Cape Discoveries Half and Full Day Tours

Tours will take you on a guided tour through a variety of coastal landscapes from rugged windswept cliffs to beautiful sweeping bays of white sandy beaches.

  • Both tours take the same route with extended periods and extras on the full day tour

Half Day Tour

On a half day tour you will explore the Portland peninsula’s capes and bays, along the way expect to see an abundance of wildlife. This tour is perfect for people with a short time period in the area and is a snapshot of the full day tour.

  • Portland Bay and Harbour
  • Point Danger Gannet Colony
  • Cape Nelson State Park and Lighthouse
  • Koalas in their natural environment
  • Cape Bridgewater
  • The Blow Holes
  • Discovery Bay
  • Bridgewater Lakes and Tarragal Caves

Full Day Tour

On a full day tour, it’s your journey at your pace. The tour starts from Portland Bay and makes its way around the capes and bays taking the time for you to experience this incredible coastline with short walks, extra time at locations and finishing the day in the beautiful surrounds of Mt Richmond National Park before heading back to your accommodation.

  • Portland Bay and Harbour
  • Point Danger Gannet Colony
  • The Enchanted Forest
  • Cape Nelson State Park
  • Cape Nelson Lighthouse
  • Koalas in their natural environment
  • Cape Bridgewater and Bridgewater Bay
  • The Blow Holes and its ancient features
  • Discovery Bay
  • Bridgewater Lakes system
  • Tarragal Caves
  • Mt Richmond National Park

Tailored Wildlife/ Landscape or Wildlife/ Seascape Photography Tours

Tailored tours are perfect for interest specific people, like photographers, bird watchers, naturalist or walkers.

This tour is for photographers wanting to be in the right place at the right time. It’s not a photography tuition, but a private guided tour by a wildlife/ seascape photographer whose local knowledge and expertise will put you where you should be,  not should’ve been

Photographic Credibility

  • If you have a passion for the ocean with an adventurous nature to search out ocean seascapes especially wave action then this is the tour you’ve been looking for. The surrounding Capes and Bays offer a never ending supply of photographic opportunity with some of the most intense ocean movement on the Victorian coast.
  • Wildlife is abundant along the coast and with access to the only mainland breeding colony of Australasian Gannets good photos are a given and being a tailored tour we stay until your happy you have captured it.
  • We also have access to private property in a quiet setting with abundant Koalas in old growth Manna Gum where you can enjoy morning or afternoon tea depending upon the time of the tour.
  • We also have the ability to book boat tours for wildlife photography.
  • these tours are quoted on request. Price is subject to time and need. Contact us for further information.

Itinerary

Morning;

  • The tours start by picking you up from your accommodation in the Portland/Bridgewater area, or meeting you at the Portland Visitor Information Centre on the Portland foreshore and driving you out to Point Danger Coastal Reserve 6 km out of Portland, this is the starting point of your experience in wild surrounds.
  • Point Danger has the only mainland breeding colony of Australasian Gannets in Australia and here you can also observe Lawrence Rocks with its larger colony off the mainland
  • Driving on from Point Danger you take in your first Cape and second and third as we take you on a scenic tour with multiple viewing points and hidden gems along the Norman Wade Scenic Drive on the way to Cape Nelson State Park.
  • Private tour of the Cape Nelson Lighthouse which has been operational since 1884 and take in the views from many vantage points over the Southern Ocean.
  • Cape Nelson also gives the opportunity to have your first go at spotting Blue Whales and learn of the ocean phenomena known as the Bonney Upwelling.

Mid Morning;

  • From Cape Nelson we head west to Cape Bridgewater and stop in at Murrel’s Beach to gaze over the beautiful view of the eastern end of Bridgewater Bay then on to Koala spotting amongst majestic old manna gums on private property where morning tea will be served.
  • Morning Tea included
  • From Koalas to the Cape, driving into Bridgewater Bay with Cape Bridgewater standing as the highest cliffs on the Victorian coast is a sight to behold. The Cape is made up of volcanic s and limestone formed from tens of  thousands of years of weathering from a relentless ocean. On the back side of the Cape comes the second opportunity to look for Blue Whales at the Blow Holes.
  • This area has spectacular views along basalt Cliffs capped with limestone formations that drop into deep waters and on big swells make you feel insignificant to the power of the wild Southern Ocean.
  • From Blow Holes to Discovery Bay and its white sands that disappear off into the distance to Swan Lake dunes. Discovery Bay lookout takes in a view of Discovery Bay Coastal Park and Discovery Bay Marine National Park. The view also takes on Descartes Bay and out along the cliffs to Cape Duquesne.
  • We then drive down to the spring fed Bridgewater Lakes system and Tarragal Cave overlooking the Lakes and Discovery Bay which is the last destination on your tour of this beautiful wild coastline.

Afternoon

(Full day tour only)

  • Lunch at local Bridgewater Cafe ( included)
  • On a full day tour we take you from Bridgewater Lakes inland to Mt Richmond National Park renowned for its spring wildflowers and heathland.
  • Afternoon Tea ( included)

Price

  • Half Day Tour; duration 8.00 am to 12.00 pm or 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm including morning or afternoon tea. $175 pp maximum four people
  • Full Day Tour; duration 9.00 am to 5.00 pm including morning and afternoon tea and lunch at local Bridgewater Cafe. $295 pp maximum four people
  • Both tours start and end at your pickup point
  • This tour can change on a daily basis depending on wind and weather and has many extra destinations that can work around weather events
  • Whale spotting is not a guarantee but a bonus if present.

Details

What to bring;

  • Hat, sunscreen, camera, a warm/rainproof jacket and comfortable shoes for short walks
  • On the tour we supply Bushnell Marine Binoculars 7 x 50 with built in compass
  • We supply a water bottle for the tour that can be refilled along the way
  • We carry a first aid kit in the vehicle
  • The vehicle has plenty of room in the back for your gear if need be
  • We also have a hidden lockable safe box for your belongings e.g.Wallet, phone,passport keys.
  • The weather along the tour route can be perfect in one bay and Antarctic around the corner, the old saying goes, you can tell a local by the way they lean, the wind swept affect
  • Our tag line says it all ” the wild things happen here”
  • When you prepare for the day think about the layers from comfort to cold to breezy
  • We recommend the Seabreeze website for pre-weather check, go to www.seabreeze.com.au   main page, click weather, go down to Victoria and click on West Coast. This will bring up Portland weather, wind swell and tides for the next seven days and is usually very accurate.

Your Tour Vehicle

The Land River Defender 110 is the quintessential legendary safari/towing vehicle throughout the world. On the tour we are in and out of the vehicle constantly at various locations and we have upgraded features to make this easier with door extension for a wider opening and a portable step for better access

Bookings & Inquiries

Phone Katie  0410 547 615

Email  [email protected]