australia's best beach has been crowned, and it has a dark history

it’s no secret that australia has some pretty incredible beaches - throw a stone in any direction and you’ll find pristine sands and turquoise waters. but for some, it’s about more than just throwing a stone. tourism australia’s beach ambassador has been writing about beaches for the past 40 years, and this year, he’s crowned misery beach the cream of the crop. the little-known spot sits about 5 hour’s drive south of perth, and its closest town is albany. secluded, with pristine waters and stark white sands, misery beach is clearly a misnomer, but the beach does have a dark past.

image courtesy of merr watson

until 1978, a major whaling operation operated nearby, where whale offal would wash ashore, staining the alabaster sands red and turning waters milky white with fat. historically, the beach was a prime spot for spearing and hunting. speaking to the abc, menang elder vernice gilles cites that "when the old warriors were hunting they would drive the kangaroos towards the beach and into the ocean where they could spear and catch them, so that was an important area". aside from the beach’s obvious beauty, its fascinating history was a clear factor in bumping out other top contenders like horseshoe bay in nsw’s south west rocks and the spit on queensland’s gold coast.

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