GSWW Section 12 – Tarragal Camp to The Springs Camp

Offshore between the rocky reefs are plains of sand winnowed ridges and sponge gardens.

Bridgewater Lakes has drawn the Gunditjmara people to its clear limestone filtered freshwater shores for thousands of years. This area also had some of Victoria’s earliest settler-farms (prior to Victoria’s 1850s gold rush boom).

At White’s Beach a cairn marks nine burial sites of the 25 people lost in the 1851 shipwreck of the Marie. The Southern Ocean claimed many lives as it was the prime sea passage route for trade, cargo and passengers from afar and along the southern coast.

Stunted growth – bonsai on the coast!

This area is subject to the wrath of strong and abrasive salt-laden winds which cut back and suppress growth. The thick stunted canopy of the coast provides shelter for underlying plants and animals. Closer to the cliff edges some plants appear to be bonsai (miniature) as they are suppressed by salty cutting winds and nutrient poor, or absent soil.

The dynamic history of the coast is also depicted underwater. In deep water (30-60m) there are low limestone reefs formed from ancient shorelines or dunes when the sea-levels were much lower than today. Between these reefs, there are plains of sand winnowed into symmetrical ridges by the endless movement of the water.

There is a rich diversity of fascinating marine life within the Discovery Bay Marine National Park due to the cold, nutrient rich waters of the area. The deep limestone reefs support technicoloured sponge gardens – home to majestic fish and a diverse array of creatures including Southern Rock Lobster, Black-lip Abalone and gorgonians (brightly coloured sea-fans). The waters also support Great White Sharks, Blue Whales, dolphins and seals and Red Velvetfish.