A taste of the Maldives in your own backyard: How you can swim with colourful fish in crystal clear water just hours from a major Aussie city

Photographers dubbed a little-known beach Australia's answer to the Maldives
They were blown away by the crystal clear water at Engine Point, South Australia
The beach is tucked away in Port Lincoln National Park, 691km west of Adelaide

By Alice Murphy For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 18:05 BST, 16 August 2021 | Updated: 18:10 BST, 16 August 2021

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Travel photographers have dubbed an untouched beach in a national park 'Australia's answer to the Maldives'.

Travelling couple Kurt and Carly, who together run Instagram page Let's Get Outta Here, were blown away by the pristine white sand and crystal clear water at Engine Point in Port Lincoln, 691 kilometres west of Adelaide, SA.

'The water was something you would see in the Maldives!' Carly told Daily Mail Australia.

'We had the whole spot to ourselves all afternoon and you could just lay in the shallow water and watch the fish swim around.'

Travel photographers have dubbed this untouched beach in a national park Australia's answer to the Maldives

Travelling couple Kurt and Carly were blown away by the pristine white sand crystal clear water at Engine Point in Port Lincoln, 691 kilometres west of Adelaide, SA

The beach is so remote that a campground at one end is only accessible by 4WD, and campers must bring everything they need from nearby towns because there are no amenities in Engine Point at all.

The Instagram location tag is linked to dozens of breathtaking photos, with tourists raving about the unspoiled beauty of the region.

'I will never get over it,' one woman said.

Another added: 'Words cannot describe the colour of the water!'

And it's not the only unique destination drawing Australians off the beaten track while the country's international border remains shut.

The Instagram location tag is linked to dozens of breathtaking photos, with tourists raving about the unspoiled beauty of the region

Engine Point, 691 kilometres west of Adelaide, South Australia

An abandoned nuclear site in Outback Queensland has recently become one of Australia's most unlikely Instagram hotspots.

The town of Mary Kathleen and a uranium mine of the same name were officially opened in 1958 by then-Prime Minister Robert Menzies and Queensland Premier Frank Nicklin.

At the time, the town boasted a population of 1,000 living less than 10 kilometres from its lifeblood - the mine - but today, all that remains are memories.

This abandoned nuclear site in Outback Queensland has become one of Australia's most unlikely Instagram hotspots

Photographer couple Kurt and Carly (pictured) drew stunned responses when they shared this photo of Mary Kathleen mine pit on Instagram

In a tale eerily reminiscent of Chloe Zhao's Oscar-winning Nomadland, Mary Kathleen is now a ghost town occupied by empty slabs where houses once stood and a town square abandoned save for a sign pointing to the foundations of the old post office and grocery store.

It sounds depressing and desolate, but tourists now flock there in 4WDs to capture Instagram shots of the old mine pit that is now a sparkling turquoise - and slightly radioactive - dam.

Concrete slabs that stand where shops and houses used to be play host to campers who pitch tents and spend a night in the deserted township so they can snap photos the next morning.

Mary Kathleen is now a ghost town occupied by empty slabs where houses once stood and a town square abandoned save for a sign pointing to the foundations of the old post office

But tourists now flock to Mary Kathleen in 4WDs to capture Instagram shots of the old mine pit that is now a sparkling turquoise - and slightly radioactive - dam

So alluring is the dam that several tours are now running in the area that served as a booming uranium plant for 24 years, before it became Australia's first major uranium mine rehabilitation project, completed in 1985 at a cost of roughly $19million (AUD).

There has been much speculation about what gives the lake its brilliant blue colour, but it is believed to be caused by rusted mining equipment which has oxidised the water.

The mine has recorded 'non acute' levels of radiation, which means it is safe to visit.

Hundreds of Instagram photos are linked to the mine's location tag on Instagram

But while the water looks inviting, visitors are advised not to swim.

The dam has put Mary Kathleen back on the map, with tourists from across the country stopping there for a taste of something different.

Hundreds of Instagram photos are linked to the mine's location tag on Instagram, with travel bloggers and 'van-lifers' calling it one of the most striking sights in Outback Queensland.