GUNNAMATTA Right: Just another day on the job for Sean Weill of Gunnamatta Surf Lifesaving Club Below: Jack Liszukiewicz on a wave back into shore
By Joe Novella Photos Gary Sissons
G
unnamatta is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Peninsula. A place that is loved by locals and visitors alike for its wide sandy beach, wild surf and rugged coastline. Found at the end of Truemans Road, its majestic oceanscape is hidden from view by sand dunes, but once climbed, the salty tang of the onshore breeze fills the nostrils and a wide-blue ocean awaits.
E ssence
24 | PENINSULA
February 2020
On good days you can see the lighthouse at Cape Schanck to the south and St Andrews to the north west. On more interesting days when the wind is up and coming from the south or west, you are likely to have the place to yourself. But there is a darker side to all this magnificent beauty; Gunnamatta is notorious for its rips and high energy swells that unfortunately have resulted in tragic loss of life and a reputation as one of Victoria’s most dangerous beaches.