Squeaky Beach and Tidal River

Why does Squeaky Beach squeak?

The sand is fine, rounded quartz. When you walk on it dry, the grains compress and rub against each other, and the beach answers with a high squeak.

Try it on the dry sand above the waterline, where it works best: scuff your heels and listen. Wet sand stays quiet.

The boulders at each end are the other half of the picture. They are granite, smooth and rounded, and they invite climbing. Look, photograph, and keep your feet on them: Parks Victoria asks visitors never to jump off the boulders into the water, because submerged rocks may be hidden underneath.

Can you swim at Squeaky Beach?

Parks Victoria does not recommend it. Squeaky Beach has persistent rips and strong currents, and it is not patrolled by lifesavers.

The same higher waves that make it a popular surf spot make it a poor place for a casual dip. If you go in, stay in the shallows, supervise children every minute, and read Parks Victoria's water safety advice before you leave home. Norman Beach, in front of Tidal River, is also listed as unpatrolled, with rough surf, shallow water and slippery rocks; surfing there is allowed only south of the 5th ramp.

On a hot day, the better plan is a paddle and a walk. Wet your feet at Squeaky, then follow the coast to Picnic Bay or Whisky Bay, the small coves to the north.

Where do you park for Squeaky Beach?

In the small Squeaky Beach car park if there is room, but it fills fast on weekends and holidays. The fallback is to park at Tidal River and walk.

Parks Victoria asks drivers not to block the road or emergency tracks when the car park is full, and suggests Whisky Bay or Picnic Bay instead. You can also reach the beach on foot from the Lilly Pilly Gully car park, Picnic Bay or Tidal River. There are toilets next to the Squeaky Beach car park.

In summer, arrive before 10am. Parks Victoria says Tidal River, Norman Beach and Squeaky Beach often fill by mid-morning, and on the busiest days it limits how many cars can be in the park at all.

How do you walk from Tidal River to Squeaky Beach?

Start at the Tidal River footbridge and follow the coast track over the headland: 4.2 km return, about 1.5 hours, back the same way.

It is one of the easiest good walks in the park, and Parks Victoria calls it suitable for all levels, strollers included. The track climbs over the headland between Norman Bay and Squeaky Bay, with the Tidal Overlook on the way, then drops onto the sand.

For more, keep going. The full coastal walk from Norman Beach past Tidal Overlook, Squeaky Beach and Picnic Bay to Whisky Bay is 6 km one way, about three hours, graded easy to moderate. With two cars, or a friend willing to drive, you can do it one way. The best walks guide covers Mount Oberon, Lilly Pilly Gully and Tongue Point.

What is there to do at Tidal River?

Plenty for a base camp: the visitor centre (9am to 4pm daily), the general store, Norman Beach and its day area, the outdoor cinema in summer, and the boat to Skull Rock.

• The river. Tidal River runs into Norman Bay and is stained the colour of tea by the tannin from the tea trees along its banks, Wikipedia notes.
• Norman Beach day area. A car park, picnic tables, covered gas barbecues, toilets and showers, a short walk from the campground.
• The outdoor cinema. Running since the late 1940s; summer campers queue early with blankets for the front row.
• Mount Oberon. The summit walk starts at Telegraph Saddle. At busy times the car park there is closed and a free shuttle runs from Tidal River.
• Access. A motorised TrailRider and beach wheelchairs are free to borrow from the visitor centre; book ahead.

And the water. The wilderness cruise leaves from the booking centre next to the cinema at 11am and 2pm on amphibious boats. It is the one way to see South Point and Skull Rock without a multi-day hike. Booked direct it costs A$165 per adult.

From the beach at Tidal River out past the Glennies and Anser Island to South Point and Skull Rock. Fur seals, dolphins, seabirds, and whales in season; windproof jackets supplied.

★ 4.8 · 2.5 hours · from $120

Explore the wilderness cruise → Tour details

How do you book a campsite at Tidal River?

Online through Parks Victoria, well ahead. All 484 camping and caravan sites (20 powered) must be booked, and summer peak stays have fixed lengths and arrival days.

Parks Victoria releases bookings four times a year, roughly six to nine months ahead. When a release opens at 10am, a lobby holds everyone, then the system moves people into a virtual waiting room in random order, so there is no prize for logging in early. The rules for the coming peaks:

Two rules campers forget. Each site allows two vehicles at most, and Parks Victoria monitors it. And fires are banned all year, including solid-fuel barbecue heat beads, along with generators and pets. The sites sit in the dunes behind Norman Bay, some among the tea trees near the beach and some closer to the calm river, which families tend to prefer.

What cabins and roofed accommodation are at Tidal River?

Huts, units, cabins for up to six, safari-style wilderness retreats, group lodges for 12, 24 or 30, and accessible cabins. Like the campsites, they must be booked ahead.

What Parks Victoria lists:

Two more roofs in the park, for different trips. Just Inside the Gate is a self-catering eco-lodge about 10 minutes past Yanakie, with an East Wing for up to four and both wings for up to eight. The lightstation cottages at the far south are reached only on foot, 19.1 km one way from Telegraph Saddle, for a maximum of two nights.

Can you visit Squeaky Beach on a day tour?

Yes. Squeaky Beach is a fixed stop on the wilderness day tour, the small-group hiking tour and the day trip with snacks, all from Melbourne, so you skip the car park problem.

On the wilderness day tour it comes after your hike, and on the small-group tour after the Mount Oberon climb, with a wildlife stop on the way out of the park. You get about five hours in the park across the whole day, so the beach stop is a walk on the sand and photos, not an afternoon.

For a longer look, stay a night at Tidal River: walk to Squeaky in the morning before the car park fills, take the 2pm cruise, and catch the sunset over Norman Bay. The itinerary guide lays out one, two and three days.

The lowest price from Melbourne: lookouts, a self-guided hike of your choice, then Squeaky Beach and wombats on the way out. Park fees included.

★ 4.8 · 12 hours · from $102

Explore the wilderness day tour → Tour details

Frequently asked questions