Discovery Bay Coastal Park, Victoria: Beaches, wildlife & camping

The Discovery Bay Coastal Park in the far west of Victoria brings wild, dune-backed beaches, fur seals and simple campgrounds.

The Discovery Bay Coastal Park is one of the underrated Australian destinations you can discover if you keep going after driving the Great Ocean Road. Most visitors don’t – they turn back to Melbourne from Warrnambool. But if you carry on from Melbourne to Adelaide along the coast, the Discovery Bay Coastal Park is on the Warrnambool to Mount Gambier section of the drive.

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.

Where is the Discovery Bay Coastal Park?

The Discovery Bay Coastal Park runs between the historic town of Portland and the westernmost town on the Victorian coast, Nelson. It protects 55 kilometres of magnificently moody ocean beach, plus some massive sand dunes and towering coastal cliffs.

The most visited section is at Cape Bridgewater, famed for its large fur seal colony and the strange Petrified Forest rock formations.

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.

Whites Beach, Victoria

The enormous dune system starts at Whites Beach on the western edge of Cape Bridgewater. From here to Nelson, the dunes make for limited access. But this is part of the appeal – the Discovery Bay Coastal Park feels wild, untouched and undiscovered. Plenty of seabirds hang out here, making it a popular destination for birdwatching.

Near Whites Beach, the Bridgewater Lakes are a popular spot for fishing and a steep uphill walk will take you to the Tarragal Caves. This series of small limestone caves stares open-mouthed towards the ocean. The views from the cave entrances make the climb worth it.

Discovery Bay Coastal Park campgrounds

Whites Beach becomes Blacks Beach as it curves round, but the next two access points are by the two campgrounds within the park.

The Swan Lake campground has five sites and while the campground itself is accessible to 2WD vehicles, you will need a 4WD to get down to the beach. Most campers at Swan Lake tend to be doing the Great South West Walk, and all the sites are unpowered.

Further along, the Lake Mombeong campground is slightly bigger, with ten sites. It also has flushing toilets, while there’s a small pier jutting into the lake for kayakers.

Sites at both campgrounds need booking through Parks Victoria.