Aireys Inlet Beaches and Cliff Tops

Walk Description

Urquhart Bluff – Split Point (Aireys Inlet) Lighthouse

Follow the beach southwest around a number of headlands, traversing rock shelves and sandy beaches below colourful clay cliffs to the lighthouse.  If the tide remains low enough, Eagle Rock and other formations below the lighthouse may be explored.  Continue west along the rock shelf, past a cave to the sandy mouth of Painkalac Creek.  Follow the east bank to where a walking track climbs past pioneer graves to the lighthouse.

Lighthouse – Clifftop Walk – Boundary Road

Walk Northeast along Federal street to where it ends in a car park and pick up the start of the Aireys Inlet Clifftop Walk. Follow this to Boundary Road where a lookout gives superb views to the northeast of  Sunnymead Beach and Urquhart Bluff.

Boundary Road–Urquhart Bluff Beach Carpark

Continue northeast along a gravel track where steps lead into a gully and over a short bridge towards Sunnymead Beach.  Just before reaching the beach turn left onto a foot track that climbs steeply up rough steps to the heathy clifftop.  Follow the winding track past several houses before turning inland (northwest) and entering taller vegetation and trees. Continue keeping a fenceline to your left, until a gate is reached.  Turn right onto the overgrown 4WD track and follow this to open heathland and a T intersection with another overgrown 4WD track. 

Turn right (south) and follow this track for about 500 metres, looking for a narrow foot track on the left through the heathland vegetation.  Take this track northeast through a shallow depression and then climbing towards the Great Ocean Road. Turn right just before the Great Ocean Road onto an overgrown foot track, which is a section of the old Ocean Road and follow this.  Pass by one foot track on the right and turn down the second foot track on the right, descending past water tanks to the toilet block and the car park.

The beaches and rock shelves between Urquhart Bluff and Split Point Lighthouse provide excellent walking and wonderful views at low tide. Rock formations, colourful cliffs, coastal views from water level, clifftop panoramas, rock pools and coastal heathland provide contrast and variety along this very scenic section of coastline.

Walk Map

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