Anderson Inlet (

Boonwurrung The Boonwurrung people are an Aboriginal people of the Kulin nation, who are the traditional owners of the land from the Werribee River to Wilsons Promontory in the Australian state of Victoria. Their territory includes part of what is now the c ...

: ''Toluncan''), sometimes incorrectly referred to as Andersons Inlet, is a shallow and dynamic

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

South Gippsland South Gippsland, a region of Gippsland in Victoria, Australia, is a well-watered region consisting of low, rolling hills descending to the coast in the south and the Latrobe Valley in the north. Low granite hills continue into Wilsons Promon ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

where the

Tarwin River The Tarwin River is a perennial river of the West Gippsland catchment, located in the South Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria. The Tarwin River is the primary river system within South Gippsland Shire and has a catchment area ...

enters

Bass Strait Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The strait provides the most direct waterwa ...

. It forms a almost enclosed bay next to the town of Inverloch, for which it provides a popular and protected beach. At low tide its intertidal

mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...

s provide important feeding habitat for migratory

wader 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...

s. It is also an important area for

recreational fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing ...

. It is named after Samuel Anderson pioneer explorer the first European to settle in the area.

Tourism

Inverloch is an important tourist town, with visitor numbers swelling in the summer months due to the coastal lifestyle and proximity to Melbourne. Anderson Inlet's popularity is hinged on the almost-enclosed bay, making it a protected beach with safe swimming. At low tide the surf beach can be accessed on foot around the western headland. Anderson Inlet is also a popular recreational boating area with a boat ramp jetty. Because of its tidal nature, the areas where vessels can operate is restricted for the safety of the tourists as the depth of the water varies. Knowledge of the inlet is a must to cross the bar and the operators of vessels are required to carry tide tables while going out in the water. Anderson Inlet is also a base for many walking and cycling trails including the Screw Creek Nature Trail and the

Bass Coast Rail Trail The Bass Coast Rail Trail is a Rail trail located in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The trail has been constructed along a section of the former Wonthaggi line. The trail starts at the former Anderson station and finis ...

which is Victoria's only coastal rail trail. The inlet is close to national parks including the Anderson Inlet Coastal Reserve and the

Bunurong Marine and Coastal Park The Bunurong Marine and Coastal Park () collectively are a marine park and a coastal park located along the reef and coast of Harmers Haven, Cape Paterson and Inverloch in the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Collectively, the ...

Birds

Anderson Inlet is classified by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

. It supports internationally significant numbers (up to over 6,000 individuals) of

red-necked stint The red-necked stint (''Calidris ruficollis'') is a small migratory wader. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific ''ruficollis'' is from ...

. It has also been known to support the critically endangered

orange-bellied parrot The orange-bellied parrot (''Neophema chrysogaster'') is a small parrot endemic to southern Australia, and one of only three species of parrot that migrate. It was described by John Latham in 1790. A small parrot around long, it exhibits sex ...

, with six birds seen there in 1998 and two in 1999.

Gallery

Inverloch Jetty 2007.JPG, The jetty on the inlet at Inverloch during high tide Calidris ruficollis P4233842.jpg, Anderson Inlet's intertidal mudflats are of world importance for

References

External links

Screw Creek Nature Walk

Bass Coast Rail Trail

Bunurong Marine Park

Anderson Inlet Coastal Reserve
Bays of Victoria (Australia) Important Bird Areas of Victoria (Australia) Gippsland Inlets of Australia {{Gippsland-geo-stub