Be Bushfire Smart

Swimming

• The broad sandy open beaches of Venus Bay are popular for swimming and surfing. Swimmers must be careful as strong currents and rips occur along this section of the coast. Venus Bay No. 1 beach is patrolled by surf lifesavers during the summer months.
• The more sheltered coves and beaches at Walkerville and Waratah Bay are also suitable for swimming.

Camping

• Camping is permitted in the park at Bear Gully where shady campsites are set amongst tall banksias. Campers must be self sufficient and bring their own firewood.Dogs are not permitted in the campground or adjacent beach at any time. Be self-sufficient with drinking water. Carry it in and/or know how to make untreated water safe for drinking. For more information contact Parks Victoria on 13 1963 or visit the Department of Human Services Better Health website www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au.
• Camping facilities are also provided within the commercial caravan parks situated on the foreshore at Walkerville and Waratah Bay. A range of other accommodation is available in the neighbouring townships.

Fishing and Boating

• Recreational line fishing is popular from the beaches and rocks at Walkerville with anglers seeking Snapper, Sweep, Leather Jacket, Salmon, Yellow-tail Kingfish, Trumpeter and Parrot-fish.
• The sheltered waters of Anderson Inlet offer Bass, Flathead, Salmon, Whiting, Mullet, Trevally and Garfish. A bag limit of five litres per person per day applies to the collection of Pipis.
• The Venus Bay Beach is an excellent location to try your luck at surf fishing.
• A recreational fishing licence is required to take fish (including bait and shellfish) in all Victorian Marine, estuary and freshwaters. Licences and the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide, which specifies the bag limits and seasons for different fish, are available from the Department of Sustainability and Environment and most retail fishing stores.
• Boats can only be launched within the park from the beach at Walkerville. All boats must travel at less than five knots when within 30 metres of people in the water and when within 200 metres of the shore.

Walking

• Point Smythe Nature Trail
  Length: 6 km; Walking time: about two hours.
  This circuit walk takes you to Anderson Inlet then through thick coastal vegetation typical of the park. This track is particularly sheltered on windy days along the coast.
• Anderson Inlet Walk
  Length: two km one way; Walking time: 40 minutes each way.
  This track follows the southern edge of Anderson Inlet east to the carpark at Doyles Road. The track takes you along the inter-tidal mudflats of the inlet where you can see a great variety of marine plants and animals including mangroves rich in bird life.
• Limeburners Walk
  Length: 750 metres; Walking time: about 20 minutes one way.
  This track links the north and south settlements of Walkerville through stands of Drooping She-oak and past limestone cliffs and the ruins of four lime kilns. A short side track leads to the historic Walkerville cemetery.
• Walkerville North - Prom View Estate
  Length: 1.2 km; Walking time: about 45 minutes one way.
  This track links the caravan park at Walkerville North with the Prom View housing estate. The track leads through coastal woodlands with a diverse understorey. A side track (700 metres) leads to a viewing platform overlooking Waratah Bay with the peaks of Wilsons Promontory as a backdrop.

Other Walks
Despite the small area of the park there are extensive sections of remote coast accessible only by walking. For the adventurous, try rock hopping along the rock platforms and small sheltered coves from Walkerville South to Bear Gully. Along the way note the piers of a jetty that once stretched out into the Waratah Bay and ruins of a lime kiln hidden within the bush. Views of the rugged peaks and islands of Wilsons Promontory National Park can be obtained along this section of coast.
The fire access track can be used to explore the extensive heathlands and woodlands of the sheltered gullies and hills behind Walkerville and Waratah Bay. When walking remember to wear a hat, shirt and sunscreen and to take plenty of your own drinking water.

• Situated at Cape Liptrap is the historic lighthouse and scenic lookout. Waratah Bay has a caravan park, safe swimming beach and a network of walking tracks.
• Toilets, walking tracks, a boat launching site and parking is available at Walkerville. The sheltered cove at Walkerville South is a safe swimming beach.
• Camping is at Bear Gully with picnic tables and parking provided.
• Swimming beaches are at Beach No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 where parking is available. Beaches No. 1 and No. 5 have toilets and Beach No. 1 has picnic tables.
• Picnic tables and walking tracks feature at Point Smythe where information and parking is also provided.

The small township and bustling port of Waratah (now Walkerville) operated from 1875 to 1926 to supply lime to the Melbourne building industry. Limestone mined from the cliffs was burnt with firewood in brick lined-kilns (resembling up-turned bottles) to produce quick lime. The lime was then bagged and hauled in tram carts along a 350 metre jetty which once stretched out into the bay to waiting ships.

Relics of the lime industry remain in the park including the ruins of the kilns in the cliffs at Walkerville South and the formation of tramways which were once used for hauling firewood to the kilns.

A lighthouse was established at Cape Liptrap in 1913 to improve the safety of coastal shipping. In 1951 the steel tower was dismantled and replaced with the current structure. The light is still in operation and has a range of 18 nautical miles (over 34 kilometres).

Cape Liptrap Coastal Park was declared in 1997.

Aboriginal Traditional Owners
Parks Victoria acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, the Boon Wurrung, Bunurong and Gunai - Kurnai identify the Cape Liptrap Coastal Park as their Traditional Country.
Further information is available from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria AAV and Native Title Services Victoria .

The extensive heathlands near Walkerville are home to the Southern Emu-wren and a diverse range of honeyeaters. The park also echoes to the calls of the Eastern Whipbird, Crimson Rosella and Pied Currawong.

Along the coast you may see Pacific Gulls, Silver Gulls, Sooty Oyster-catchers and Herons feeding on the beach and rock platforms of Cormorants and Australian Gannets diving for fish.

The park is also home to the Common Wombat, Swamp Wallaby, Koala, Echidna and the rare Swamp Antechinus.

Thickets of Coast Tea-tree together with stands of Coast Banksia are found at Point Smythe and south along the coastal sand dunes. Open forests of Manna Gum and Messmate Stringybark occur in the southern half of the park.

• All plants and animals in the park are protected.
• Please keep to designated walking tracks.
• When walking remember to wear a hat, shirt and sunscreen and take plenty of your own drinking water.
• Bins are not provided within the park. Please take your rubbish with you.
• Camping is only permitted within the park at Bear Gully.
• Fires may only be lit in fireplaces provided. No fires may be lit on days of Total Fire Ban (Eastern District).
• Collection of gemstones is permitted from the beaches within the park.
• Vehicles including trail bikes may only be driven on formed roads open to the public and must be fully road registered. All drivers and riders must hold a current licence.

Dogs

Dogs are prohibited from Cape Liptrap Coastal Park except in the following areas:

• between Walkerville North and Walkerville South.
• between Venus Bays No.1 and No.5 Beaches.
• between Waratah Bay township and Cooks Creek.

Dogs in the above areas must be on a lead at all times. Dogs are prohibited from the above areas between 9am and 6pm from 1 December until 31 March.

• Swimmers must be careful as strong currents and rips occur along sections of the coast.
• Walks along the coast should only be attempted two hours either side of low tide. Please check the tide times before attempting any coastal walk.

• Bunurong Marine Park
• Corner Inlet Marine and Coastal Park
• Shallow Inlet Marine and Coastal Park
• Wilsons Promontory National Park