Named in 1881 after a small vessel carrying the boss of the local montage mine ran aground on the beach during a gale force storm, Trial Harbour quickly lost its need as a working harbour after a railway link was established to Zeehan. It is a truly unique costal holiday town worth experiencing.
If the swell is running you will drive over the crest of the hill to see endless lines of white water breaking towards the shore. The only form of accommodation is the free camping area right by the water. The only facility is a solitary public toilet and there are no shops in the town, so you need to be prepared if you plan on staying there for any period. There is also a cool home-based museum where you enter for a donation no matter how small, and it’s full of articles, washed up objects, and little pieces of history from Trial Harbour.
Even swimming can be very dangerous here, so it is not a place to even think of paddling out for a surf unless you are extremely fit as there are strong currents that are not visible from the shore. For the extra-experienced surfer, there is a hollow, heavy reef break that breaks clean when there is a midsize swell and no wind.
For the divers and snorkelers, crayfish and abalone are in abundance if you are lucky enough to arrive on a calm day, and the beaches are well worth throwing a fishing rod in as there is a wide variety of white fish and sharks. Sea-run Trout can also be caught during the trout season.
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