North Kirra Beach
Best Beach · QLD
Tourism Australia's Best Beach 2025, No. 4.
Australia's best airport beach.
Where else can you hop off a plane and minutes later, find yourself on one of the most gorgeous stretches of sand in the world? Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts for a spectacular landing at Coolangatta Airport on the southern end of Queensland's Gold Coast, where you can quite literally stroll from the baggage carousel to North Kirra, one of our best beaches for 2025. Most people visiting the Gold Coast, a glittering tourism hot spot, venture north for the swarmed streets of Surfers Paradise, the city's vibrant tourism hub. For a change of pace, grab your swimmers and camera and head to Kirra instead, where the crowd atmosphere is muted and the dosage of 'vitamin sea' is high. North Kirra, more of a neighbourhood with its patrolled beaches and laid-back Surf Lifesaving Club, serve up safety between the red and yellow flags, sweeping coastal views north and south, a refreshing bar and a classic Australian pub style menu. From the airport or nearby accommodation, head to the café strip of Kirra itself or to downtown 'Cooly' to experience the more subdued southern Gold Coast vibes, with all the amenities visitors require. Years of sand nourishment makes North Kirra a wide format beach, with gentler waves, plenty of room to play and fresh wash-off amenities, making it perfect for families with children and open-air ocean gallery harbouring west a green mountainous backdrop north and south, to the Gold Coast's Miami-style city centre. To the south lies Government Beach, Rainbow Bay and Snapper Rocks, all of which are situated in a world-famous National Surfing Reserve with its iconic sungunk, where world champions Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson cut their teeth. If your itinerary allows, Byron Bay is just a 45-minute drive away due to improvements made in recent years on the Pacific Motorway. Other sensational beach airports include Lord Howe Island, Lizard Island and the Cocos-Keeling Islands.
⚠️ Ocean conditions can change quickly and rips can form even on calm days. Only swim at patrolled beaches, and supervise children at all times.