Dromana Beach
Dromana Beach, which is 3 km long, is a very accessible beach with a foreshore reserve with numerous facilities. A Tourist Information Centre is located on Marine Drive just west of the pier.
Dromana and Safety Beaches occupy the eastern 6 km of the 18 km long Rye to Point Martha Beach. Both beaches are backed by a continuous foreshore reserve, the Nepean Highway and Marine Drive. The reserve contains numerous facilities including the Dromana Camping Reserve and the Dromana Pier. Dromana Beach is more exposed to westerly winds and wind waves than the beaches to the west. Consequently, the high storm waves have steepened the nearshore. As a result, the sand flats that reach 1 km wide off Rosebud progressively narrow to 300 m at Dromana Pier.
Swimming - Relatively safe during calms and low wind waves.
Dromana beach has a General Beach Hazard Rating of 2/10 (Least hazardous). The beach is not patrolled.
Review:
Safety Beach merges into Dromana Beach from the north and extends for about 3 km to the south west.
At the northern end the beach is nice and sandy and free of rocks but can be narrow depending on the tide and winds. There is a path running along the foreshore just above the beach. Check out the trees which are bent back from the relentless westerlies in winter.
Facilities along this stretch include toilets (opposite #124 Marine Drive), a small carpark (opposite #119 Marine Drive), a carpark with some steps down to three picnic tables (opposite #104 Marine Drive) and another carpark (opposite #98 Marine Drive) which leads down to the sandy beach which is rock free.
Dunns Creek runs into the bay and south of here are two tables and a small playground next to another carpark (opposite #79 Marine Drive). This area also has three unshaded tables, one unshaded table, toilets and a water tap.
South of the playground there is a nice sandy beach with beach huts dotting the dunes and more parking opposite #59 Marine Drive. Sheepwash Creek enters the bay in this area opposite Mason Avenue.
Where the Nepean Highway connects with Marine Drive and Point Nepean Road, there is a carpark with toilets, table and an exercise site. The exercise equipment is made from 100% Australian plastic waste and includes a stretching pole, stretch & leap bar, step-ups, balance walk, sit-up & reach plus push-ups. A chance to exercise and feel good about your health AND the environment.
From here you can follow the Dromana Foreshore Bay Trail in a south west direction to Dromana Pier (900m) or to Anthonys Nose (3 km) if you are feeling energetic).
Where the sandy beach narrows there are nine beach huts. There are sandbag barriers to protect the huts from the waves.
Opposite #127 Point Nepean Road there is a car park with toilet block which is closed during the off-season (May - Nov).
As you approach Dromana Pier, a long grassy strip is set back from the beach with four unshaded tables, shaded BBQ, water tap and two shelters with five tables. This area is opposite the Dromana Shopping area where there are plenty of fast food places. When you reach the pier there is a 2P free car parking area with four more unshaded tables in a grassy area. A playgroundat the foot of the Pier on the Foreshore has a good climbing structure, birds nest swing, spinning cup and swings. The playground has toilets, five unshaded tables, BBQ and water tap.
For a hundred years from the 1860's, the Dromana Pier was the second longest on Port Phillip Bay, after the St Kilda Pier. It previously extended more than twice the length of the current 1959 replacement to almost half a kilometre (472m). It was used extensively in the 19th Century to transport timber logged on Arthurs Seat to Melbourne, then rapidly expanding due to the Gold Rushes of the 1850/60s.
From the 1870s to 1940s, Dromana was a favourite paddle steamer holiday destination, and the four "Bay Boats" - Ozone, Hygeia, Edina and Weeroona - would call at Dromana on their day excursions around the Bay with up to 2000 day trippers on board, before returning via Sorrento and Queenscliff to Station Pier at Sandridge (now South Melbourne).
Opposite O'Donohue Street is the Dromana Bay Life Saving Club and the 1st Dromana Sea Scouts building.
The beach is beside a sea-wall here and beach huts line the foreshore in regular patterns. Back from the beach on the foreshore, around 100 m from the pier, is a huge shelter with four tables, water tap, shelter with BBQs and unshaded tables.
100 m to the west of Dromana Pier is Norm Webb Reserve which is fronted by long rows of beach huts and narrow sandy beach. Patches of grass grow down onto the sand. In this area the beach narrows even further and stretches away for hundreds of metres. This is part of the Dromana Foreshore Reserve. A gravel shared path runs along the foreshore.
Next to the beach is a fitness exercise station with chin up, step up, body curl and seated dips. There is a water tap next to the exercise area. This is located 200 m west of the Pier. Around 100 m from the pier there is a big shelter with tables, shelters with BBQs and unshaded tables. There are toilets along the foreshore reserve.
Past the Visitor Information Centre (#395B Point Nepean Road) the beach continues with beach huts and a narrow beach in front of the huts. At Anthony's Nose there is a sea-wall and the beach ends.
Access for Dogs:
To the west of Dromana Pier dogs must be on the lead at all times. During the Daylight Savings period of the year, dogs are not permitted on the beach between 9 am and 7 pm.
Map:
Photos:
Location
215 Point Nepean Road, Dromana 3936 Map
Web Links
→ Dromana Beach (BeachSafe)
→ Dromana Bay Life Saving Club
→ Dromana Bay Life Saving Club on Facebook
