Southside Beach
Encyclopedia
Southside Beach is a clothes-optional beach located near Torquay
, in the State of Victoria
, Australia
. It is designated as a legal nudist beach under Nudity (Prescribed Areas) Act 1983.
, about 40 minutes drive from Geelong.
Signs at both ends are regularly vandalised or stolen, and the exact legal area can be hard to identify. The beach is very flat, and tides come in a very long way, with only a narrow strip of sand at high tide. Caution is advised when selecting a spot to set up.
Access is via either a long and steep walk from the westernmost carpark at Bells Beach, or via a staircase from Point Addis Rd. Pt Addis Rd runs south from a 90 degree bend in the Great Ocean Rd south of Jarosite Rd. Jarosite Rd/Bells Beach Rd provides access to the Bells Beach carparks.
At the Bells Beach end, a steep walking track leads from the car park to the beach at the base of the cliff. From there, it is a long walk to the west and around a rocky point, where the waves lap the cliff face at high tide. The water is very shallow however, and is safe to walk in.
At the Pt Addis end, there is a wooden staircase near the carpark which leads to the textile (non-nudist) part of the beach. The legal nude beach is a short walk to the left, and is roughly in the middle of the beach.
Torquay, Victoria
Torquay is a township in Victoria, Australia, which faces Bass Strait, 21 km. south of Geelong and is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road. It is bordered on the west by Spring Creek and its coastal features include Point Danger and Zeally Bay...
, in the State of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is designated as a legal nudist beach under Nudity (Prescribed Areas) Act 1983.
About the beach
Surf beach west of TorquayTorquay, Victoria
Torquay is a township in Victoria, Australia, which faces Bass Strait, 21 km. south of Geelong and is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road. It is bordered on the west by Spring Creek and its coastal features include Point Danger and Zeally Bay...
, about 40 minutes drive from Geelong.
Signs at both ends are regularly vandalised or stolen, and the exact legal area can be hard to identify. The beach is very flat, and tides come in a very long way, with only a narrow strip of sand at high tide. Caution is advised when selecting a spot to set up.
How to get there
The beach is south west of Bells Beach and north east of Point Addis. It replaced the previously legal beach just west of Point Addis when that beach's status was revoked.Access is via either a long and steep walk from the westernmost carpark at Bells Beach, or via a staircase from Point Addis Rd. Pt Addis Rd runs south from a 90 degree bend in the Great Ocean Rd south of Jarosite Rd. Jarosite Rd/Bells Beach Rd provides access to the Bells Beach carparks.
Parking
There is a sealed carpark atop a high cliff at the western end of Bells Beach. There is a small carpark as well as limited parking along Pt Addis Rd. Parking restrictions apply, and enforcement is enthusiastic.At the Bells Beach end, a steep walking track leads from the car park to the beach at the base of the cliff. From there, it is a long walk to the west and around a rocky point, where the waves lap the cliff face at high tide. The water is very shallow however, and is safe to walk in.
At the Pt Addis end, there is a wooden staircase near the carpark which leads to the textile (non-nudist) part of the beach. The legal nude beach is a short walk to the left, and is roughly in the middle of the beach.