Balranning Beach is about 70 km SE of Melbourne, on Westernport Bay.
It's popular for sheltered swimming, small boats, sailing, kitesurfing, beachwalking and low-tide reef exploring.
Kitesurfing is a surface water sport that uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small surfboard or a kiteboard (similar to a wakeboard).
I visited the Beach on March 22, 2009, a very windy day, with kitesurfers and small boats active.
I walked about 6 km (return) along the beach to Somers Beach, with a side trip into the adjacent extensive Coolart Wetlands Sanctuary, Homestead and Lagoons.
Coolart is separated from the Beach by the scenic Merricks Creek, reached by an interesting suspension bridge.
The region was first settled in the 1830s, and Coolert has a rich history.
The original inhabitants of Coolart were the Bunurong tribe of Aborigines and it is from the word "Colourt" or "Callert" - their name for nearby Sandy Point - that the present name of Coolart is derived.
In 1895, Frederick Sheppard Grimwade bought the estate and built the imposing homestead as the family's country retreat. Between 1907 and 1937 Coolart was held at different times by Thomas Armstrong, James Balmain and John Sylvester Feehan. The late Tom Luxton purchased the property in 1937 and immediately had the property declared a sanctuary for native wildlife and embarked upon a program of habitat development. The 87 hectare nucleus of the Coolart area was purchased by the Victorian State Government in 1977 and it was proclaimed as a reserve for "Conservation and Education Purposes".
For information about Coolert, please see
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources/22_2144.pdf
See my complete set of Photos
It's popular for sheltered swimming, small boats, sailing, kitesurfing, beachwalking and low-tide reef exploring.
Kitesurfing is a surface water sport that uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small surfboard or a kiteboard (similar to a wakeboard).
I visited the Beach on March 22, 2009, a very windy day, with kitesurfers and small boats active.
I walked about 6 km (return) along the beach to Somers Beach, with a side trip into the adjacent extensive Coolart Wetlands Sanctuary, Homestead and Lagoons.
Coolart is separated from the Beach by the scenic Merricks Creek, reached by an interesting suspension bridge.
The region was first settled in the 1830s, and Coolert has a rich history.
The original inhabitants of Coolart were the Bunurong tribe of Aborigines and it is from the word "Colourt" or "Callert" - their name for nearby Sandy Point - that the present name of Coolart is derived.
In 1895, Frederick Sheppard Grimwade bought the estate and built the imposing homestead as the family's country retreat. Between 1907 and 1937 Coolart was held at different times by Thomas Armstrong, James Balmain and John Sylvester Feehan. The late Tom Luxton purchased the property in 1937 and immediately had the property declared a sanctuary for native wildlife and embarked upon a program of habitat development. The 87 hectare nucleus of the Coolart area was purchased by the Victorian State Government in 1977 and it was proclaimed as a reserve for "Conservation and Education Purposes".
For information about Coolert, please see
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources/22_2144.pdf
See my complete set of Photos
Indeed one of the best spot to kite surf! To all new kite surfing just make sure you go through all the basic rules before heading out.
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