Bunurong Marine Park, Marine protected area in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia

Bunurong Marine Park is a 1,203-hectare marine protected area along 12 kilometres of South Gippsland coastline between Coal Point and Wreck Creek, gazetted on 17 December 1991. Its broad rock platforms and underwater reefs lie off Harmers Haven, Cape Paterson and Inverloch, about 140 kilometres southeast of Melbourne. The adjoining 93-hectare Bunurong Coastal Park, gazetted in June 1984, covers the narrow strip of public land beside it.

The 1903 discovery of Australia's first dinosaur bone, called the Cape Paterson Claw, took place here and established the location as a significant paleontological site. This find brought scientific attention to the region's fossil-bearing rocks and their importance for understanding prehistoric life.

The Bunurong Aboriginal people maintained deep ties to this coastline for many generations, drawing on the area's resources and leaving traces through shell middens visible today. Visitors can observe these archaeological markers that tell the story of sustained occupation and connection to the sea.

Multiple entry points along the Inverloch-Cape Paterson Road offer access to the park, with dedicated parking areas and newly built staircases leading down to the beaches. Wear sturdy shoes as rocky sections can be slippery, and different access points vary in difficulty depending on where you want to explore.

Eagles Nest, a large rock formation at the eastern end of the marine national park, resembles the top half of a map of Australia. At Flat Rocks, large rockpools allow rockpool rambling with direct access from Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road. Australia's first dinosaur bone, the Cape Paterson Claw, was found at Eagles Nest beach in 1903 by William Ferguson; over 6,000 bones and teeth have since been excavated, and the Inverloch Shell Museum displays a dinosaur exhibition.