Explore the area
Cape Bridgewater is a locality in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the western shore of Bridgewater Bay, 21 kilometres south-west of Portland, and 383 kilometres from Melbourne. It lies within the Discovery Bay Coastal Park. The area was settled in the 1860s and a Post Office opened in 1863 (closed 1968) though known as Bridgewater Lower for some years. Both Cape Bridgewater and Bridgewater Bay were named by named after the Duke of Bridgewater (1756-1829), by Lieutenant James Grant sailing on the Lady Nelson on 4 December 1800.
Cape Bridgewater is home to a colony of up to 650 fur seals and the highest coastal cliff in Victoria. The cape itself also boasts a large blowhole and a feature known as the petrified forest, but now known to be hollow tubes of limestone, eroded as a result of millions of years of rainfall. Bridgewater Bay and the adjacent Cape form a partially submerged volcanic caldera. To the west is a large area with huge sand dunes. For these reasons the Cape and the nearby coastal area is classed by the government as the second most important coastline in Victoria, after the 'Twelve Apostles', along the Great Ocean Road.
A short drive from Cape Bridgewater (which can be seen in the distance). Murrells beach has some great walking tracks, as well as fantastic beach to look for shells.
Whales are a common visitor to Cape Bridgewater. During Winter, Southern Right Whales migrate to the temperate waters around South Western Victoria. Southern Right Whales can be seen in the period from June - Sept. Blue Whales visit between Nov - May, Helicopter flights available.
An isolated, almost private beach just a 10min drive from Cape Bridgewater. A great place to sit and watch the sun go down.
Fifty kilometres of expansive white sand dunes are a striking feature of the Discovery Bay Coastal Park. Take a walk through the dunes to the wild Discovery Bay Beach. These dunes are the largest moving sand dunes in Victoria. They change constantly due to the prevailing winds which sculpture and shape them.
Extremely relaxing place to base your holiday with sand and surf stretching all the way to Cape Nelson.