Jan Juc Beach

Jan Juc is a sandy surf beach about 1.2 kilometres long, running between Bird Point and Rocky Point just south of Torquay. Come for the exposed Southern Ocean waves, the cliff-backed shoreline, or both; it makes a good stop if you want a beach walk as well as a surf break.

This is an energetic surf beach, not a sheltered swimming cove. The sandbar is cut by several rips, including permanent rips at the rocky ends, and local guidance says the conditions suit experienced surf swimmers and surfers. When patrol flags are up, stay between them.

The surf-club car park is the main arrival point, reached from Sunset Strip. From there, visitors walk along the clifftop toward Rocky Point and return by a sandy path above the beach. The beach is about 1.2 kilometres from end to end, so you can make the walk as short or long as you like. Parking can be tight in holiday periods. There are toilets at the reserve and outdoor showers by the surf-club end.

For a wider look at the beach, take the clifftop path toward Rocky Point and turn back along the curve of sand and surf. The southern section narrows under limestone cliffs up to about 20 metres high; farther along, lower bluffs and dunes frame the shore. A view from above makes the long sandbar and the breaks in the surf easier to read.

A fossil found locally in the late 1990s was identified as Janjucetus hunderi, a small extinct baleen whale. Surfer Staumn Hunder found it, and the whale’s name links both him and this coast. The remains included a skull, ribs and vertebrae, among other bones.

This stretch of coast is Wadawurrung (Wathaurong) Country. The origin of “Jan Juc” is disputed in local histories, so there is no settled translation to repeat.