Separating the Front Beach & Surf Beach, just on the edge of the Torquay township is Point Danger.
At the Point Danger lookout, you can look out to Bass Strait where the ocean can be a bit more wild to the south-west and protected to the north-east with rocks and reefs in between which can make it a dangerous area to sail through. In 1891 the Joseph H. Scammell clipper sailing ship wrecked here, which helped inspire the name ‘Point Danger’. It’s now a popular snorkeling spot.
Tucked in below Point Danger in the corner of the Front Beach is the ‘Cosy Corner’. For the last century or so, this is where you’ll find local parents teaching their young kids how to swim in the calm waters and rock pools. Once the children get a bit older, they then progress around past Point Danger to the west end of the Surf Beach and graduate as “grommets” once they can surf the waves below Rocky Point.
The Point Danger Lookout is a good spot to stop to get a view of some of Torquay’s beaches and get a bit of a taste of what’s to come on the Great Ocean Road and Surf Coast, which both start from Torquay, heading to the west (away from Melbourne).
View of Torquay Front Beach from Point Danger
Point Danger Marine Sanctuary
The ocean surrounding the lookout is full of incredible and diverse marine life and it’s all protected as part of the Point Danger Marine Sanctuary.
Reefs sit just off the coast and loads of Sandstone and Limestone rocks are spread out with caves and tunnels that have eroded through them from the force of the Roaring Forties and Southern Ocean constantly pushing harsh weather in from the west. This all helps to create the ideal habitat for huge range of marine animals that call the Point Danger Marine Sanctuary home.
The rocks, reefs, animals and shipwreck that lay beneath the surface make the Point Danger Marine Sanctuary and an amazing place to go snorkeling, you can even buy some gear near by at Surf City, behind Ghanda on the Surf Coast Highway.
How to get to the Point Danger Lookout
You’ll have no problem finding Point Danger. If you’re coming into Torquay on the highway from Geelong or Melbourne, just keep driving until you get to a round about and you’ll see signs to the town centre and surf beach pointing to go left. As you turn off the highway, you’ll be on Bell Street. Drive to end of Bell Street, past the caravan park and Surf Academy, once you hit a big grass park, you’ll be at either the Front Beach or Point Danger, which are side-by-side.
Point Danger War Memorial
Point Danger is where masses of people meet each year to pay respects and commemorate those who served in Word War One & Two.
A stone memorial and plaque were placed at Point Danger in the 1950s. Other memorial plaques have been added to the stone structure ever since.
Just to the west of Point Danger is the start of the Great Ocean Road, which is the worlds largest war memorial that stretches for over 240kms.
Where to go surfing
The weather and waves usually come from the south-west. Fishermans Beach and Front Beach are on the eastern side of Torquay, where as the Surf Beach faces the south and this is where you can find some decent and consistent waves rolling in that are ideal for beginners.
More advanced surfers tend to go further west from the Surf Beach to Jan Juc Beach, South Side or Bells Beach. You can also head to the north-east of Torquay and if you’re a beginner, hit up Ocean Grove otherwise experienced surfers would probably prefer 13th Beach at Barwon Heads.