Discovery Bay Coastal Park

Discovery Bay Coastal Park is a 10,460-hectare coastal reserve in Glenelg Shire, south-west Victoria, stretching 50 km from Cape Nelson to near the South Australian border at Nelson. Managed by Parks Victoria, it protects the long sandy Discovery Bay beach, high dunes, limestone cliffs, freshwater lakes and wetlands. It is notable for its remote natural coastline, significant Aboriginal heritage and as part of the Great South West Walk.

Visitors can expect a remote, windswept coastline with a long ocean beach backed by extensive dunes, limestone cliffs and coastal heath. The park includes lookouts at Cape Bridgewater and Cape Nelson, freshwater lakes such as Lake Monibeong and Swan Lake, and walking tracks including sections of the Great South West Walk. Areas to explore include beaches, dune systems, picnic and camping areas, and birdwatching wetlands. Facilities are basic and natural values are the focus.

The park lies within Gunditjmara Country and contains significant Aboriginal cultural heritage including middens and occupation sites. European history includes 19th-century pastoral use, whaling and fishing activity around Portland and Discovery Bay, and later conservation reservation as a coastal park managed by Parks Victoria.

The area holds cultural significance for Gunditjmara Traditional Owners as part of coastal Country with long-standing connections to sea, dunes, lakes and wetlands. The landscape is valued for its natural and cultural heritage and is managed to protect Aboriginal cultural sites and coastal ecosystems.