Anglesea

Anglesea is a small coastal town about 110 kilometres south-west of Melbourne and one of the first stops on the Great Ocean Road after leaving Torquay. The town sits at the mouth of the Anglesea River, which creates a split personality - on the ocean side, a solid surf beach draws board riders, while the river side offers calm, shallow water where families with young children can paddle and swim safely.

The town's most unexpected attraction is the resident mob of eastern grey kangaroos on the Anglesea Golf Club course. Around 200 to 300 kangaroos live on and around the fairways, having made the irrigated grass their preferred grazing territory decades ago. Visitors do not need to be golfers to see them - the kangaroos are visible from the road and paths around the course, particularly in the late afternoon when they move onto the open grass in large numbers. It is one of the most reliable wild kangaroo encounters in Victoria.

The coastline around Anglesea is part of the Great Otway National Park, and the Anglesea Heath, on the inland side of the town, is one of the most important botanical sites in Victoria. The heathland supports over 100 species of orchid and a diversity of wildflowers that peaks in spring (September to November) with displays of wattle, correa, banksia and Guinea flower. The Ironbark Basin walking track gives a good introduction to the heath.

Anglesea's main beach is a good all-round surf break that is popular with learners and intermediate surfers. The Surf Coast Walk, a long-distance trail that eventually will run the entire length of the Surf Coast Shire, passes through Anglesea and offers coastal walking in both directions. The stretch south to Aireys Inlet (about 10 kilometres one way) passes through some of the most scenic cliff-top sections of the walk.

The town has a relaxed cafe culture, a general store and a few restaurants that do good business in summer. Anglesea is not as busy or as developed as Lorne or Torquay, which is part of its appeal. It works well as a base for exploring the eastern end of the Great Ocean Road, and the short drive to Bells Beach and Jan Juc to the east gives access to more advanced surf breaks.