People in the water @ Portarlington
The beach at Portarlington stands out immediately with its avenue of towering, cypress trees. It's under these, in the J. Henderson Reserve, you can leave the car, in free, shaded, beach parking and head for the sand.
At the height of summer, you'll share the water with the large number of families, staying at the nearby
Bellarine Bayside holiday park. It's for good reason they have chosen this location, as this stretch of water is ideal for children. It's shallow, with sand bars for them to stand up on, there's very little seaweed or rocks and the beach has almost no waves, being part of a sheltered harbour.
Towards the end of December each year, a carnival with spinning rides and games, is set up along the foreshore. Portarlington Beach also has grass areas with enough room to fly a kite or to walk dogs, who are welcome in the reserve, provided that they stay on-lead.
There are shops and cafes nearby so fish and chips, ice-creams, a quick latte or even a sandwich for lunch is never far away. Public toilets are located at the beach as well.
Even on a day that's less than ideal for swimming, people enjoy visiting Portarlington just to stroll upon its large pier. There, many commercial fishing boats can be seen and even recreational anglers are found dropping in a line over the pier's edge.
Tall trees tower upon the cliff
Beneath the pier, snorkelers examine the different seaweed and barnacles clinging to the pylons. Unfortunately, they also sometimes come across examples of the noxious,
Northern Pacific Seastar as well.
Portarlington is the location for the annual
Portarlington Mussel Festival, which sends the tiny town into overdrive with the 15 000 visitors it attracts. As well as being able to purchase boxes of fresh mussels there are cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, vintage car displays and kids activities there also.
Clean and clear