Seeing things from a different angle

This week we are holidaying in Torquay which is about 15km west of my usual haunt at Barwon Bluff from which I check out our southern coastline. It is a little too far from the river mouth to claim that the flora and fauna are directly related to the Barwon, but it does provide an angle for some photos which I haven't really noticed before.
Last night after dinner we went to White's Beach for a wander and I took the camera. The view to the west, looking back towards Torquay township and the sunset was of course spectacular.


Sunset view looking towards Torquay and Point Danger

In the opposite direction the view is equally expansive, but would need to be photographed at dawn to achieve the same impact with the light...and let's just say, I'm not a morning person....

Barwon Heads Bluff

White's Beach looking towards Barwon Heads Bluff

The bird life in the area is not so different to that at Barwon Heads with the same mixture of introduced and native species whilst the various man-made lakes which lie behind the dunes and throughout the golf course host the expected water birds.

The view from the opposite direction: looking towards Torquay from Barwon
Heads Bluff

With any luck I'll get a chance to investigate a little more closely over the next few days....



The end of it all...

The Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges, flows down across the plains and reaches the sea at Barwon Heads. This point where the Barwon meets the sea is one of the more spectacular parts of the Victorian coastline.

Looking back up the Barwon River from The Bluff, Barwon Heads

I've spent time on the beach beside the river, photographed the bridge, walked down the main street of Barwon Heads and been to the Ocean Grove surf beach but I'd never really walked up over The Bluff and looked back up the river from beyond the bridge.

The ocean beyond Barwon Heads

The sea views from here are wide and extensive. To the east, the Point Lonsdale light house on one side and Point Nepean on the other clearly mark the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay.

Looking towards the entrance to Port Phillip Bay from The Bluff, Barwon Heads

To the west, the coastline stretches away into the distance towards Thirteenth Beach and Torquay beyond.

View towards Torquay from The Bluff

From inside the Heads, the views out to sea are no less impressive where on a clear day, the views take in the breakers off The Bluff and the ocean beyond..

View towards the Heads from the Barwon Heads Bridge

When I took the photo above, the tide was coming in and it was easy to see the water surging back upriver, past the bridges, swirling around the pylons. A single cormorant was taking advantage of the tidal flows to make a quick trip upstream. The riverside beaches which are packed with swimmers in summer could hardly be seen but whilst it was no weather for swimming, quite a number of suitably insulated surfers were making the most of the waves beyond the Heads.