Victoria – Peterborough – Shipwreck Coast

Welcome to Peterborough — raw, rugged, and restless. Out here, the wind bites harder, the reef sits closer, and if you’re heading out with a kite, you'd better know your exit plan.

The main beach? It’s for the bold. South to southwesterly winds push in strong and cross-onshore, stirring up punchy swell and a steep, shifting beach face. Offshore reef fingers catch the swell, rip it apart, and re-serve it in unpredictable chunks. It's doable for wave riders — but only if you’re experienced. No patrols, no flatwater, and not much forgiveness.

Now out the back, behind the dunes, there’s Curdies Inlet — a broad, brackish lagoon that looks like a butter-flat playground at first glance. But here’s the rub: while the water’s glassy and tempting, the wind often isn’t. Surrounded by scrub, dunes, and low-lying terrain, the inlet gets blocked out and funneled in weird ways. On a windier days not too much of an issue, but on the lighter ones you might only feel it tickle your canopy and next thing you know doin a cheeky lap. Launching your kite here is basically dragging lines through long grass or reeds, dodging birds and barely scraping enough wind to stay up. It's better suited to kayaking and fishing than foiling or kiting.

If you’re hunting wind, your best bet is to head a bit further — Warrnambool, Port Fairy, or even Yambuk Lake if you’re chasing a combo of wind and space.

Peterborough's beauty is in its bite — but it’s not for mucking around. Know your gear, watch the tide, and leave no trace.