Bells Beach, Point Break: Where in Victoria is the famous movie beach?

Point Break featured Bells Beach in Victoria, but surfing competitions made this Great Ocean Road beach famous long before the movie.

Bells Beach, Victoria, is one of the most famous surf beaches in the world, let alone Australia. That fame partly stems from the end of cheesy 1991 movie Point Break. It’s where Patrick Swayze’s character Bodhi surfs to his demise in big storm at the end of the film.

Bells Beach on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

Bells Beach in Point Break

That climactic scene was set at Bells Beach, but not actually filmed there. It was shot at Indian Beach in Ecola State Park, Oregon. It is, however, worth asking why Bells Beach was chosen as the final destination. Surely the writers and director could have just picked an American surf beach instead? Well, the beach was famous well before the movie came along.

The world’s oldest continuously-running professional surfing competition takes place at Bells Beach. It’s now known as the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, but has gone under several names, including the Bells Easter Classic.

The first Bells Beach competition took place in January 1962, which is quite impressive given that there wasn’t a road there until 1960.

Your Torquay checklist

Skydive from 15,000ft – see the Great Ocean Road from above and get the thrill of your life.
Learn to surf – get standing on your board by the end of a beginner’s surfing lesson.
Book your Torquay accommodation.

Where is Bells Beach in Australia?

Bells Beach is just off the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, between Torquay and Anglesea. It’s about 106km south-west of Melbourne.

The beach itself is small – about 300 metres long. But it’s not the beach you come for – it’s the break over a reef at the southern point. This produces one of the world’s cleanest, most impressive right-hand breaks, which gets seriously good once waves get to the 1.5m or 2m level.

7 fantastic Great Ocean Road experiences
1. Crowd-beating reverse direction tour. 2. Surfing lessons in Anglesea. 3. Split Point Lighthouse climb. 4. Shockwave Zip-Coaster. 5. Guided wildlife walk. 6. Budj Bim National Park tour. 7. Great Ocean Road by motorbike.

Surfing at Bells Beach, Victoria

This is not a beginners’ break. If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t even attempt it. Learn elsewhere. There will also be plenty of competition amongst hardened surfers for the waves.

Everyone else is best off watching from the viewing platform on the clifftop, next to the huge car park.

Other good surfing beaches along the Great Ocean Road include Lorne Beach in Lorne and Johanna Beach. You can also learn more about the history of surfing in Australia at the Australian National Surfing Museum in Torquay.

Accommodation near Bells Beach include the Bellbrae Country Club and Bells Beach Cottages.

Pick the right Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne

For wildlife and nature focus: One day tour with koalas and guided forest walk.
To beat the crowds: Reverse direction Great Ocean Road day tour.
For adventure: Two day camping and surfing trip.
For backpackers: One day highlights tour aimed at younger travellers.
For exclusivity and flexibility: Private tour where you can pick the sights you want to see.
For an extended trip: Three day Melbourne to Adelaide tour.

More Great Ocean Road beaches