Bay of Islands Coastal Park

Bay of Islands Coastal Park stretches from Peterborough almost to Warrnambool in a 32 kilometres long narrow strip. The park has spectacular ocean views and many other memorable features. It protects a variety of rare and threatened flora and fauna species in its coastal heathland environment.

Things to Do

Those parts of the park which are accessible to visitors are concentrated at the eastern (Peterborough) end, beginning at Wild Dog Cove. This is adjoined by the Bay of Martyrs, a lengthy bay with spectacular scenery. Several accessible smaller bays such as Worm Bay, Crofts Bay, Boat Bay, and in the western section of the park, Childers Cove also offer magnificent views and secluded beaches.

Accommodation in the form of caravan parks, motels, and bed and breakfast facilities is available at Warnambool and Peterborough.

Heritage

Halladale Point is named for the shipwreck of the "Falls of Halladale", which ran onto the reef off the point in 1908. But Halladale Point has another name - Massacre Point. Rumour has it that Europeans killed a group of the Kirrae-Wurrong Aborigines here by driving them off the cliff.

The story continues that the women and children of the group were then killed in the nearby swamp at Massacre Bay. The Aboriginal population of the area droppped from several hundreds in the 1840s to three or four by the 1880s.

As if to sharpen this tragic tale, at Halladale Point you can look across to the whitened heap of shellfish on top of a nearby semi island and reflect on the wealth and diversity of food available to the Aboriginal people from the estuaries, sandy beaches, rock platforms and heathland around here, and the good times that must have accompanied many a rich feast.