Things to See & Do
The best fishing spots in Lorne include Reedy Creek, Loutit Bay, Lorne Pier and Lorne Beach. There are also some opportunities for freshwater fishing in the hinterland areas.
Fishing licenses are available at the Lorne Visitor Information Centre.
The start of the famous ocean swimming race ‘The Pier to Pub’, the Lorne Pier is also a popular spot for fishing.
Garfish, salmon and barracouta are commonly caught here. The Lorne pier is at the Western end of Loutit Bay.
Aireys Inlet is a holiday settlement spread for 3 km along the back of the bluffs, on the north side of the actual Aireys Inlet. Below the bluffs is a series of small, south-east to south facing beaches. The only readily accessible beach is Aireys Inlet Beach (322), which is located at the mouth of a gully. It has a small car park, and steps down to the beach from the end of Eagle Rock Parade.
The beach is 500 m long, and is bordered by 20 m high headlands and rock platforms composed of red sandstone. Bluffs are eroding along the back of the beach, particularly the southern 300 m, which is a narrow strip of sand awash at high tide. The surf zone is 50 m wide, with a permanent rip against the northern rocks. Aireys Inlet South Beach (323) is a small, 50 m pocket of sand fronted by reefs. It is located below 30 m high bluffs and is essentially inaccessible.
Swimming
Aireys Inlet Beach has the best access in the area and is primarily used by the locals. However, it is a hazardous beach with a strong rip feeder current running along the beach and a rip running out past the headland. Take care if swimming here.
Surfing
There are beach breaks over the bars and southern reefs.
Fishing
The rock platform at the north end provides the best location to fish the permanent rip channel.
General
A popular beach with the locals, but one requiring caution.
Carpark
Type: Formal parking area
Spaces: 10
General Beach Hazard Rating: 6
Least hazardous: 1-3
Moderately hazardous: 4-6
Highly hazardous: 7-8
Extremely hazardous: 9-10
Hazard rating refers to physical beach and surf conditions ONLY and does not include potentially dangerous marine life.
At Cinema Point, the winding, cliff hanging section of the Great Ocean Road begins. Cinema Point is a 30 m high, grassy knoll, backed by the road and surrounded by sandstone rock platforms.
There are two small beaches here, one on either side. The eastern one is below the car park and viewing area immediately behind the knoll. It is 50 m long, faces east, is backed by road fill and the knoll, and is dominated by platforms and reefs.
On the western side of the point is the main beach, that occupies the deep gully carved by Grassy Creek. It consists of a veneer of sand over rock platforms.
Both beaches receive waves averaging about 1 m and have a surf zone entirely dominated by rocks and reefs.
Swimming
Be very careful if bathing here, as permanent rip currents drain out from both reefs, and rocks and reefs abound in the surf.
Surfing
The north side of Cinema Rocks is known as Hunters or Shark Alley. It has a moderate right hander during big swell.
Fishing
The extensive rock platforms at low tide provide good access to the rock gullies on either side of the point.
General
A favourite viewing site, with the beaches used by surfers and fishers, but unsuitable for safe bathing.
Carpark
Type: Formal parking area
Surface: Sealed
Spaces: 15
SLSA provides this information as a guide only. Surf conditions are variable and therefore this information should not be relied upon as a substitute for observation of local conditions and an understanding of your abilities in the surf. SLSA reminds you to always swim between the red and yellow flags and never swim at unpatrolled beaches. SLSA takes all care and responsibility for any translation but it cannot guarentee that all translations will be accurate.
General Beach Hazard Rating: 5
Least hazardous: 1-3
Moderately hazardous: 4-6
Highly hazardous: 7-8
Extremely hazardous: 9-10
Hazard rating refers to physical beach and surf conditions ONLY and does not include potentially dangerous marine life.
Six kilometre long Fairhaven Beach is the longest beach on the Great Ocean Road, from which it is readily accessible, as the road backs the entire beach. The beach runs due west from the mouth of Moggs Creek for 4 km, before slowly curving around to face east at the western Cinema Point.
The southerly aspect exposes the beach to waves averaging 1.5 m, which combine with the fine to medium beach sand to produce a 200 m wide surf zone containing two bars. The inner bar is cut by rips every 300 m, resulting in up to 20 rips along the beach. The outer bar, which only breaks in higher waves, has more widely spaced rips, when it is active.
The Fairhaven Surf Life Saving Club, founded in 1957, is located toward the eastern end of the beach, and its members annually average 10 rescues.
Swimming
A potentially hazardous beach, with usually moderate waves and persistent and often strong rips. Westerly winds intensify longshore and rip currents. Stay in the patrolled area on the attached inner bar.
Surfing
The beach has numerous beach breaks and usually a good swell. However, it is exposed and works best with northerly winds. Some well-known spots along the beach include the mouth of Moggs Creek, where low summer lefts can be found; The Spot, a reef break just east of the surf lifesaving club; and further down at Eastern View and Spouts Creek.
Fishing
The good access and numerous rips and holes make this a popular, although usually uncrowded, spot for beach fishing. The mouths of Moggs and Spout Creeks are also popular, when they are flowing.
General
A long, natural beach more suited to experienced bathers and surfers, with the patrolled area in front of the surf club offering the safest bathing area. Toward the western end of the beach is a Memorial Arch commemorating the construction of the Great Ocean Road during the depression years of the 1930s.
Carpark
Type: Formal parking area
Spaces: 100
SLSA provides this information as a guide only. Surf conditions are variable and therefore this information should not be relied upon as a substitute for observation of local conditions and an understanding of your abilities in the surf. SLSA reminds you to always swim between the red and yellow flags and never swim at unpatrolled beaches. SLSA takes all care and responsibility for any translation but it cannot guarantee that all translations will be accurate.
General Beach Hazard Rating: 7
Least hazardous: 1-3
Moderately hazardous: 4-6
Highly hazardous: 7-8
Extremely hazardous: 9-10
Hazard rating refers to physical beach and surf conditions ONLY and does not include potentially dangerous marine life.
The 5 km of coast between Urquhart Bluff and Table Rock at Fairhaven is dominated by 20 to 50 m high, eroding bluffs composed of poorly consolidated limestone, tuffs, clays and silts.
As they erode, they leave inter- and sub-tidal rock platforms and reefs. Running along the base of the bluffs are twelve small, exposed beaches, mostly dominated by the headlands, rocks and reefs.
The first five face south-east and extend from Urquhart Bluff south-west for 1 km. They can be reached at low tide around the rocks from Urquhart Bluff, or by climbing down some of the less steep bluffs. They are all exposed to waves averaging 1.3 m, but owing to the degree of protection or the presence of rocks and reefs, they have variable beaches and surf zones.
Urquhart Bluff South Beach (315) is 200 m long and has a wide, shallow surf zone with a permanent rip against the southern headland and reef.
Swimming
These are five hazardous beaches, owing to their relatively remote location and access ranging from difficult to dangerous. This is coupled with the presence of rocks, reefs and permanent rips.
Surfing
Moderate swells and a high tide produce right hand breaks over some of the reefs, most of which can be viewed from the top of Urquhart Bluff.
Fishing
Each of these beaches has good permanent rip holes and reef gutters. The biggest problem is access. Be very careful at high tide and in bigger seas, as the rocks and some of the beaches are awash.
General
Five beaches dominated by the bluffs, rocks and reefs.
Carpark
Type: Formal parking area
Spaces: 10
SLSA provides this information as a guide only. Surf conditions are variable and therefore this information should not be relied upon as a substitute for observation of local conditions and an understanding of your abilities in the surf. SLSA reminds you to always swim between the red and yellow flags and never swim at unpatrolled beaches. SLSA takes all care and responsibility for any translation but it cannot guarantee that all translations will be accurate.