The narrow end of Mornington Peninsula, between Portsea and Flinders, has two coasts.
The north side faces Port Phillip bay--a relatively calm and sheltered body of water. The south is exposed to the Bass Strait, the body of water between mainland Australia and Tasmania. This ocean side stretch is pounded by swells emanating from storms rising out of Antarctica.
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| View towards Cape Schanck |
All these ocean beaches are located within Mornington Peninsula National Park. Portrayed on the below map this is a thin green line that runs along the ocean coast between Portsea and Cape Schanck.
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| Mornington Peninsula (image from VicParks) |
So to access much of the coast line, you need to walk down tracks through this park.
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| Wind and swell has eroded the shoreline. On a lower tide pools in the reef are created. |
I arrived on Mornington Peninsula in August (wintertime), and each time I have wandered to the coast I've felt overwhelmed by the scale of the cliffs and the coast.
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| A wild coastline looking calm and placid. |
But, on August 23, the beaches showed another face. The sun was out with no clouds in the sky.
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| Surfer enjoys riding a swell line, finally breaking after travelling through thousands of miles of open ocean. |
Soft winds fanned Indian Ocean swells making it a delight for surfers.
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| Across a channel of deep water, a steep wave face creates an exciting wave for this patient surf rider. |
The water temperature was 12 degrees, but this didn't deter surfers. Some covered themselves from head to toe in wetsuit material to take advantage of the favorable winds and moderate swell.
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| Coastal Pigface |
Surfers weren't the only life forms enjoying the sun. Coastal pigface, reaching out onto the pathway, seemed to be thriving in the warmth.
