Warrnambool and Logans Beach

Logans Beach on the eastern edge of Warrnambool is one of very few places in Australia where southern right whales reliably come inshore to calve, arriving from around June and staying into September or October, sometimes within a hundred metres of the sand. A purpose-built viewing platform sits on the dunes above the beach, free and open, though whale presence varies year to year and there have been seasons with almost no visitors offshore. The city itself holds Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, a recreated port settlement built around the story of the Loch Ard shipwreck and the peacock figurine recovered from it, and the coast west toward Port Fairy is a designated shipwreck route.

What you actually see

• The whale nursery - southern right whales and calves close inshore in winter.
• The viewing platform - the free dune-top structure above Logans Beach.
• Flagstaff Hill - the maritime village and the Loch Ard shipwreck collection.
• The shipwreck coast - the sea route west that claimed dozens of vessels.

When to go

June to September for whales, with July and August usually the best; numbers vary sharply between seasons and some years bring very few. The rest of the year the platform is empty of whales. Winter on this coast is cold, wet and windy.

Honest expectations

Whale presence is not guaranteed and recent seasons have been poor; checking sighting reports before travelling is worthwhile. The platform is exposed to wind. Binoculars are essential, since even close whales are mostly backs and blows.

Nearby

Port Fairy lies west; Tower Hill and the Great Ocean Road are close by.