by Jishi Santos

Created on: October 05, 2009

Point Lonsdale is the settlement that is directly opposite Point Nepean on the Mornington Peninsula, but it is on the Bellarine Peninsula, which you get to by going to Geelong and then head south towards the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, called the 'Rip' or the 'Heads'. The Heads being; on the Geelong side, Point Lonsdale and on the Mornington Peninsula side, Point Nepean. Point Lonsdale has a lighthouse as a beacon to show ships where the entrance to the bay is. It is a small town with a population of about 2,000 people and has been extensively developed as a holiday and tourist resort.

The township of Queenscliff is nearby and these two settlements are often linked as one area, so it is worth discussing this town as well. Both these destinations are 31 km east of Geelong and Queenscliff was established as a commercial fishing centere in the 1850's and still has a large fishing fleet based in it's harbour .There is also a large ferry docking facility here to receive the car ferries running between here and Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula.The two smart white ferries run shuttle services every hour going backward and forth in all seasons. In Queenscliff itself there are many old buildings commensurate with the age of the town. Fort Queenscliff and the Black Lighthouse, plus the well known Ozone Hotel are some worth visiting. The Queenscliff Music Festival is a big drawcard for Australia's musicians and runs for three days every summer. A steam train runs between Queenscliff and Drysdale and goes around Swan Bay, making it a great sightseeing journey for families.There are very fine golfing courses at Swan Island and Point Lonsdale.

Point Lonsdale is a very spectacular place to be when the weather blasts up from the Antarctic and the seas churn and huge waves break on the ocean side of the Point. It is also a good vantage point from which to see the pilot boat go out and guide the big ships through into Port Phillip Bay. Because the Rip is so narrow, the ships look very large as they are close as they pas through the Heads. Go down from Melbourne and visit this settlement, which offers satisfying views both during winter and summer. There are two camping grounds in Point Lonsdale and in Queenscliff there are two hotels and four camping grounds. If you can't get accomodation stay in Geelong and drive down for the day.

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