Meet the site
Twin Reefs is the pair of reefs off the rock platforms midway along the Bunurong Coastal Drive, and it is where Parks Victoria's park description places the groups of Port Jackson sharks resting under the ledges that the park is known for, with rock lobsters and zebrafish around the rocks. It is the most exposed of the Bunurong shore dives and the one most often done by boat or by experienced platform divers. The two reefs are outcrops of the same layered Cretaceous sandstone as the shore, standing a short way off the platform with gutters between and around them, their tops in a few metres of water and their outer faces dropping to 12–15 m. The undersides of the reefs are extensively undercut, and it is in those low, wide ledges that the Port Jackson sharks pack together in winter and spring, sometimes a dozen in a row, alongside crayfish, abalone, draughtboard sharks and bullseyes. Blue-throat wrasse, zebrafish, sweep, morwong and leatherjackets work the reef tops and gutters, the walls carry sponges, ascidians and bryozoans, and sea stars and feather stars are abundant. The gutters open onto sand where stingarees, flathead and occasional eagle rays lie. Being offshore, the reefs feel the swell before anything else on this coast and the gully entry from the platform is only safe at high tide on a flat northerly day; the surge in the gutters between the reefs is considerable even then, and Parks Victoria's warnings about currents, undertows and large unexpected waves are most relevant here. On the right morning, however, Twin Reefs offers the best shark-and-cray ledges on the Bunurong coast in a no-take park, and it is a fine boat dive out of Inverloch for those who can time the Anderson Inlet entrance.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Twin Reefs (Bunurong) is recorded as Reef in Bass Coast. The listed access is shore or boat. Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Current and timing
- Ask how the operator assesses the current window for the actual route. Historical tide notes are not a departure instruction.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is Twin Reefs (Bunurong) suitable for my certification?
The record lists Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book Twin Reefs (Bunurong) through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Port Jackson sharks (groups under ledges), southern rock lobster, zebrafish, blue-throat wrasse, sweep, morwong, leatherjackets, draughtboard sharks, bullseyes, abalone, sea stars, feather stars, sponges, stingarees, eagle rays
Location
Pair of offshore reefs and rock platforms on the Bunurong Coastal Drive within Bunurong Marine National Park, between Shack Bay and The Oaks, east of Cape Paterson.
Facilities nearby
Twin Reefs car park and lookout; no toilets (nearest at Cape Paterson); Inverloch boat ramp for boat access; sites are dived by independent divers and Melbourne/Gippsland clubs (SEADS – South East Australian Dive Society, Dive La Trobe, VSAG). Nearest air fills in Melbourne's south-east or by arrangement in the Latrobe Valley.
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
parks.vic.gov.auparks.vic.gov.aumelbourneplaygrounds.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.