Explore
Point Addis Marine National Park
Point Addis Marine National Park is 4420 hectares in size, making it the third largest of the Victoria’s Marine National Parks. Between the rugged coastline of Torquay and Anglesea it has wide sandy beaches backed by crumbling limestone cliffs with extensive intertidal rocky platforms along the headlands.
The park is notable for being part of a high wave-energy shoreline on the edge of Bass Strait and often has great conditions for surfing with strong south-westerly swells generated in the Southern Ocean.
Point Addis Marine National Park is probably best known as being the home to the annual Bells Beach international surfing competition the ‘Ripcurl Pro’ which has been hosted yearly since 1961. Many local surfers and conservation groups strongly campaigned for the inclusion of Bells Beach within the highly protected Marine National Park.
The park’s marine habitats include large areas of soft sediment interspersed by rocky reefs and these support a high diversity of algal, invertebrate, and fish species. An unusual offshore habitat in the park are rhodolith beds comprising colourful, unattached calcareous nodules of significant age made by a coralline red algae, and that were the first discovered in Victoria as part of mapping surveys undertaken in Point Addis Marine National Park. When sea conditions allow, a wide diversity of marine species can be seen by SCUBA diving or snorkelling from the beaches within the park or offshore from boats.
Many sea birds and mammals of conservation significance, including Blue Whales, Southern Right Whales, Killer Whales, and Australian Fur Seals, have been recorded in this park while 26 conservation listed shore and sea birds have been sighted in Point Addis Marine National Park.
Point Addis Marine National Park hosts two historic shipwrecks, including ‘The Inverlochy’ a steel sailing boat which was beached at Insgolby reef in 1902.
The park is a popular place for coastal walks. Various walks can be explored to learn about the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and their connection to Country through exploring the adjacent Great Otway National Park via the Yirripa Yan (Wadawurrung Cultural Walk) and Ironbark Basin circuit.
Things To Do
Dive and Snorkel at Point Addis
Surfing at Point Addis
Beach walks at Point Addis
Wildlife
Tours and adventure experiences in parks
One of the best ways you can get into nature is with a Licensed Tour Operator.
There are more than 400 Licensed Tour Operators across Victoria who are ready and waiting to help you experience and connect with Victoria’s spectacular parks and waterways.
Discover more than 60 different types of nature-based experiences including hiking, mountain biking, boating, four-wheel driving, indigenous culture tours, birdwatching, surfing, diving and so much more.
Licensed Tour Operators know all the best places to go and will plan and prepare your visit to ensure you are safe and can enjoy your nature-based adventure to the fullest.
How to get there
Point Addis Marine National Park
When you're there
When to go
Summer is the perfect time to hop into the water for a swim or surf on one of the parks spectacular beaches or to explore what’s beneath the waves by snorkelling. Point Addis Marine National Park is also a popular location for rockpool rambles and guided walks run by rangers and local tour operators. On weekends and holidays during summer car parks can get very crowded.
Need to know
Point Addis Marine National Park
Accessibility
Visiting a park can be more of a challenge for people with disabilities, however in Victoria there are a wide range of facilities to help people of all abilities enjoy our wonderful parks around the state.
Safety
Be aware of the changing tides while exploring as some points of the park are not passable at high tide.
Diving should only be undertaken by trained and experienced divers. Beware of strong currents and undertows when snorkelling or swimming at the beach.
Wear shoes that grip well when walking on rock platforms. Watch where your hands are going at all times to avoid potentially dangerous creatures. Be aware of large unexpected waves when walking on shore, especially on rock platforms. Stay away from cliff edges and bases.
How we keep it special
We aim to ensure that our valued parks, and the natural assets and cultural heritage they hold, can be enjoyed now and by future generations.
The management plan for Point Addis Marine National Park directs management for the park until it is reviewed.
The Great Otway Parks Conservation Action Plan provides directions for environmental conservation management across the diverse landscape, including the Point Addis Marine National Park. This covers the old-growth forests, cool temperate rainforests and wet forest, heathlands, coastline and marine ecosystems of the area.
Check out the Friends of Point Addis (FoPA) volunteers who work with Parks Victoria to ensure the health of the marine park.
Fishing in the Right Place
Download the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide app which has a boundary locator, using a smart phone's internal GPS to determine whether the user is in, or approaching, or outside a Marine National Park or Sanctuary.