Point Lonsdale: Coast, Lighthouse and Marine Park

Point Lonsdale combines a protected marine environment with a distinctive coastline, a lighthouse and a range of activities. When planning your stay, you can decide whether to spend most of your time by the water, on paths along the bay, or with a tour and a round of golf.

Marine Park and Waterfront Promenade

The Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park protects a diverse marine environment that includes Point Lonsdale. The section of the park at Point Lonsdale lies between Queenscliff and the western side of the entrance to Port Phillip. This gives you a sense of where this stretch of coast sits in relation to Queenscliff and the entrance, without reducing the different experiences by the water to a single spot.

The Point Lonsdale Promenade offers a defined route through the coastal landscape: it follows the shoreline of Lonsdale Bay and has numerous beach access points along the way. The promenade is used by walkers, runners and cyclists of all ages and fitness levels. At one end, it connects to the Point Lonsdale Coastal Trail; at the other, to Lovers Walk and the Bellarine Rail Trail. You can therefore consider walking, running and cycling as different ways to experience the shoreline; these connections also help you plan where to go next.

Water and a Range of Activities

The tidal reef at Point Lonsdale is suitable for snorkellers of all experience levels, and divers can also explore it. This makes the reef a specific point of reference when considering water activities for your trip. Strong currents can occur at the outer boundaries of the marine park at Point Lonsdale when water flows in or out through the Heads. Check conditions before entering the water.

Point Lonsdale Back Beach should be considered separately: it has consistently strong surf currents that can catch unwary swimmers by surprise. Take this into account when deciding whether to swim. The currents at the outer boundaries of the marine park and the surf currents at Back Beach are specific considerations for planning time in the water, while the promenade and paths offer other ways to spend a day on the coast.

Lighthouse and Coastal Views

Point Lonsdale Lighthouse serves as a landfall light for ships approaching the Heads. The Queenscliffe Maritime Museum runs public tours of the lighthouse. Tour highlights include exploring the lighthouse lantern and views over the entrance to Port Phillip Heads and along the coast to Ocean Grove and Cape Schanck. Tour content may change; if you are planning a visit, check availability and booking requirements in advance.

Trails and Golf

The Point Lonsdale Coastal Trail is a walking trail at 80 Point Lonsdale Road in Point Lonsdale. Together with the promenade connections, it gives you several named options for including trails in your plans, without prescribing a particular route. Which of these paths you choose may depend on whether you would rather focus on a coastal promenade or a section specifically identified as a walking trail.

Lonsdale Links offers a different activity: it is an 18-hole links golf course in the coastal dunes of Point Lonsdale, adjoining Lake Victoria. The Point Lonsdale Clubhouse serves lunch, dinner, coffee, drinks and snacks to golfers and non-golfers. Food and drink availability may change. This gives you a clear distinction when planning between a day centred on golf and one shaped more by waterfront paths, the lighthouse or the water.

Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests

When searching for hotels in Point Lonsdale, you can first decide which experiences matter most: the marine park and tidal reef, paths along Lonsdale Bay, a lighthouse tour or golf. If you want to combine several activities, also keep in mind the conditions mentioned for each: currents are relevant when planning water activities; tour content and tour availability may change, as may the availability of food and drink at the clubhouse.

Discover more destinations: Batesford, Torquay, Anglesea, Ocean Grove, Portarlington, Queenscliff.

For the broader travel overview: Geelong.