Eagle Rock off the coast at Aireys Inlet

Anglesea Golf Course

Torquay

Bells Beach

Jac Juc beach

Maits Rest Rainforest Boardwalk, Otway Ranges

The beach at Lorne

A 55km stretch of coastline from Torquay to Anglesea, the Surf Coast is one of Melbourne's most popular recreational playgrounds. Besides wold famous surf beaches and sophisticated beach culture, the region boasts natural beauty, both on the coast and the hinterland.

Where is it?: south east of Melbourne beyond the Bellarine Peninsula.

Things to see and do:

The beaches of the Surf Coast are the centre and focus of Victoria's surfing and beach culture. Surfing brands Rip Curl and Quiksilver started in here, and names like Bells Beach, Torquay and Jan Juc are synomimous with surfing in Australia.

The southern section of the Surf Coast is backed by the Otway Range, which lies within Great Otway National Park. The Park contains a diverse range of landscapes and vegetation types, and covers both coastline and hinterland in the Otway Ranges and so includes both beaches and forest, accessible via walking trails through rainforests, fern gullies and besides fast flowing streams and waterfalls.

One of Australia's great drives, the 273 km Great Ocean Road winds its way from Torquay to Warrnambool on the south west coast alongside some of the most dramatically scenic seascapes in the world. It was constructed by ex-servicemen and the unemployed between 1918 and 1932 and is dedicated to those that lost their lives in World War I. The most well known feature in the region is The Twelve Apostles rock formation near Port Campbell, carved out of the limestone headlands by rough seas over time. More >>

Towns on the Surf Coast:

Aireys Inlet: a resort town perched on rocks alongside the ocean. 11 km west of Anglesea, 120 km from Melbourne. The Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch at nearby Eastern View marks the beginning of the Great Ocean Road. Angahook-Lorne State Park has hiking trails weaving through virgin bushland. Split Point Lighthouse is said to be haunted, 1891). Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary is close by.

Anglesea: an attractive resort town and surfing centre, 110km south-west of Melbourne, offering water sports and bushwalks along the Anglesea River. Anglesea's golf course is well known for a colony of friendly kangaroos that are often seen grazing beside the fairway. The rolling hills are covered in wildflowers in Spring.

Torquay: a popular resort town, 99 km from Melbourne and 22km south of Geelong, known for its surfing beach, sea fishing, sporting facilities. Torquay has laid claim to being the surfing capital of Australia and some of the finest boardriders in the world flock to Bells Beach every year for the annual Easter Classic. Tourquay is home to Surfworld Museum, Australia's only surfing museum and Hall of Fame, and Bellbrae Horse-drawn Carriage Museum. Point Danger Marine Sanctuary; Point Addis Marine National Park are close by.

Jan Juc: adjacent to Torquay, Jan Juc is a popular surfing spot. The Jan Juc beach lies between Rocky Point to the East and Bird Rock to the West, and is bounded by high cliffs. In the late 1990s, a surfer found the only known 'Janjucetus hunderi' fossils, on a beach near Jan Juc.

Lorne from Teddy's Lookout

Lorne: the largest town on the Surf Coast, 140 km south-west of Melbourne on Louttit Bay, Lorne is traditionally a summer retreat fror Melbourne families and a getaway for office workers. Exuding old world charm, Lorme is an ideal base for exploring the surrounding areas, Popular local activities include traditional beach pursuits such as family bathing and surfing, as well as pier fishing for barracuda, whiting, and trevally. Teddy's Lookout lies at the end of George Street on the town's southern outskirts and offers fine views over the town, coastline, and Great Ocean Road. The Great Otway National Park is nearby. More >>