In the interest of full disclosure I've never 'hung ten'. Or even 5... So as a non surfer what was Bells Beach like? Well it is nice to see a place that's famous even if in a sphere you don't normally swim in. But for the non surfer the appeal is that it's quite an interesting little cove and beach. It's darn near perfect in shape with cliffs surrounding in. There are multiple lookouts there where you can get good views and watch the surfers do their thing. There is a reasonable amount of parking and facilities and you can include checking the place out in between checking out Jan Juc Beach and Bird Rock Lookout. So even if you aren't a surfer this is still a worthwhile piece of coastline to check out.

For the seasoned surfer, Bells beach renowned for its yearly Rip Curl pro surfing competition which attracts the international elite of its sport, offers long waves & big swells that are a board riders paradise. The surrounding headland provides a great vantage point to view the competition or just watch the aerial views on display by the daily surfers who attempt to master the waves. Acknowledgement is given to the land that was first home to the Gulidjan aboriginal peoples. Bells beach has brought great prominence to such surfing legends as: Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Mark Occhilupo. Its iconic long winding, wooden staircase & stunning sunsets make for a photographers dream. This is a must stop in Torquay along your drive on the Great Ocean Road.

Next off to Bell Beach, about a 30 min drive away. Quite a few people around and plenty of surfers (perhaps the dregs from the the recent RipCurl Pro-Surfing competition. The swell was beckoning, so after snagging a few rad pipes, we dried off and ventured further south.