Garie Beach

Can I go to any beaches in australia in beginning of July?

I'll be heading for melbourne for a week,. but my second week I would like to go somewhere warmer in Australia. Is there any place nearby where I can lie on the beach? I realize it is winter there in July, but any advice is appreciated! Thanks for the answers so far. Seems like I will be heading north, not sure where exactly though. What about cairns? Any feedback on that place in July? I would be interested in seeing the great barrier reef!

Public Comments

1. I would head to Queensland in July but this does not quarantee that the weather will be warm and sunny. I went about 5 years ago to Queensland in July the average temp was about 26 deg. c.
2. Not nearby, but Port Douglas in Queensland is gorgeous and warm in July, and also Broome in WA. Both are wonderful places to visit. It would be worth the trip. Cairns has no beaches, but Port Douglas is nearby, just a short drive further north, and is also a good base to visit the reef. I think it's nicer than Cairns.
3. Cairns climate averages. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_031011.shtml Pretty nice.
4. Yes, there are hundreds of beaches you can really enjoy in July from the Gold Coast all the way north to Torres Strait. Of course the further north you go the warmer it gets. Cairns will be fantastic in July. It will be very different from Melbourne in July. By the way another person mentioned Port Douglas in North Queensland. Port Douglas is only about 70kms north of Cairns. April, May, June, July, August, September and October are the most popular times to visit North Queensland. This because those months are the dry season with very little rain, clear blue skies and lovely warm days. It's also just the best time to see the reef. If you do go north try to go to Kuranda on the Scenic Railway and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. I put a few websites below you may be interested in. I don't know where you're coming from but 26°C (as mentioned in the first answer) is 78.8°F which I think is a great "winter" temperature. Also 70kms is 43.5 miles not far at all. Some info on Cairns in "winter". While it is cold in Southern Australia we are enjoying warmer weather and July, August, September and October are our driest months. At this time of the year you can do everything and anything in the tropics. It is perfect! •Visit the Great Barrier Reef ( The water is still a warm 25 degrees ) •Splash about in the sunshine •Take a road trip visiting all of the waterfalls •Enjoy sea kayaking •Drive to dazzling beaches •Enjoy a beach picnic •Hire a bike and ride through stunning mountain scenery •Hire a boat •Rent a bike •Sun worshipping •Whale Watching in July and August •Go Kite Surfing
5. My Choice for the month of July would be Cairns, not too hot just right.
6. The further north you go in Australia during any season the warmer it gets. So in July, during the winter, i would head up north from Melbourne if you want to enjoy beaches. The thing about Australia's northern beaches though is that they are often not sandy beaches with big surf waves like the beaches down south. Most of Queensland beaches are naturally muddy mangrove beaches and there are no surf waves because the Great Barrier Reef blocks the big waves. So in many cities in Queensland, like in Brisbane and Cairns, there are only man-made lagoons where you can sunbath, but it's not like a real beach. There are however some places in Queensland, like Surfers Paradise, Townsville and Port Douglas where you can really enjoy a natural, sandy beach, and in fact the only time of the year you can enjoy these north Queensland beaches is winter (because during the summer there are the deadly marine stingers, box jellyfish). The best places to visit the Great Barrier Reef are Cairns and Port Douglas. There are many places in Queensland where you can visit the GBR, but these two are the best value because up north the reef is much closer to the mainland and the time to get there is shorter, so the trips are cheaper.