Cape Schanck

Cape Schanck is located at the southern tip of the Mornington Peninsula, fronting the waters of Bass Strait.

There is no defined commercial centre at Cape Schanck as such, with nearby Rosebud and Flinders serving the area. However, the Cape Schanck Resort & Golf Course, with its bar and restaurant open to the public, and the surrounding housing estate, is regarded by many as the heart of the community.

A 4 kilometre drive south from the resort takes visitors to the coastal feature the town is named after - Cape Schanck. At this rocky point is the Cape Schanck lighthouse which was built in 1859 out of local limestone and features a rare spiral staircase made from stone. Tours of the lighthouse, including access to the circular viewing platform near the top from which spectacular views can be enjoyed, are conducted daily. The lighthouse is surrounded by a reserve that includes a museum, former keeper's quarters and associated buildings.

From the lighthouse car park are a network of scenic walks. A short loop offers views of the lighthouse and coastline from several designated lookouts, while a spectacular timber boardwalk and steps allows visitors to descend from the cliff tops to the rocky beach below. Around 200 metres east of the car park is another coastal lookout where the Bushrangers Bay Walk commences as it skirts the top of rugged basalt cliffs, providing views over rocky and untouched coastline.

Along Main Creek is the Two Bays Walking Track which is a 26 kilometre long trail through the landscapes of the Mornington Peninsula, from Dromana through Arthurs Seat and ending up at Bushrangers Bay in Cape Schanck. Boardwalks, bridges and steps have been installed in various sections of the track. Access is via the Bushrangers Bay Walk, the car parks where the trail crosses Boneo Road, or from the end of Long Point Road.

The rugged nature of the coastline around Cape Schanck with its cliff faces and rocky outcrops means there are few areas of traditional sandy beach. However from the west-facing Fingal Beach, an almost continuous sandy stretch extends along the coast to Gunnamatta Beach. Access to Fingal Beach is by foot, with the nearest car park being located just over one kilometre inland, off Cape Schanck Road. Gunnamatta Beach, a little further up the coast, is the nearest seasonally patrolled surf beach to Cape Schanck and can be accessed directly via Truemans Road in neighbouring Fingal.

Cape Schanck provides visitors with an insight into the area's maritime history, the beauty of rocky coastal features, unspoilt beaches, scenic walking tracks with ocean views, and easy access to surrounding golf courses.