Whitehaven Beach / Island

Rank: Top 1000

Wonder Type: Natural

Country: Australia

Best of: Island, Beach

Whitehaven Beach is known for its white sands. It has a beautiful scenery and the sand consists of 98% pure silica which gives it a bright white color. Local rocks do not contain silica so it has been suggested that the sands were brought to the beach via prevailing sea currents over millions of years. Unlike regular sand, the sand on Whitehaven Beach does not retain heat making it comfortable to walk barefoot on a hot day. This sand is also very fine, and can damage electronic equipment such as telephones and cameras, although it is good at polishing up jewellery. [More Details]