per person per night).
Victoria's Mornington Peninsula ($114 per person per night) and Lakes Entrance ($115 per person per night) are the most reasonably priced, while New South Wales's north ($120 per person per night) and south coast ($122 per person per night) stand out from the rest.
And the most expensive of all? Just one night on Lord Howe Island ($340 per person per night) costs three times as much as a night in Tasmania's stunning Bay of Fires ($113 per person per night).
Most affordable (and costliest) coastal destinations (not including capitals):
| North coast, Forster, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Taree, Port Stephens, etc. | $120 |
| South coast, Gerringong, Merimbula, Nowra, etc. | $122 |
| Illawarra, Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama,etc. | $131 |
| Lord Howe Island | $341 |
| Fraser Island | $94 |
| Bundaberg, Childers, Lady Elliot Island | $111 |
| Hervey Bay, Gympie, Maryborough | $122 |
| Port Douglas | $245 |
| Dongara, Geraldton, Kalbarri, etc. | $107 |
| Ningaloo, Coral Bay, Exmouth, etc. | $112 |
| Esperance | $115 |
| Broome | $234 |
| Mornington Peninsula, Portsea, Flinders, etc. | $114 |
| The Lakes, Lakes Entrance, Mallacoota, Orbost | $115 |
| Great Ocean Road, Torquay, Lorne, Port Fairy, etc. | $122 |
| Phillip Island | $139 |
| Yorke Peninsula | $102 |
| McLaren Vale, Victor Harbour, Goolwa, Cape Jervis | $111 |
| Eyre Peninsula, Port Lincoln, Ceduna | $141 |
| Kangaroo Island | $161 |
| Bay of Fires | $113 |
| East coast, St Helens, Swansea, etc. | $131 |
| West coast, Strahan, Queenstown, etc. | $146 |
| Freycinet National Park, Coles Bay, etc. | $185 |
One-third of Aussies have four or more weeks leave saved and many are planning a trip in the next 12 months. If you're travelling with your family, try these 10 top spots across Australia.
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