Escape the crowds at these absolute gems.
With the weather on the up and the beaches looking more and more enticing, Melburnians and Aussies from all corners of the country are slowly making their way back to our wonderful beaches.
But beaches are slowly getting busy, and you wouldn’t be blamed for wanting to head to a beach that’s a little quieter, so today we’re diving into some hot spots across regional Victoria that shouldn’t be that jam-packed over the coming summer months.
There’s something for all types of beachgoers – fish and chip eaters, swimmers, kayakers, and lots more.
Looking for more? Explore eleven of regional Victoria’s best-hidden hikes here.
Point King Beach
The classy Portsea area has some pretty cool hidden spots that are worth checking out.
If you’ve ever ventured down to the Mornington Peninsula, you’d be well aware of Portsea’s stunning homes and classy architecture, the suburb and its surrounds have got some pretty stunning mansions, and nestled away behind them is where you’ll find Point King Beach.
It’s a nice and small beach, so you’ll be able to see everything going on if you’re heading there with your kids. There’s not going to be many people around either – the beach is mainly used for boat sheds, so its mainly just people coming and going.
It’s located down the end of Point King Road, there’s not a lot of car spots, so make sure you get there early.
Waratah Bay
Located in the regional mecca of Gippsland, there’s a number of beautiful beaches and spots that usually aren’t that populated over the summer, and make for great beach trips.
Waratah bay is one of Gippsland’s nicest hidden gem beaches, only a few minutes drive from Sandy Point. It seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere, there are no shops in town, no food vendors, just the Waratah Bay caravan park – truly making it the ideal spot to get away from everything and enjoy your day.
The beach is amazing, and hardly ever populated, according to their website, you can ‘walk for miles without seeing another soul, even in summer, making it the ideal beach for these warmer months.
The beach is ideal for all types of people, there’s bird-watching spots, boogie boarding spots, and even an area where people usually wind and kite surf.
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Half Moon Bay
Another one of Port Phillip bay’s most beautiful secluded beaches comes in the form of Half Moon Bay. It’s one of the smallest beaches listed here, but after heading there, you’ll see why it’s a worthy addition.
It’s one of the most ornate spots across the state, every photo you take there will be amazing. If you’re feeling adventurous you can kayak out to the now rusted out ruins of the HMVS Cerburus, one of the only surviving warships across the country.
This beach is also a cult favourite, making its way into a number of pop culture moments in frequent times – Aussie band the Cat Empire mentioned it in their hit ‘The Wine Song’, it was even featured in one of our biggest movie exports, Mad Max, and was a staple in everyone’s favourite show they grew up with, Round The Twist.
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Fairy Cove
Located in the Wilson’s Promontory region, Fairy Cove is a cool hidden gem you need to head to this summer. It’s truly hidden – to get there, you venture through some thick vegetation, and then get exposed to the wonder that is Fairy Cove.
If you’re keen to earn an amazing view, a common activity done by many visitors is to park in the Darby River carpark in Wilsons Prom and take a 2.5km walk to Fairy Cove. The walk trails the coast, so there’s something to look at the whole way.
This isn’t really a swimming beach, but with some cooler days coming our way this summer, it may be the kind of beach you head to in your puffer jacket with a coffee.
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Shelly Beach
In the regional town of Kilcunda, you’ll find the cool Shelly Beach. If you’ve never heard of Kilcunda, it’s a town nestled away off the Bass Highway, that has a population of around 400, (from the 2016 census) so you know the beach will be pretty empty.
Shelly beach sits between a couple of other spots that are worth checking out, the Kilcunda beach and Powlett river beach, both of which are visible from Shelly.
This beach is recommended for only more experienced swimmers, as there’s a number of rocks and dangerous tides, it’s usually only entered by surfers. If you’re keen on fishing – Shelly beach is also listed as a great spot to catch a few.
Even though it’s not really a swimming beach, it’s another spot that is worth checking out just for the view – it’s a great spot to sit down with some fish and chips and watch the sunset.
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Killarney Beach
Moving over to the other side of the region, Point Fairy has the stunning Killarney Beach, a hidden gem that far too few people know about.
Located on Mahoneys Rd in the town, this spot is great for all types of beach goers, there’s some tracks for walkers, rocks for fossickers and some pretty shallow areas for kids to swim.
The name Killarney comes from the old Irish run town that used to be situated there many years ago, so if you get bored of the beach, check out the still running potato and carrot farms.
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White Queen Lighthouse
There’s no doubt that this summer the Airey’s Inlet will be jam packed with beachgoers from all over.
Nestled underneath the stunning lighthouse, you’ll find one of the most picturesque hidden gem beaches. It’s the perfect beach for fossicking, there’s a number of rock pools littered throughout this area, making from some great beachcombing.
The many rockpools have been named by the locals – Smelly, Sandy Gully and Steppe to name a few.
You can find this spot off Great Ocean Road.
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