There are many outdoor activities you can do to experience the beauty of the Mornington Peninsula. One of them is taking a scenic walk along the many walking tracks in the area.
The Bushrangers Bay Track comprises of a sandy beach of basalt cliffs with contrasting ominous headlands and wild waves that often crash onto jagged rocks that guard the bay’s entrance. This beautiful trail can be accessed from the Borneo Road car park and picnic area. The road going to the bay passes along Main Creek, which provides glorious views and passes through the Banksia groves. Along the way, you will also pass by lush farmland and a creek valley below. Be sure to listen to your surroundings as birds might greet you as you walk through the Banksia forest. If you’re lucky, you might even spot some kangaroos in the grassy clearings.
Alternatively, you may also follow the 2.6km Bushrangers Bay Track from the Cape Schanck car park if you want to see some of the best coastal scenery within the area. The coastal cliff trail offers excellent views of the sea and rocky bays, as well as the famous Cape Schanck Lighthouse located at the southern top of the Mornington Peninsula, where the Bass Strait and Western Port meet. This area has been protected since the 1800’s and was made a national park in 1988.
Bushrangers Bay is named after two escaped convicts, Henry Bradley and Patrick O’Connor. It is said that it was this bay, during the Colonial times, that the two convicts who escaped from Van Diemen’s Land stepped ashore. On the night of September 19, 1983, the two hi-jacked the schooner ‘Sophia’ near Circular Head on the north west of Van Diemen’s Land and forced the captain to take them to the Australian mainland. The police chased them down and eventually lead to their hanging in the (Old) Melbourne Gaol.
Today, the Bushrangers Bay has become one of the most popular tourist attractions on the peninsula. This small isolated beach offers a spectacular view of the coastline between between Flinders and Cape Schanck. Swimming is not recommended at this site as the beach is unpatrolled and often hazardous due to strong rips and large waves. However, the picnic area provides a range of equipment, including all-terrain and beach wheelchairs and other facilities so you can make the most out of your visit.