Bells Beach | Torquay

Bells Beach is an internationally famous surf beach located 100 km south-west of Melbourne, on the Great Ocean Road near the towns of Torquay and Jan Juc. Bells Beach is a long, generous, slightly archaic surf break in the Australian state of Victoria. There isn't really much "Beach"at Bells Beach. There is, however, a beautiful rocky cliff, rolling farmland to the north, and the nearby welcoming small town of Torquay, home to two or the surf industry's biggest names, Rip Curl wetsuits, and Quiksilver clothing. Although the beach was 'featured' in the final scene of the film Point Break, the scene was not actually filmed there. Bells Beach is a straight stretch and the beach in the film is a cove with pine trees atop a hill. The beach is named after the family that took up the first pastoral run hereabouts in the 1840s. Easter Festival - Bells Beach Surf Classic Most famously, this is the site of a surfing contest which was first held in 1962, although the competition attained a more official status when it became an interstate Easter event in 1963, making it the longest-running professional surfing event in the world. The consistency and excellence of the surf saw Bells become the site of the world amateur board-riding championships in 1970 and, in the early 1970s, the first surfing reserve in the world. It has since become a fixture on the world professional circuit. In the year 2000 it was listed as a site of historical significance by the Victorian branch of the National Trust.