My Nature Blog
We were at Petticoat Creek Beach. It had been very windy and overcast. We decided to explore the hamlets close to Apollo Bay – despite the possibility of rain.
Mum was busy looking for shells however I was fascinated by the foam. It was wild. The tide was coming in so I had to be very cautious. I was still able to get a lot of photos.
Unfortunately I couldn’t stick around as long as I wanted, but am pretty impressed with the photos I got.
This trip, our family made a conscious effort to explore the hidden beaches along the Great Ocean Road. We stopped at every car park between Apollo Bay and Smythe Creek.
This beach was our definite highlight, although it is hard to find an official name. Google Maps lists it as Biddles Beach, although it is hard to find any reference. It may also be Beach 374.
The best way to find it is to use Google Maps. Travel past Skenes Creek towards Petticoat Creek. Look on your left for a wooden sign that says Petticoat Cottage. The beach is accessible from the car park just before the cottage.
The car park is popular with superb fairy wrens. There was a pair that repeatedly visited dads car to check out their reflection in the mirror and window.
The beach itself is a short walk from the car park. Initially it is a bit muddy, but becomes sandy close to the beach. Be careful when walking along this section; there are blackberries along the edges.
The path is actually hard to find once you are on the beach. We drew a giant arrow to make it easier. The beach itself is very beautiful however I’m very attracted to rockpools and waves hitting the rocks. I immediately turned right and walked towards once of the headlands.
The rock formations were beautiful along this section, especially when you have a stormy sky in the background. I loved watching the waves hit the rocks. We had to be very aware of the tides as we walked further along.
We loved this hidden gem and returned several times to get a better look. It’s brilliant for photography; both along the ocean and the cliffs. It’s become one of our favourite haunts.
We stopped briefly at this lookout on the way to Apollo Bay. We had no idea about it’s significance; we just needed somewhere to rest for a few minutes
The area near the car park contains a grave site. According to Monument Australia, it is a false grave that
commemorates those from the barquentine “Chittoor” who were drowned in three separate accidents during salvage operations on the barque “W. B. Godfrey” which was wrecked here on 8 March 1891. Those who died were R. Pleace and J.McIntyre on 18 April 1891, C. Boutler on 18 June 1891 and Captain T. Gortley and Seaman V. Godfrey on 8 October 1891.
We are planning to return later to properly explore the beach.
The restrictions had only just been lifted prior to this trip. We were extra cautious. Most business owners were pretty positive and you could see the local community rallying. The lack of tourism – especially from Melbourne and overseas – is definitely having an impact.
