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Latest News
Close X16 November 2026
Hooded Plover breeding season update – chicks and new nests
There’s more Hooded Plover nesting activity along our coastline, with two new nests recorded at Thirteenth Beach and Ocean Grove Main Beach.
11 November 2026
Upcoming temporary closure – 13th Beach sand ramp beach access and car park
Expressions of interest are now open for temporary summer food vendor permits across Barwon Coast Caravan Parks from 19 December 2026 to 31 January 2027.
9 November 2026
Hooded Plover update: three chicks thriving and a new nest
Three chicks thriving and a new nest
5 November 2026
Three Hooded Plover chicks hatch at Barwon Bluff South
Three chicks have hatched at Barwon Bluff South
3 November 2026
Hooded Plover update – two active nests
Two nests have failed and two remain along our coastline.
Key Project Dates
August 2022
Name Advised by Wadawurrung Traditional Owners 100%
December 2022
Community Consultation Open 100%
31 January 2023
Community Consultation Closes 100%
June 2023
Name Gazetted 100%
26 August 2023
Community Celebration Event 100%
Bukareeyoo. Returning language to Country.
Published on 30 November 2022
Returning Language to Country.
Bukareeyoo (pronounced Book-ar-ree-yoo) is the name that has been returned to the area of land known informally as the Ocean Grove Spit.
Community celebration event
The new name was gazetted on 29 June 2023, and to celebrate we are invited our communities to join us and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation to celebrate the return of Wadawurrung language to this very special area of Wadawurrung Country.
Learn more about Bukareeyoo
Sarah Eccles, Wadawurrung woman and Healthy Country Project Officer (Warri and coastal Dja at Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation) explains:
It means a lot to see our Dja (Country) being named in Wadawurrung language and we appreciate the interest and support already shown for the name Bukareeyoo.
Wadawurrung people have our own language that is strongly connected to our Dja and people. Our old people spoke Wadawurrung fluently, but this was disrupted for many years. We are respecting our Elders wishes in reviving our language.
Having a Wadawurrung language name will help those who enjoy this cultural landscape understand whose traditional country it is, the cultural values it holds and ongoing connections it has to Wadawurrung people.
The partnership with Barwon Coast in working with us to bring Wadawurrung language back to Dja is deeply valued and in the spirit of Koling wada-ngal (let us walk together).
Project Overview
The area of land known informally as Ocean Grove Spit is Wadawurrung Country. Bukareeyoo is the name for this area of land. Bukareeyoo is a Wadawurrung word which means ‘between’. Bukareeyoo sits between two waters – the ocean and the river. Wadawurrung People would traditionally visit this area in the warm summer weather to camp and fish.
Bukareeyoo is used over summer and Easter periods as a campground and otherwise as a general recreation area. The seasonal campground on Bukareeyoo, formerly known as ‘Riverside Campground’ will be named Bukareeyoo Campground. This will come into effect for the Summer 2024 camping season.
It is a culturally significant place to Wadawurrung, with evidence of people gathering, connecting, and feasting here for thousands of generations within the midden sites. These cultural heritage values are captured and described in a Cultural Heritage Management Plan.
Wadawurrung people continue to come to Bukareeyoo, a place where we see the beautiful sunrise on our Warri (salt water), a place of fishing, caring for it, and connecting.
The new name was given to this area by the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. The process of naming Bukareeyoo is guided by the Geographic Place Names Act 1998 and the 2022 Naming rules for places in Victoria. The new name was gazetted in June 2023. Barwon Coast is the designated land manager for Bukareeyoo and we are committed to working alongside the Wadawurrung People to care for this area of the coast.
Wadawurrung Country
Wadawurrung Country encompasses an area from the Great Dividing Range near Ballaarat (Ballarat) to the Bay at Werribi (Werribee) and along the coast to Mangowak (Airey’s Inlet). It includes Djilang (Geelong), Ballaarat, the Bellawiyn (Bellarine) Peninsula and Surf Coast. More information is available at www.wadawurrung.org.au
How Do I Say Bukareeyoo?
Wadawurrung representatives and Barwon Coast staff meeting on Bukareeyoo.
ℹ️ Service disruption – Microsoft outage
Barwon Coast is currently experiencing some system disruptions due to the global Microsoft issue, which may affect our ability to respond to enquiries as quickly as usual.
If your enquiry is urgent, please give us a call on (03) 5254 1118.
Thanks for your patience and understanding. We`ll keep you updated and let you know when we are back to normal.Open post by barwoncoast with ID 17929250781430885
A little kindness goes a long way.
This World Kindness Day, we`re encouraging everyone in our coastal communities to show kindness to one another, to our environment and to the people who care for it.
Our Barwon Coast team works hard, and with heart, every day to care for the coast we all love. Whether they`re maintaining our beaches and facilities, protecting our natural environment or helping visitors enjoy their time on the coast, they do so with pride and dedication.
We ask our community to extend the same care and respect to our staff that they show to our coastline.
A friendly smile, a kind word or a simple thank you can make someone`s day. Be kind to each other. Be kind to our staff. Be kind to our coast. 💙Open post by barwoncoast with ID 18117989651177046
The coastal skies can be so much more interesting than just clear blue (although we do love a sunny day on the coast!). This pic by one of our clever staff members gives yet another new perspective on the Bluff, sea and skies 🤩 What a magical place to live, work or visit - we are so lucky.
Open post by barwoncoast with ID 18030846653916129
A little chick, with a watchful parent close by! 🐣
Filmed on Monday at Barwon Bluff, this Hooded Plover chick is one of three that hatched last week. All three chicks were last sighted yesterday and are still going strong!
A big thank you to Friends of the Hooded Plover Bellarine for their incredible work monitoring these vulnerable birds and for sharing this precious footage with us.
Please continue to respect beach closures and follow signed detours to give these little ones the best chance of survival.Open post by barwoncoast with ID 17870379807676431
🚧 Temporary beach access closure – Thirteenth Beach
The car park and beach access path at Thirteenth Beach sand ramp beach access (Emergency Marker THI182, formerly 40W) will be temporarily closed on Friday 13 November 2026 for essential track surface repairs.
Works are expected to take one day.
Thanks for your patience while we complete these important maintenance works to keep our coastal access tracks safe.Open post by barwoncoast with ID 17913952881474350
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."
– Laurence Binyon, For the Fallen
Today, we honour those who have served and sacrificed in times of war, conflict and peacekeeping.
We also acknowledge the service and sacrifice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have served in defence of our country and the freedoms we enjoy today.
At 11 am, we join Australians across the country in observing one minute`s silence to remember all who have served and sacrificed.
Lest we forget. 🌺Open post by barwoncoast with ID 17894808372457653
💙 Hooded Plover update – Three chicks and a new nest!
Some positive news from our coast today (9 November)!
🐣 Barwon Bluff South: All three chicks are now five days old and were spotted foraging on the intertidal reef this morning.
🥚 Thirteenth Beach at Boings: A new nest has been discovered with three eggs!
How you can help:
💙 Do not enter the closed section of beach between The Bluff Dune South and The Hole beach accesses.
💙 Follow the signed pedestrian detours.
💙 At Thirteenth Beach at Boings, keep dogs on lead and walk close to the waterline.
💙 Follow local signage and give nesting birds and chicks plenty of space.
Thank you for helping give these vulnerable shorebirds the best chance of survival! And a big thank you to Friends of the Hooded Plover Bellarine for their ongoing monitoring efforts and for sharing this wonderful video with us!
Find out more, including the beach closure map, on our website news section (link in bio).Open post by barwoncoast with ID 18118997903333198
The magic of the sun rising over this beautiful stretch of coastline will never be taken for granted - at Barwon Coast, we count ourselves lucky to be tasked with caring for the coast. Do you love to catch a sunrise, or a sunset, at the beach? Where are the best vantage points? What about a sunrise swim, like the @sunrise.hunter_ group that meets every morning at Ocean Grove Main Beach all year round?
Open post by barwoncoast with ID 18116099363118368
📣 Did you know you can report an issue via our website?
Whether it`s vandalism to one of the facilities we manage, a maintenance issue or something else that needs fixing, you can let us know using our online reporting form.
Our team will review your report as soon as possible and follow up where required.
💻 Report an issue via our website (link in bio)
Thanks for helping us care for our coast!
P.S. This is an old picOpen post by barwoncoast with ID 17912764764576019
💙 Three Hooded Plover chicks have hatched at Barwon Bluff South! 🐣
Three Hooded Plover chicks hatched today (5 November), marking a positive milestone in this year`s breeding season.
To protect the chicks, a temporary beach closure is being established between The Bluff Dune South and The Hole beach accesses for approximately five weeks, until the chicks can fly and are considered self-sufficient.
💙 Please respect the closure and follow local signage and barriers.
💙 Follow the signed pedestrian detour or explore one of our other beautiful local beaches while the chicks grow.
💙 Keep dogs away from the protected area and give the chicks plenty of space.
A big thank you to the Friends of the Hooded Plover – Bellarine volunteers for their ongoing efforts!
Read the full update, including the beach closure map on our news story on our website - link in bioOpen post by barwoncoast with ID 18167792071514931
This is Wadawurrung Country. We acknowledge the Wadawurrung People as the Traditional Owners of the land, waters, seas and skies of Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, 13th Beach, Black Rock and Breamlea. We honour and say Nyatne to Elders past, present and future whose ancestors, for thousands of years, have cared for this part of Dja (Country). We are committed as an organisation to meaningfully work together with Traditional Owners to make Wadawurrung Culture and Country strong.
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