Yamba named in Australia’s top 10 hidden gems

Rodney Stevens

While we all love and embrace the beautiful environment and laid-back lifestyle of the Yamba area – the word is getting out – the town has been named in the Top 10 hidden gems in Australia.

This is just the latest in a list of accolades for the popular tourist town.

In 2009, Yamba was named Best Town in Australia by a panel of tourism and travel experts in a survey conducted by Australian Traveller Magazine.

At the time, Australian Traveller Magazine editor, Greg Barton said Yamba beat towns including Port Douglas, Broome, Byron Bay, Port Fairy and Margaret River to secure the prestigious title.

“Yamba … may be upset at being named the Best Town in Australia,” he said.

“Their idyllic secret is out, and they may have to share.”

Since this acknowledgement, development around Yamba has increased at a rapid rate as the word about Yamba’s idyllic lifestyle spreads, with celebrities regularly holidaying in the area, and regular media stories about magical beach getaways and beach towns that are better than Byron promoting Yamba’s affordability and beauty.

Meanwhile, local social media commentators who recognise the hidden gem that is the Clarence Valley regularly comment discouraging development, expansion, or increased tourism, worried that the world will discover our ‘slice of paradise’.

In the 2023 NSW Top Town awards, Yamba was a finalist in the Top Tourism Town greater than 5000 residents’ category.

Then, just last month, the Scottish Town in Australia, Maclean was ranked first on Airbnb’s Tiny Towns Guide of the top 50 small towns across Australia, winning a $30,000 grant that will help the future of the town’s famous Highland Gathering.

Now, in a study by worldwide luggage storage app Bounce, looking at search trends to rank each location by popularity using sources like Tripadvisor and Time Out Australia magazine, Yamba has been ranked as Australia’s fifth most searched hidden gem.

“The gloriously unpretentious beach town of Yamba also made its way onto the list of Australia’s best-kept secrets, and for good reason,” Time Out Australia magazine wrote.

“With a glittering coastline formed of sheltered coves and world-class surf breaks, and a town centre that takes you back in time – with farm-to-table restaurants, high-end stays, adorable boutiques and a cute-as-hell old-fashioned cinema – it’s a magical town that captures the heart of anyone lucky enough to visit.”

The Top 10 most searched Hidden Gems in Australia in 2024 are: