More than just a gateway: 10 Australian airport towns worth visiting

Take a look at the route maps of any Australian airline, and there’s likely to be some head-scratching. To put it charitably, some Australian towns and cities that have airports aren’t really seen as a destination in their own right – you fly in, then get out to somewhere nearby with a lot more pulling power.

However, some of these Aussie airport towns and cities have a little bit more to offer than a landing pad – and these 10 are worth giving a bit of time to.

Busselton, WA

Busselton’s famous jetty.

With direct Jetstar flights from Sydney now arriving, Busselton is keen to show it’s not just the gateway to Margaret River. There’s plenty of beach to enjoy, plus possum-spotting amongst the giant trees in Tuart Forest National Park to the north. But the star attraction is the 1841-metre-long jetty, which offers train rides, diving sessions and an underwater observatory. See busseltonjetty.com.au

Hervey Bay, Qld

Hervey Bay is one of the world’s best places for whale-watching.

The main jumping-off point for K’gari (Fraser Island), Hervey Bay is really a collection of smaller towns, mostly linked by a horizon-conquering esplanade. The Reef World Aquarium, Wetside Water Park, Torquay Beach and the Botanic Gardens are amiable, time-filling staples, but Hervey Bay’s real strength is boat cruises. This is one of the best places in the world for whale-watching (humpbacks hang out in the calm waters for a rest on their migration route), but there are also champagne sunset cruises outside of whale season. See visitfrasercoast.com

Port Lincoln, SA

Port Lincoln is becoming a foodie hub.

Port Lincoln – at the southern end of the Eyre Peninsula – is a base for shark-cage diving trips to the Neptune Islands, the oyster farms of Coffin Bay, and the emu-dominated white-sand beaches of Coffin Bay National Park.

However, dining is increasingly big here. Calypso Star Charters offers seafood cruises around the bay, checking out the aquaculture farms. You can also go tasting at Boston Bay Wines and Beer Garden Brewing. See portlincoln.com.au

Kununurra, WA

When arriving at the hub town in the eastern Kimberley, most have cruising on Lake Argyle or seeing the super-stripy Bungle Bungles in Purnululu National Park in mind. However, the town has its own lake that’s well-stocked with barramundi for fishers – and Kununurra Cruises runs a sunset cruise. Meanwhile, Mirima National Park at the edge of town has spectacular multicoloured rock formations, and Waringarri Aboriginal Arts runs Indigenous cultural tours. See visitkununurra.com

Ballina, NSW

Most visitors land at Ballina and head for Byron Bay, but Ballina has its own great beaches.Credit: Danielle Smith

Before heading up to Byron Bay, it’s practically the law to get a photo with the Big Prawn – surely the champion of Australia’s Big Things. But Ballina has its own great beaches unfurling up the coast towards Lennox Head, a handful of seafood-centric restaurants along the Richmond River, and a fabulous dolphin-spotting walk along the North Wall to the river mouth. Out of the Blue Adventures also runs a series of boat tours from Ballina, including whale-watching trips in season, sunset river cruises, and snorkelling experiences around Julian Rocks. See discoverballina.com.au

Marcoola, Qld

Sunshine Coast Airport was once called Maroochydore Airport, although it’s actually north of the Maroochy River in Marcoola. Before dashing off to Noosa, Marcoola Beach and neighbouring Mudjimba Beach have the requisite gorgeousness, but with a fraction of the crowds elsewhere on the coast. You can also take the 90-minute return walk to the top of Mount Coolum, a volcanic dome that offers some of the best views of the Sunshine Coast. See visitsunshinecoast.com

Avalon, Vic

Kangaroos at Serendip. Credit: Joe Armao

Avalon Airport mostly serves the Victorian cities of Geelong and Melbourne, but the charm of neighbouring Lara is natural, not urban. The Serendip Sanctuary has birdwatching hides in the wetlands and an abundance of ’roos and emus, while the You Yangs Regional Park has mountain-bike trails, hikes and landscape-dominating granite peaks. See parks.vic.gov.au

Exmouth, WA

Exmouth is a good 20 kilometres north of Learmonth Airport, but it’s still the nearest town, and it’s usually used as the base for exploring the Ningaloo Reef on the other side of the North West Cape.

Aside from the resorts, Exmouth has the aquarium at the Ningaloo Centre and a growing range of watersports at Town Beach. Ultimate Watersports offers paddleboards, kayaks and jet-skis.

Between August and October, several companies offer sunset whale-watching cruises from Exmouth Marina. See australiascoralcoast.com

Moruya, NSW

Batemans Bay to the north and Narooma to the south are more popular bases than Moruya, although the six-kilometre-long Bengello Beach just behind Moruya Airport is pretty darned impressive.

South Head Beach on the other side of the Moruya River is a none-too-shabby alternative, although the main reason to visit Moruya is jumping out of a plane. Skydive Oz runs adventures from 15,000 feet up. See skydiveoz.com.au

Proserpine, Qld

Almost everyone landing at Whitsunday Coast Airport in Proserpine hotfoots it 40 minutes up the road to Airlie Beach – which is perfectly understandable. However, if you do hang around, you can spot crocs on the Proserpine River – it is full of them – and fish for the equally abundant barramundi in Lake Proserpine. The Proserpine Historical Museum, meanwhile, provides a dose of regional history. See tourismwhitsundays.com.au