Barwon Heads is a small river-mouth town on the Bellarine Peninsula, about 22 km and 25 minutes from Geelong. Walk around the Bluff and its rock pools in a 17-hectare marine sanctuary, surf 13th Beach, swim in the calm river estuary, cross the bridge to Ocean Grove, and see where the TV series SeaChange was filmed.
Barwon Heads is a small town on the west bank of the Barwon River mouth, on the Bellarine Peninsula about 22 km and 25 minutes from Geelong. The main things to do in Barwon Heads are the walk around the Bluff and its rock pools, surfing at 13th Beach, swimming in the calm river estuary, and lunch on Hitchcock Avenue. The bridge across the river links it to Ocean Grove, and fans of the TV series SeaChange still come to see where it was filmed.
About 4,350 people live here (4,353 at the 2021 census). In summer the whole peninsula’s population roughly doubles.
The Bluff is the headland where the river meets Bass Strait. Its reef and rock platforms make up the Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary, 17 hectares managed by Parks Victoria, which singles out the variety of sea life in the shallow intertidal zone.
What to do there:
The rules and warnings, from Parks Victoria (Checked October 2026):
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Tides | Check before you go; some sections are impassable at high tide, with no safe access at higher tides |
| Cliffs | A recent rockfall; keep clear of cliff bases and fallen rock |
| Fishing | Not allowed in the sanctuary |
| Dogs | Not allowed |
| Access | Not suitable for people with access needs, per the tourism board listing |
The Bluff has been a summer camping place for Wadawurrung people for thousands of years, according to the sanctuary’s tourism listing. Treat the rock platforms gently: turn rocks back the way you found them.
The river beach. The sandy foreshore along the Barwon estuary is the calm place to swim, paddle or stand-up paddleboard when conditions allow. Heed the tourism board’s warning: water that is ankle-deep can quickly become hip-deep, so watch small children.
13th Beach. The ocean beach beside 13th Beach Golf Links is a surf beach for experienced surfers. Wikipedia says it takes its name from the 13th hole of the nearby golf course. More beaches around the region are in our Geelong beaches guide.
Ocean Grove main beach is across the river. It is the patrolled surf beach in summer; see our Ocean Grove guide.
Barwon Heads was the main filming location for the ABC series SeaChange, which first went to air in 1998. The closure of the local bridge was a central element of the series, and a blue weatherboard building by the river played Diver Dan’s boatshed cafe. Today the waterfront spot to eat is At The Heads, the restaurant on the Barwon Heads pier.
The bridge itself has changed. The original timber bridge to Ocean Grove opened in 1927 and was heritage-listed. Before it, people crossed by rowboat. Plans to replace it were shelved in 2006, and in 2007 the state chose to repair it instead, but it was demolished in 2009 after being declared beyond repair. The road bridge you drive over today went up in 2010 on the same alignment, reusing parts and design elements of the old bridge, with a separate pedestrian bridge alongside. Walk the pedestrian bridge for the view up the estuary.
You may read that it was “Victoria’s longest wooden bridge”. We couldn’t find a reliable source for that, and it describes a bridge that no longer stands.
Barwon Heads has two golf courses. The Barwon Heads Golf Club clubhouse, from 1923 to 1924, is on the Victorian Heritage Register. 13th Beach Golf Links has 45 holes and hosts the Vic Open each February, according to the tourism board.
Hitchcock Avenue is the main street, with boutiques, cafes and restaurants, and tables on the footpath in summer. The tourism board names:
Barwon Heads Resort at 13th Beach, 36 Fourteenth Road, has self-catering apartments for four to six people beside the golf links. Book on the official site or Booking.com. Geelong’s hotels are 25 minutes away; see where to stay in Geelong.
Summer is peak season: the whole Bellarine roughly doubles in population, and Hitchcock Avenue’s tables spill onto the footpath. Come between June and October for a chance of whales off the Bluff, or in February if you want to watch the Vic Open at 13th Beach Golf Links. Whatever the month, check the tide times before you go, since the rock pools and the walk around the Bluff depend on low water.
| Way to go | Time | Details (Checked October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Car from Geelong | About 25 min | About 22 km |
| Bus 55 (McHarry’s) | Check the timetable | Geelong to Ocean Grove via Marshall and Barwon Heads; myki |
| From Ocean Grove | A few minutes | Across the Barwon Heads bridge, by car, bike or on foot |
Pair Barwon Heads with Ocean Grove across the bridge and Point Lonsdale’s lighthouse further east for a full day on the southern Bellarine. The Bellarine Peninsula guide covers the rest of the peninsula. There is no boat or wildlife tour based in Barwon Heads in our list; the nearest is the seal and dolphin snorkel from Queenscliff on our tours page.
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Snorkel at Popes Eye and with the young fur seals at Chinaman's Hat, then go looking for dolphins in Port Phillip Heads, with an optional bus transfer from Geelong Station.
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A tandem skydive at the Connewarre drop zone near Barwon Heads, south of Geelong, with free return transfers from Melbourne's CBD.
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Starts with a walk past the Baywalk Bollards on the Geelong waterfront, then Point Lonsdale lighthouse, lunch in Queenscliff and the car ferry across the bay to Sorrento and the Mornington Peninsula.
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The Bluff is the headland on the ocean side of the Barwon River mouth. Its rock platforms and reef form the Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary, 17 hectares protected by Parks Victoria. A cliff and beach walk circles it, with rock pools at low tide and views over 13th Beach and Bass Strait. Fishing and dogs are not allowed in the sanctuary.
Yes. Barwon Heads was the main filming location for the ABC series SeaChange, first aired in 1998, and the closure of the town's bridge was a central storyline. A blue weatherboard building by the river played Diver Dan's boatshed cafe. The later revival series was filmed in northern New South Wales, not here.
Yes. The calmer option is the river beach along the Barwon estuary foreshore, but the tourism board warns that water that starts ankle-deep can quickly become hip-deep. 13th Beach on the ocean side is a surf beach for experienced surfers. Around the Bluff, keep clear of the cliffs, where Parks Victoria reports a recent rockfall.
About 22 km by road from Geelong city centre, roughly 25 minutes by car. Visit Geelong & the Bellarine gives 22 minutes. Without a car, McHarry's bus route 55 runs from Geelong to Ocean Grove via Marshall and Barwon Heads, paid with myki. Allow extra time on summer weekends, when the Bellarine's population roughly doubles.
No. The original wooden bridge to Ocean Grove opened in 1927 and was heritage-listed, but it was demolished in 2009 after being declared beyond repair. A new road bridge was built on the same line in 2010, reusing parts and design details of the old one, with a separate pedestrian bridge beside it. We could not confirm the old claim that it was Victoria's longest wooden bridge.
Ocean Grove is a surf beach town on the Bellarine Peninsula, about 23 km and 25 minutes from Geelong.
Point Lonsdale Lighthouse is a 21 m white concrete tower, first lit in 1902, on the headland overlooking the Rip at the entrance to Port Phillip.
The Bellarine Peninsula is the stretch of coast between Geelong and the entrance to Port Phillip, 22 to 34 km from the city.
Geelong's city beach is Eastern Beach, a bay beach with a netted swimming enclosure and lifeguards in summer.