Just past Torquay, and an easy day trip from Melbourne, is a wonderful pocket of bushland which boasts some stunning views from its sea-cliffs. For some reason, which I can’t fathom, Point Addis seems to miss out on most of the tourist traffic, who are focussed on either Bells Beach or heading to Anglesea, Lorne and the Great Ocean Road beyond. However, Pt Addis is a wonderful wild destination in its own right. There is an excellent short Koori Cultural walk with interpretive information boards along the way, or a more challenging Ironbark Basin walk – you can see the distinctive slip of the basin from the main car park – which also allows access to an old jarosite mine site. Finally, there is a great short cliff-top board walk from the main car-park which allows for fantastic views up and down the coast, as well as access down to the beach itself – though take great care even if it is low tide. Despite it being part of the Great Otways Park, dogs are fine as long as they are on leads. An added attraction (depending on your viewpoint!) is that the northern end of the beach is one of Victoria’s only four legal ‘clothing optional’ beaches – don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Posts Tagged ‘Bell’s Beach’
Point Addis Walks
Posted in Bushwalking, Coastal Walks, Dogs, Great Ocean Road, Places to Visit, Walking with Children, Walks, Walks with dogs, tagged Bell's Beach, bushwalking, Great Ocean Road, Jarosite Mine, Nude beaches, Point Addis, sea cliffs, Torquay, walking with dogs on 03/24/2012| Leave a Comment »
Cliff top walk from Jan Juc to Bells beach
Posted in Birdwatching, Bushwalking, Coastal Walks, Great Ocean Road, Uncategorized, Walking with Children, Walks, Walks with dogs, Wildlife, tagged Australian wildflowers, Bell's Beach, cliffs, echidna, Jan Juc, surfing, Torquay, walking, walks, walks with dogs on 03/13/2012| Leave a Comment »
Well, how beautiful is this early autumn weather?! 26C and blue skies meant I packed up and headed for the coast, along with 52 million other long-weekenders, but it wasn’t long before I found my stride away from the crowds. The rightly popular cliff top walk from Jan Juc Beach near Torquay through to the world famous surfing mecca, Bell’s Beach, is an easy 8km return along a well made track. There are stunning views from the top of the 35 metre high sandstone sea cliffs, and numerous opportunities to head down vertiginous stairways to the beaches to watch the surfers close up. The walk along the top is through beautiful fragile coastal heathlands, with grevilleas in full flower, and I was lucky to spot another echidna, right beside the track. Can it get better than that? Dogs are welcome, on leads, though they are restricted on the beaches at certain times of the year, so check the signs before heading onto the sand with your dog.