Ninety Mile Beach (Victoria)

Geographical location

The Ninety Mile Beach is a long-drawn, sandy spit that divides the Gippsland Lakes in Gippsland in southeastern Victoria (Australia ) from the Bass Strait.

The beach is just over 150 km (90 mls. ) Long and extends from Port Albert in a northeasterly direction to the artificial channel at The Entrance Lakes Entrance. The western end of the beach is more than 250 km east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland Highway and the coastal towns of Woodside, Seaspray, Golden Beach and Loch Sport.

The beach is made up of sandy dunes that separate the various lakes and lagoons from the sea. In the northeastern part it runs along a sand barrier on a series of sandbars, backed by large lakes and several small lagoons lie. The three largest lakes are Lake King, Lake Victoria and Lake Wellington. The Lakes National Park encompasses the northeastern part of Ninety Mile Beach, while the south-western part of the Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park. On the Spit you will find a white sandy beach with strong surf, and natural bush vegetation.

The length of the beach ensures that the waves break for good surfing conditions close to the beach and there are strong back and cross currents that make the stay in the water for inexperienced swimmers dangerous. The authorities recommend swimming only in Woodside and sea spray, where in the summer months lifeguards are employed.

On the Ninety Mile Beach, there is a primitive campground in the Emu Bay, as well as accommodation in Seaspray and Lakes Entrance.

Rotamah Iceland - part of the Lakes National Park - has a great bird watching station and can be reached from Paynesville is a 6 -km-long boat ride.

The Ninety Mile Beach is supposed to be the third longest uninterrupted beach in the world after the Praia do Cassino on the Brazilian coast and Padre Iceland on the Gulf of Mexico in the United States.