Natural attractions
Point Lonsdale is very much an ocean-focused town.
Diving, surfing and snorkelling are all popular activities here, it comes as no surprise Point Lonsdale is a haven for marine wildlife.
Harold Holt Marine Reserves
Marine reserves around Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale protect important habitats. They were established in 1979, the first in Victoria. They carry the name of Harold Holt, a former Australian Prime Minister who disappeared while swimming off Cheviot Beach, on the Mornington Peninsula-side of Port Phillip Bay.
Swan Bay Marine Reserve: Regarded as one of the healthiest reserves in the bay, Swan Bay is an excellent example of an ecosystem with seagrass, intertidal mudflats and salt marshes. An international wetlands protection treaty recognises its significance. During summer and autumn, visitors will see black swans, pelicans and comorants. Rare orange-bellied parrots feed and winter on the salt marshes.
Point Lonsdale Marine Reserve: This is the place for rockpool rambling. The large sandstone platform below the lighthouse is exposed at low tide, giving visitors and opportunity to see the plants and animals that live on the rocky shore. The large, protected rockpools of Glaneuse Reef, 300 metres to the west of the lighthouse, provide a wonderful opportunity at low tide for snorkellers and divers.
Popes Eye Marine Reserve: The horseshoe-shaped basalt rock structure is the foundation of what was to be an island fort in Port Phillip. It was built around 1880 and is now a marine reserve. It has a sandy bottom and up to three metres of water. Outside, the depth is 12 metres.
Popes Eye is home to many fish species, coral, kelp and colourful algae. It is a safe anchorage, making it popular with scuba divers and snorkellers. While the best time to dive is on the start of the ebb tide, it provides almost all-weather, all-current diving.
Beaches
There are three main beaches around Point Lonsdale:
The Point Lonsdale back beach offers a unique challenge for the surfer with its ripping turns and testing breaks. Situated just below the Lighthouse, this beach is easily accessible by foot over the tall dunes of Point Lonsdale. The beach is patrolled and swimmers should swim between the flags. The beach continues all the way to Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads.
The newly sanded front beach is nicely sheltered from the rigors of Port Phillip Heads, and is a quiet and interesting family location, situated across the road from the shopping centre and delightful cafes.
Set aside for the animal lover, Narrows Beach between Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale offers a great opportunity for visitors and locals to run and play with their dogs free from interference and recriminations. It's also popular with walkers and joggers.