In peak season, you’ll find the Bellarine Peninsula’s beaches packed with families and teenagers on their summer break.
Three beaches are patrolled by surf lifesaving volunteers: Ocean Grove Main Beach, 13th Beach in Barwon Heads and Point Lonsdale. These beaches are patrolled from the first day of December right through until after the Australia Day weekend.
Away from the surf on the bay side of the peninsula, Clifton Springs, Portarlington, Indented Head, St Leonards and Queenscliff all have sheltered beaches.
The beach next to the bridge in Barwon Heads is perfect for kids. It’s a shallow beach at the mouth of the river with no surf. There’s a great playground there and toilet and barbecue facilities. At high tide, there’s not much space on the sand, so check the tide tables online beforehand.
Arrive early for a car park at 13th Beach, and we mean early! The best stretches of sand are near the surf lifesaving club and it’s patrolled in summer.
Indented Head is nice and safe for families with usually calm conditions.
Ocean Grove Main Beach gets crazy busy in summer, but at other times of the year you can walk along the sand in relative peace. Of course, many holidaymakers enjoy the busy beach, especially teens and young adults, who use it as a meeting place for a fun day out with friends.
Away from peak summer season and long weekends, the cooler weather is a terrific opportunity to rug up and enjoy a long walk along the shoreline.
On cold days, you will likely have the place to yourself. The solitude and hearing the waves crash against the sand and rocks is a different perspective of this beautiful part of the world.
