Anglesea and Aireys Inlet

Quick facts

• Anglesea and Aireys Inlet population approximately 3,500
• 113 kilometres south-west of Melbourne
• Beaches, bush, kangaroos
• Stunning coastal scenery
• Surf Coast Walk.

Beaches, bushland, kangaroos and stunning coastal scenery all make Anglesea a favourite Great Ocean Road holiday destination. Anglesea’s main beach, a wide sandy expanse beside the Anglesea River, is perfect for swimming, surfing or just relaxing, while the protected waters at nearby Point Roadknight beach are popular with families.

Golf, another popular activity here, comes with a slice of the local wildlife. The 18-hole course is just a short chip up the hill from the Great Ocean Road, is set among beautiful native bushland and home to scores of kangaroos that happily graze on the wide fairways or loll about near the greens. You don’t have to be a player to enjoy the spectacle. Sightseers can get a good view of the ’roos and wallabies from Golf Links Road. These are wild animals however and should not be approached.

Anglesea is also a great place to explore on foot. The 35 kilometre Surf Coast Walk passes through the town and can be followed in either direction, along the coast and inland up beside the Anglesea River. Coogoorah Park fronts the river and has a series of walking tracks, boardwalks and bridges that wind through native bush, span reedy wetlands teeming with birds and cross the river.

Aireys Inlet, just a few kilometres from Anglesea, is hard to miss with Split Point Lighthouse attracting many visitors to this peaceful hamlet nestled in the shadow of Angahook-Lorne State Park.

Walk along clifftop tracks to see rocky reefs, rock pools and sheltered coves. Aireys Inlet boasts superb beaches, with Fairhaven the main surf beach for swimming and board riding. Aireys Inlet also has a huge national park at its backdoor with native trees and heathlands that blaze with colour when wildflowers bloom in winter, spring and early summer.

Activities and attractions

• Swim and surf at Anglesea, Point Roadknight and Fairhaven beaches
• Go paddling on the Anglesea River
• Fish in the river at Anglesea and in the surf
• Play a round of golf with the kangaroos at Anglesea golf course
• Go horse riding on the beach or in the bush
• Learn to surf
• Explore the many walking and cycling off-road trails through the Anglesea Heathland and the Great Otway National Park
• View the superb native flowers and rare orchids that bloom in the coastal heathlands during Spring. 
• Stroll around the wetlands and boardwalks in Coogoorah Park
• Enjoy stunning views from the Memorial Lookout above Anglesea
• Take a guided tour of the Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet and enjoy some of the best views of the coastline.

Events

• Aireys Inlet Farmers Market – second Sunday of every month
• Artspot Art Exhibition, Aireys Inlet – January
• Anglesea Regatta – January
• Winter Solstice Storytelling Festival, Aireys Inlet – June
• Anglesea Art Show – June
• Festival of One Act Plays – August
• Angair Wildflower and Art Show – September
• Rock 2 Ramp Ocean Swim – December

How to get there
Anglesea and Aireys Inlet are 109 and 119 kilometres respectively from Melbourne. Travel by car via the Great Ocean Road. Daily coach services are available from Melbourne or rail/coach services via Geelong.