"THE RIP"--DANGEROUS ENTRANCE TO PORT PHILLIP BAY

THE RIP

THE DANGEROUS ENTRANCE TO 

PORT PHILLIP BAY

     The 'Rip"or 'Heads' refers to the 3.5 km  opening into Port Phillip Bay from Bass Strait. About 1 km of the gap is open for large ships and a qualified pilot is required to enter and exit800 m inside the Heads is a rocky shelf  and the depth changes from 30 meters to 90 meters or more causing a fast flow of watr under some tidal conditions.I have passed through the Heads in a large ship and it did 'rock and roll'

It is a beautiful part of the Greater Melbourne area and Point Nepean and Point Lonsdale and Queencliff are special places for the view of the sea, scenery and shippings going in and out.