Inverloch Dog-Friendly Beach (Seasonal)

This is the 250 metre stretch of Inverloch's town foreshore between Wave Street and Ozone Street, where open Bass Strait sand meets gentle surf. It is a different patch of coast from the flat, calm year-round off-leash zone on Anderson Inlet, and the thing that defines it is seasonal access: the rules change depending on the month you visit.

Leash status

Under Bass Coast Shire Council rules, from 1 December to 31 January dogs must be on lead between 9am and 6pm, and can run free outside those hours. From 1 February through to 30 November the beach is off lead at all times. Wherever off lead applies, dogs still need to be within sight and under effective voice control. Fines for failing to carry bags and clean up run up to $370, so keep a roll in the car.

If your dates land in peak summer and you want guaranteed off-lead time, the Anderson Inlet beach between Grandview Grove and Cuttriss Street is the more reliable choice year round.

Water and terrain

This is the ocean side of town, so expect small surf and moving water rather than the inlet's shallows. Suit confident paddlers more than tentative swimmers, and keep an eye on dogs that chase waves out past their depth. Waste bag dispensers and bins sit near the access points along the foreshore, and several walking tracks run down from the Esplanade to the sand.

Max: near Wave Street the dune erosion has left a steep drop from the path down to the sand in places. Hold the lead for that last stretch rather than letting your dog bound ahead.

Getting there and parking

Inverloch is roughly two hours from Melbourne via the M1 and South Gippsland Highway. Parking lines the Esplanade and the side streets near Ozone and Wave Streets, and if you are staying in central Inverloch the beach is an easy walk downhill from anywhere in town.

When to go

In summer, before 9am and after 6pm are both the quietest and the off-lead windows, so early starts pay off twice. Outside the December to January crunch you have the whole day to play with, though a still summer morning on flat water still beats a south-westerly afternoon.

While you're out there

The Bayside Lady and Vela 95 on A'Beckett Street both put out dog-friendly outdoor seating, and BIG4 Inverloch Holiday Park takes pets on sites if you are making a weekend of it. For the always-open option, the year-round Inverloch Dog Beach on Anderson Inlet is a short drive around the inlet.

More sand is on the Victoria dog beaches guide and the Inverloch destination page.