Bushrangers Bay Walk (Cape Schanck)
From the eastern car park at Cape Schanck Lighthouse, follow the signed 5.4km return (2 hour) Bushrangers Bay Walk through Coastal Alkaline Scrub and Swamp Scrub. The trail gradually descends before a series of steep steps leads down into Bushrangers Bay.
The bay is enclosed by impressive basalt cliffs and features a wide sandy beach formed where Main Creek flows into Bass Strait. At low tide you can explore the rock pools, while at higher tides you may need to wade through the shallow Main Creek estuary to reach all sections of the beach. Swimming is not recommended at Bushrangers Bay because the beach is unpatrolled and conditions can include strong rips, large waves, and rocky reefs.
After exploring the beach, simply retrace your steps to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse car park.
Alternative Starting Point: Bushrangers Bay Parking Area located at the intersection of Boneo Road and Two Bays Walking Track offers an alternative shorter route (around 4.8km return) to Bushrangers Bay via the Two Bays Walking Track.
Best Time to Visit
Bushrangers Bay is best visited at low tide, when the broad sandy beach, rock pools and basalt rock platforms are fully exposed. Low tide also makes it much easier to explore the shoreline and cross the shallow Main Creek estuary, which flows across the beach before entering Bass Strait. At higher tides, you may need to wade through the creek and some sections of the beach and rock platforms may be inaccessible.
Before setting out, check the latest tide times.
Access for Dogs:
Dogs are not permitted.
Review:
This is a lovely area for a walk when the weather is nice. We followed Bushrangers Track along the cliff next to the ocean to Bushrangers Bay. The walk is a bit less than 3 km each way from the car park at the Cape Schanck Lighthouse Reserve. The walk has lots of glimpses of the ocean and follows a narrow strip of coastal vegetation with cleared land on one side and sea on the other. Some parts of the track have a tunnel of tea-trees to walk through.
The beach is a fun area to explore and there were plenty of sea-shells. Each end of the beach is blocked by cliffs at each end and a small creek split the beach and flowed out to the sea. Cross rips make swimming at the beach dangerous.
At the Cape Schanck Lighthouse Reserve car park there are two unshaded tables and toilets. There is a 400m walk down a boardwalk and staircase to the base of the cliffs. This area is quite barren of vegetation and there are views of the lighthouse. You need to be careful of sudden large waves in this area. You can't get close to the lighthouse without paying a fee. We didn't bother since the cost seemed too high. There was a basic kiosk near the entrance to the Lighthouse.
Photos:
Location
420 Cape Schanck Road, Cape Schanck 3939 View Map
Web Links
→ www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/sites/bushrangers-bay-walk
