Portsea Ocean Beach

These pix were taken on January 15 2012, at the Portsea Ocean Beach, 90 km (by road) south of Melbourne.

From the lower level car park, I did a 2 km exploration, visiting the Main Lookout, then down to the beach, past the Lifesaving Club, and back uphill to the car park.

Lots of action, big waves. and glorious coastal views!

See all of the Photos of my visit, and check out my YouTube video!

Gunnamatta Coastal Walk

The Gunnamatta Surf Beach is about 90 km south of Melbourne, in the Mornington Peninsula National Park.

I visited the Beach on March 21, 2009, on a 5 km (return) beachwalk to the southeast, reaching the rocks at the base of the rugged cliffs near Fingal.

The surf was up, with big waves, and the Surf Patrol was vigilant!

The main walking track from Gunamatta to Cape Schank follows the beach along the sand dunes, for about 1 km, where it then veers inland and continues along the cliff top, passing the turn-off to Fingal Beach.

The coastal views towards the Cape Schank Lighthouse were spectacular!

Note that there is an admission fee of $4.40 per car.

My Photos show the scenery, surf, dunes, fishing, swimmers, waves, beach and cliffs with some "candid camera" shots!

Gunnamatta Beach - scenic Coastal Walk

Gunnamatta Beach is a popular destination in the Mornington Peninsula National Park, about 80 km south of Melbourne.

I visited this magnificent ocean beach on February 22 2009, on a 4 km (return) coastal walk west to St Andrew's Beach.

The tide was out, exposing a vast array of rock pools.

The surf was up, with big waves!

The coastal vews were superb, with Cape Schank and the Lighthouse to the east, and the long sweeping beaches to Point Nepean to the west.

The Beach is at the end of Trueman's Rd, turn off from the Point Nepean Rd at Tootgarook.

An admission fee of $4.40 per car is charged for entry.

See the full set of Photos of my visit!

The Pinnacles - Woolamai Beach - Phillip Island

In-the-know surfers flock to stunning Woolamai Beach, located on the southern coastline of Phillip Island. The vast beach is virtually deserted most days and the cliffs and golden sands are a stunning backdrop to the challenging waves.

Cape Woolamai frames the eastern end of the beach – it is Phillip Island`s highest point and is criss-crossed with walking tracks that lead to viewing platforms and breathtaking views of The Pinnacles rock formations offshore. The long beach is patrolled by the Woolamai Surf Lifesaving Club during the summer months.

I visited Woolamai Beach on February 16, 2009, and did the 4 km (return) hike to the top of the Pinnacles, passing the Mutton Bird rookeries.

The coastal views from the clifftop were incredible!

The sandy Pinnacles Track starts at the main car park, ascending to the clifftop, then passing the start of the staircase down to the Magiclands beach.

The walk ended at the Pinnacles Lookout, where there is a seat and information board, about 90 metres above the ocean. The Track continues on several km as a loop circuit.

This Track is marked with green arrows on marker posts, to disinguish it from other tracks on the headland which are marked in different colors.

The return was down the Magiclands Staircase and back along the beach to the car park.

This is a walk which should not be missed!

Woolamai Beach Rd is off the Phillip Island Highway, about 5 km east of Cowes.

See the full set of Photos of my visit!

Exploring Shoreham Beach

Shoreham is a peaceful coastal settlement about 100 km south of Melbourne, on Westernport Bay.

On September 21, 2008, I visited Shoreham, at high tide, exploring the beach, foreshore and creek.

Surfers were everywhere!

Please see my Photo Album, which includes a picture of myself taken in January 1951, when I attended the YMCA Camp for Boys at Shoreham. The camp site was subsequently sold for rural residential development, and traces of it are still visible along the access road to the Beach.