Eagle Rock Aireys Inlet – Eagle Rock is an hour and a half drive from the Melbourne CBD and the perfect place to visit as part of a Great Ocean Road trip or even a day trip to the beach! The area is also one of two marine national parks in Victoria’s central bioregion.
The rocks (image) and surrounding geology are of interest because of the Oligocene (23+ Ma) Anglesia marine sand and sandstone, conglomerates, mudstone, basalt and pyroclastics of the Angahook Formation. It has been suggested that basalt is an underground (underwater) flow – basalt (lava) coming out of water!
Eagle Rock Aireys Inlet
Fossils found in the Point Addis Limestone (upper basalt) include oysters, calcareous algae, fragments of echinoids (sea urchins), foraminifera (really small shells) and gastropods (like snails) – see if you can sort them out! Do you think the basalt was already cold when they started living? Or maybe the basalt rolled around them?
Travelling To Lorne — Swell Traveller
Animal fossils can tell you how deep the explosions were. The fossils tell you it was a pretty deep environment, and maybe a little rough. There are joints of sand layers (sand that rises in layers over time) that also indicate shallow water. Over time, the tuff cones could rise above sea level!
Take a closer look at the basalt pillow, why does it look so cool? What minerals make it black? It will crack and cool quickly, so the crystals will not be able to grow large. The minerals themselves are black (olivine, pyroxene). Can you see the “bread crumb” fault? They are similar to the surface of freshly baked bread and occur when the outside cools faster than the inside and “cracks” as it expands.
Do you also see the red/orange metallic color? The iron in the basalt weathers and forms iron oxides (ie, rust).
In one corner are deposits of pyroclasts, including hyaloclastites (crushed volcanic rock), pyroclastic plumes (ash and volcanic rock that fall from the sky after an eruption), tuffs, and reworked volcanic sediments. All the volcanic rocks along this ridge come from tuff, a type of volcano where magma enters water and reacts.
Eagle Rock, Aireys Inlet By Patricia Mirabile
For detailed information (geology) about the area, this document or this website are two good places. While some bones are cool, please don’t throw them off the cliff to take home. If you do, no one will see them again! And they usually end up in a shoebox on a shelf in the barn anyway.
Make sure you get there on low snow so you can explore Eagle Rock safely. Access is by stairs. Parking on Federal Street, Aireys Inlet VIC 3231
AusGeol has created an interactive tour with a story about all things outdoors! Explore these amazing resources by clicking on the image below. Visit the Lighthouse for great views – take a tour of the best and a history lesson!
Split Point Lighthouse is open for tours, and exploring the area offers a glimpse into the history of the area, as well as majestic views of the Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary.
The Great Ocean Road In Melbourne, Australia
Split Point Lighthouse dominates Eyres Bay, its 34m tower and classic red cap visible for miles. The still-operating lighthouse is open to the public, with self-guided tours available and sweeping views of Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary and the Great Ocean Road region below.
The stations surrounding the lighthouse have a replica of the “bark hut” that the early settlers from Ayres Inlet lived in, and the beach at the lighthouse station has large pools to explore.
Finally built in 1891 after a series of shipwrecks, the history of Split Point Lighthouse shows the isolation faced by pioneers who lived on the coast in the early 1900s before the road.
Today, 34 meters high and 66 meters above sea level, it is a beacon that guides ships as they pass through Bass Strait. Yes, this is the light house that appeared on the 90’s TV show ‘Around the Bend’!
Eagle Rock At Aireys Inlet On The Great Ocean Road Victoria
Split Point Lighthouse, also affectionately known as the White Queen, is located on the shores of Aires Bay. Self-guided tours are available, offering 360-degree views of Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary and the Great Ocean Road region.
Travel through the history of the sea on an Eco-Logic cruise to hear the tales of wild and dangerous coasts told by hundreds of ships that still betray.
At the foot of Split Point Lighthouse is the 17-acre Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary, which is home to many species of marine life. Popular with snorkelers and scuba divers, you can expect to see many invertebrates. The rocky flats surrounding the sand dunes in this area are also rich in marine life and are great for families to explore.
Traveling west on the Great Ocean Road outside the city, see the famous memorial built to commemorate the soldiers who returned from World War I and built the Great Ocean Road from 1918 to 1932.
Great Ocean Road, Aireys Inlet
Visit the Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch. Located at The Diggers Memorial Art, it celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Great Ocean Road. The inspiring artwork gives visitors a chance to reflect on the 3,000 World War I servicemen who built the Great Ocean Road in memory of their comrades who died in action or died during the First World War.
Explore the lighthouse area. It’s a wonderful experience that includes Split Point Lighthouse, Bark Hut, Great Allen Reserve, Cairn Memorial and heritage listed buildings. Enjoy the amazing view of the light reserve.
The nearby Bark Hut is a replica of a local resident’s hut from the 1860s, which was destroyed in the 1983 Assyrian Wednesday fire. There is also a playground here.
Aireys Inlet Bark Hut Reserve and Allen Noble Sanctuary is a wonderful sanctuary in the heart of the city. With landscaped picnic tables and a playground including a Bark Hut. Boardwalk wetlands provide excellent vantage points to see a wide variety of birds. There is also a skating rink with a barbecue on the site.
Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary At Aireys Inlet, Victoria, Australia Stock Photo
Aireys pub is home to Salt Brewing Co and you can also enjoy the Split Point award winning Great Street Gin in their gin garden. That’s hooray! From the lovely la grecque to Captain’s serving delicious pizzas and all the cafes in between, Aireys inlet is home to an array of delicious offerings!
5 beaches, all gorgeous – start with Sunnymeade (dog friendly). If you love swimming, you can ride the waves in Fairhaven, or if you have the opportunity to ride horses, a name you won’t forget, don’t miss the experience of horse adventures on the Great Ocean Road.
Portland Port Fairy Warrnambool 12 Apostles Coast & Hinterland Volcanic Lakes Otways & Outback Apollo Bay Winchelsea Lorne Aireys Inlet Anglesea Torquay Deans Marsh Birregurra Wye River Kennett River Skenes Creek Forrest Lavers Hill Cape Timway Johanna Beech Forest Cobden Camperdown Prince Hill Cultural Landscape Budj Bim Heywood Cape Bridgewater Nelson Casterton Colac Mortlake
Ocean Highway Regional Tourism recognizes Ocean Highway Regional Trustees Wadawurrung, Maar Bari & Gunditjmara. We respect the old, the present and the young. We recognize and respect their unique cultural heritage and ties to their traditional lands. We are committed to building a truly sustainable partnership that recognizes, embraces and supports a spirit of reconciliation, working towards self-determination, equality of outcomes and an equal voice for Australia’s first people.
