Bass Strait coastline

Bass Strait separates Tasmania from mainland Australia and extends along the Victorian coastline from Cape Otway to Wilsons Promontory.

Port Phillip Bay
Port Phillip Bay is one of Australia's busiest ports and a popular recreation destination. Melbourne sits at the top of the bay and sprawls almost along the length of its shoreline. Queenscliff sits at the tip of the Bellarine Peninsula on the western side of the bay. Portsea and Sorrento sit at the tip of the Mornington Peninsula on the other side of the bay.

Beaches
The seas of Bass Strait produce waves that draw crowds to beaches along the south-west coast. Bells Beach, near Torquay, is a destination on the world surfing circuit. There are many surf beaches along the coast between the Mornington Peninsula, including Gunnamatta, Kilcunda and the surf beaches on the south coast of Phillip Island. There are also safe swimming beaches, one of the more popular at Lorne, located in a sheltered bay with gentle waves.

Marine life is abundant in Port Phillip Bay. Dolphins are often seen swimming in the bay and often follow the ferry that crosses the bay from Queenscliff to Sorrento. The Mornington Peninsula boasts many safe swimming beaches, with shallow waters lapping onto sandy beaches.

Islands
French Island was traditionally used for farming and as a prison. It is now mainly a national park with mangroves, heathland and woodlands, and is home to a large population of koalas. Phillip Island is home to an array of wildlife, including the little penguins, which parade nightly up the beach to their nests.