Bourne Creek Trestle Bridge
Bass Coast is located southeast of Melbourne and covers around 866 square kilometres. From home, it’s about a two-hour drive via the Bass Highway (M420).
We’ve driven along Bass Highway plenty of times—it’s the main road to the famous Phillip Island. But even with all those trips, we’ve never really explored Bass Coast itself.This time, we decided to check out a small town called Kilcunda in the Bass Coast region. There’s an old abandoned railway trestle bridge there—Bourne Creek Trestle Bridge—that caught our eye.
In Victoria, trestle bridges are a pretty common sight, especially out in regional areas. Before the 1960s, cars and road networks weren’t well developed, so trains played a crucial role in connecting remote towns and transporting goods.Bass Coast and Gippsland, for example, had coal mines back in the day, and rail was the main way to move coal and other freight. In fact, during the 1950s and ’60s, Victoria’s rail network was at its peak—almost every town, big or small, had a railway line running through it.
But starting in the 1970s, things began to change. As cars became more popular and highways improved, coal mines shut down, and population growth in rural towns slowed, many of these remote rail lines started to shut down one by one. Some of the old trestle bridges survived and were repurposed as walking or cycling trails, but many others were simply left to decay or were dismantled altogether.
The coastal town of Kilcunda in Bass Coast isn’t just home to an old trestle bridge that’s been converted into a walking and cycling trail—it also boasts stunning ocean views and beautiful beaches.
When we visited, it was only around 6 to 8°C, but that didn’t stop a bunch of locals from hitting the waves. Gotta love how Aussies just power through the cold for a good surf!
Aside from watching surfers, Kilcunda Beach has a few other cool features worth checking out. Near the trestle bridge, there’s a rock formation called Elephant Rock—and it’s not just a name. The shape actually looks a lot like an elephant’s trunk, making it a fun little spot to explore and snap a few photos.
The landscape around Bass Coast and South Gippsland is mostly made up of Cretaceous rocks—limestone that formed during the Cretaceous period, around 140 to 80 million years ago. Over millions of years, constant wave erosion has shaped the coastline into all sorts of fascinating rock formations.
At first glance, Elephant Rock really does look like an elephant’s trunk. If you’re into geology or just curious, there’s a great website that dives into the geological history of the Bass Coast region—it’s definitely worth a look!
Eagle Nest , Inverloch
Leaving Kilcunda and continuing southeast, we the. pass through one of the bigger towns in the Bass Coast region—Wonthaggi. From there, we continued head south along Cape Paterson Road (C435), there is a stretch of coastline dotted with more unusual rock formations, all within about a 15-minute drive.
One of the standout formations is called Eagle Nest. The name likely comes from its height—towering around 40 metres 1—resembling a lofty perch high above the waves, much like an eagle’s nest. Interestingly, The Eagle’s Nest was also the name of Hitler’s mountaintop retreat, Kehlsteinhaus, perched over 1,800 metres high in the Bavarian Alps. While the one in Bass Coast isn’t quite as high, the dramatic coastal setting gives it a similarly striking presence.
At low tide, we walked along the beach right up to the base of Eagle Nest. The whole area is surrounded by bizarre, otherworldly rock formations—shaped over millions of years by the relentless force of ocean waves and coastal winds. It’s like stepping into a natural sculpture gallery, with each rock telling its own ancient story.
Toora Wind Farm
Leaving Eagle Nest and continuing east along the South Gippsland Highway (A440), we reached the Toora Wind Farm in about an hour. While there are several wind farms scattered throughout South Gippsland and the Bass Coast region—including around Wonthaggi—Toora is one of the earliest wind farms in Victoria.
What makes it special is that it’s also one of the few places where the public can get up close to the turbines. Standing right beneath these massive structures, watching the blades spin quietly in the wind, is a pretty awe-inspiring experience.
This wind farm has 12 turbines, all facing the calm, glass-like waters of Corner Inlet 2. Together, they generate enough electricity to power around 6,000 homes 3. And the views here—absolutely stunning.
Standing there, with the gentle hum of the turbines and the sweeping coastal landscape, it really reminded me of something straight out of a Studio Ghibli film—like a real-life scene from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
The wind farm sits halfway up the hill, and nearby Agnes has a well-known waterfall—but we didn’t make it there this time. For one, it was getting late (in a Victorian winter, it starts getting dark just after 5 pm).
Instead, we headed down to a lookout called Silcocks Hill lookout. From there, the views were something else entirely—offering a different, stunning perspective of the surrounding landscape.
Cape Horn Lookout
On the way home along South Gippsland Highway, we have passed through a small town called Loch. Not far from there, halfway up the hill, is a lookout spot called Cape Horn Lookout. Visiting near dusk, you get to experience yet another beautiful and different view as the sun starts to set.
I really love Aussie culture—no matter where you go, you’ll often find picnic tables set up in these beautiful spots. People can just sit down, enjoy their meal, and soak in the natural surroundings.Even if it’s just a simple sandwich, it somehow tastes so much better out there.It’s amazing how something as simple as a picnic table shows that Aussies really know how to enjoy life and appreciate the great outdoors.
Our first trip to South Gippsland really opened our eyes — the whole area is full of stunning scenery. Definitely need to explore more and uncover all the hidden gems this region has to offer!
