From celebrity-adored beachside spots to historic gems in vineyard-studded valleys, NSW is home to some pretty magical towns. And while we all have our favourites, it’s nice when validation comes from an external source – this week, in the form of Wotif’s annual Aussie Town of the Year Awards.
Each year, the travel platform Wotif reveals its list of the best towns across the country – using search data, reviews and stats on accommodation quality and affordability. Back in 2023, the NSW town of Albury came out on top, and in 2024, the outback town of Broken Hill ranked at number two behind a charming regional town in Victoria. This year, the beach towns of NSW are reigning supreme, with first place awarded to the magical NSW town of Port Stephens, and two other coastal NSW towns cracking the top ten.
According to data from Wotif, 78 per cent of Aussies plan to travel domestically this year – and for the past eight years, Wotif has made it their mission to shine a light on the best towns in Australia to explore. With its spectacular sand dunes (the largest coastal dunes in the Southern Hemisphere), gorgeous beaches and abundance of natural beauty, Port Stephens (just over two hours north of Sydney) claimed the crown for this year, and for very good reason.
According to Wotif, Port Stephens’ popularity is “well and truly soaring this year”, with its proximity to Sydney and Newcastle, stunning natural wonders and impressive foodie offering cited as reasons for its win. The town’s wharfside seafood restaurant Poyer’s (crowned the best seafood restaurant in NSW for 2024 by Sydney Fish Market) got a special mention from the Wotif judges, as did Tomaree National Park, the town’s award-winning coastal cruises and one of the town's largest hotels, Ramada Resort.
Joining Port Stephens in the top ten were two other loveable NSW beach towns: Kingscliff (“a charming resort town” 15 minutes from the Queensland border) and Yamba (“a nostalgic beach town” often touted as the next Byron Bay, securing its place for its “ national parks, pristine beaches and top surf spots”).
Wotif 2025 Aussie Town of the Year Award winners:
1.Port Stephens, NSW
2.Cairns, QLD
3.Mandurah, WA
4.Denmark, WA
5.Beechworth, VIC
6.Port Campbell, VIC
7.Murray Bridge, SA
8.Kingscliff, NSW
9.Yamba, NSW
10. Mackay, QLD
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