Bridgewater Bay is located between 50 m high Cape Nelson and 130 m high Cape Bridgewater. Both capes have basalt cores, that are remnants of an extinct volcano, and are capped by extensive dune calcarenite. The bay faces south and receives high waves and strong winds. The eastern 1.5 km of the bay contains three south-west facing beaches. They are backed by dune-capped calcarenite slopes and bluffs rising to 100 m. There is no direct access to these beaches and a 4WD and local knowledge are required to locate them. The first, Bridgewater Bay Beach 1, is 1 km long and swings around to face west against Cape Nelson. It receives some protection from the cape and extensive offshore reefs, with waves averaging between 1 and 1.5 m. These result in a single attached bar, which is more sheltered toward the cape, but has higher waves and rips toward the north. The second two Bridgewater Bay Beaches are smaller and rich in shells. They are also bordered and broken up by low calcarenite bluffs, rocks and reefs and receive waves averaging more than 1.5 m. As a result, they have a 200 m wide surf zone with an inner, rip dominated bar and an outer bar. read more

Beach Length: 0.2km