Descend the 400 steps to Wreck Beach where anchors from two shipwrecks lay embedded in the beach

It wasn’t so long ago that Victoria’s aptly named Shipwreck Coast - between Moonlight Head and Port Fairy - was a place of fear and trepidation for seafarers and ship’s passengers. The windswept coastline was infamous around the world. Sailors spoke of wild seas, dangerous rocks, razor-sharp reefs, steeps cliffs and heavy mists.

“I have seldom seen a more fearful section of coastline,” explorer Matthew Flinders, early 1800s as he rounded Cape Otway in his ship 'Investigator'.

Experience the challenge & solitude of Wreck Beach (down and up ! 375 steps) and wonder at the anchors of the 'Fiji' and 'Marie Grabrielle' both wrecked here in the 1800's.

Wreck Beach, via the turn-off to Moonlight Head, is reached by taking the stairs, with around 400 steps, to the shore and turning right. The short walk along the sand ends where the anchors of the Marie Gabrielle (1869) and the Fiji (1891) lie embedded in the beach a few hundred metres apart.

The Marie Gabrielle was wrecked here in 1869 while carrying tea from China to Melbourne. The three-masted French barque was driven ashore at 1am on November 24. All on board managed to launch a boat and safely reach the shore. But they faced long overland treks to reach civilisation.

The barque Fiji, bound for Melbourne from Hamburg, was lost in poor weather early on September 6, 1891. It had a crew of 26 and was carrying a general cargo that included 200 cases of dynamite. It struck rocks 300 metres from shore, near where the Marie Gabrielle was wrecked about two decades before. Twelve people died in the tragedy.

Well worth the walk, the anchors on Wreck Beach are the only visible shipwreck remains along the coast

Length: 1 kilometre
Walk: 1 hour one way
Track: Sand/steps
Grade: Many steps
Start: Wreck Beach car park, Moonlight Head Road
Finish: Fiji anchor
Nearby: Lavers Hill or Princetown
Permits/bookings: None required.

Note: Make this walk at low tide only, and beware of large sea swells.

Links:

Fiji - http://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/page.asp?ID=246

All Shipwrecks - http://www.greatoceanroad.org/highlights/shipwrecks/shipwrecks.asp

Enjoy:

• World-class coastal scenary & a diversity of natural unspoiled environment
• Breathtaking panoramic views of the Great Southern Ocean.
• Some of the highest coastal cliffs in mainland Australia
• Descend the 400 steps to Wreck Beach where anchors from shipwrecks lay embedded in the beach

Attractions Nearby The Lodge :

Swimming beaches are away from the property but easily accessable by car

Shopping and quality inexpensive meals are available at LAVERS HILL VILLAGE, 15 minutes away on the Great Ocean Road Observe