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Point Nepean National Park: Gunners Cottage to Observatory Point Walk
JOURNEY
About
Where you'll be
Coles Track
Portsea Victoria 3944
What's Available
7 featuresPicnic Area
Public Toilet
Shaded Area
Walk
Circuit
Grade 1
Other Services
Point Nepean National Park: Quarantine Station Walk
Discover the Point Nepean historical precinct which has almost 50 historical heritage listed buildings, and the oldest intact buildings erected from quarantine purposes in Australia. This is a great site to investigate with sprawling lawns, historic buildings, great views of the bay across to Queenscliff. The Quarantine Station was established in 1852 and is the second oldest permanent quarantine station (18522-1980). From 1952 the buildings also housed the Army Officer Cadet School. A self guided walk is available. This area can be explored further by continuing on to Gunners Cottage (roughly 1.6km of easy walking) and Fort Nepean.
Point Nepean National Park: Coles Track
This path connects the Quarantine Station to Eagles Nest and runs parallel to Defence Road through the coastal bushland. In the 1940's this sandy track serviced a telephone line installed as part of the upgrading of Melbourne's defences during the Second World War. The cable ran form Queenscliff 6 kilometers across the bay to Observatory Pointy and then to both Fort Nepean and Portsea. The track also allowed access between Fort Nepean and Observatory Point jetty by the military when weather conditions were unsuitable for berthing at the Fort Nepean jetty. Car parking is available at the Quarantine Station or Gunners Cottage (cars are not permitted past this point).
Point Nepean National Park: Range Area Walk
The 1.8 kilometre walk links the Quarantine Station and Cheviot Hill and meanders through coastal scrub and a former Rifle Range. Climb the Monash Light tower with sweeping views of the park and Melbourne city. The Range Area was used to train cadets from the Army Officer Cadet School. They were trained to firing rifles, grenades and machine guns. Car parking is available at the Quarantine Station or Gunners Cottage (cars are not permitted past this point).
Point Nepean National Park: Fort Nepean Walking Trail
Located at the very end of the peninsula where you can discover a series of military fortifications dating back to the 1880s with stunning views of Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait. Explore the tunnels, forts and gun emplacements from which the first allied shots of World War I and first Australian shots of World War II were fired. Foprt Nepean is considered one of the best examples in Australia of a major fort complex exhibiting changes in military engineering through the 19th and 20th centuries. There are numerous interpretive signs to explain the history of the area. If the tides are right you may see the pilot boat from Queenscliff boarding a ship and guiding it through the heads on its way into Melbourne. Car parking is available at the Quarantine Station or Gunners Cottage (cars are not permitted past this point).
Point Nepean National Park: Fort Pearce and Eagles Nest Walk
Fort Pearce was established in 1911 and designed to take advantage of the six inch Mark V11 guns being introduced to coastal defence at that time. The Pearce Barracks site is where many of the army personnel stationed at Point Nepean lived. Explore the lookouts from the fortifications with stunning views of Bass Strait. Eagles Nest was the site of Australia’s largest 'Disappearing Gun'. Car parking is available at the Quarantine Station or Gunners Cottage (cars are not permitted past this point).
Point Nepean National Park: Cheviot Hill Walking Trail
Cheviot Hill is the park’s highest point and contains World War II fortifications. It overlooks Cheviot Beach, the site where former Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared without a trace on 17th December 1967. A memorial to Harold Holt is located about 500m further along Defence Road from Cheviot Hill. Car parking is available at the Quarantine Station or Gunners Cottage (cars are not permitted past this point).