Urquhart Bluff on Great Ocean Road
Aireys Inlet, Victoria 3231
Australia’s Great Ocean Road is one of the most iconic and famous routes in the world.
Spreading out over 243km, it spans the length of Victoria’s coastline and is home to hundreds of pristine beaches perfect for surfers and swimmers.
Partway along the route, at Fairhaven, you’ll find the picturesque scene of Urquhart Bluff. It sits on a stretch of coastline riddled with eroding bluffs, limestone cliffs, and rugged reefs. The collection of bluffs rise 20m to 50m skyward, and at their bases, there is a collection of 12 charming, exposed beaches that ooze a wild vibe with their rocky outcrops and impressive headlands.’
From Urquhart Bluff, one of the most recognisable formations in the region, the first five beaches sprawl out in a picture-perfect display of golden sands and turquoise waters. At low tide, they can be reached from the rocks around Urquhart Bluff or you can get to them by climbing down some of the less-steep bluffs that surround Urquhart.
Though it might sound like reaching Urquhart Bluff and its beaches is a difficult task only for the agile and nimble, there is in fact a car park at the bluff, or you can enter via the beach access tracks at the Point Road Knight end of the shoreline.
The beaches here are famous for their perfect surf. They’re exposed to waves that reach 1.3m, but because of the smattering of rocks and reefs that characterise the area, only certain spots are designated surf zones.
Urquhart Bluff South Beach, the beach that sits directly below the bluff, is a 200m stretch of sand with a wide surf zone. It’s an ideal spot for keen surfers thanks to its consistent rip against the reef and headland. It may not be the best place for beginner surfers, but you can also watch the swells and breaks from the top of Urquhart Bluff, even at high tide.
Fishing is also a fairly popular activity on this part of the coast, though it’s important to be aware of the tides and the rocky areas that dominate some of the beaches. Most of the bays and coves here have good reef gutters, making them ideal for fishing, though the waves can be pretty strong because of the southerly rip.
Swimming isn’t recommended on these few beaches, simply because of their remote location and the rocky landscape. However, this wild backdrop makes for an incredible view, especially when soaked in from the top of Urquhart Bluff.