Mornington Peninsula Weekend Roadtrip
A hop, skip & jump out of Melbourne’s CBD and you’re rewarded with a stunning coastline along with some of the countries best wine.
Sunshine, wine and glassy water. They all spring to mind when I think of the Mornington Peninsula. People come from around the country to experience the flavours of Australia with some of the best vineyards around. With tasting rooms flowing into outdoor dining areas overlooking the luscious green hills, it’s not hard to see why so many fall in love with this region. Only a little over an hour out of the city and you’re rewarded with the perfect weekend escape.
Starting the weekend with a round at one of Australia’s best golf courses in St Andrews lets you appreciate the vast open landscapes that sprawl out to the waters edge. Sand bunkers on a golf course are given a whole new meaning this close to the ocean when you find yourself building sand castles to straighten up a shot and land it somewhere grassy. You’re spoilt for choice down this way when it comes to courses with Eagle Ridge also being a nice little challenge for the sand wedge and for those looking for more cliff side wave action alongside the green in Flinders Golf Club.
Once you’re ready to put the feet up and relax, Peninsula Hot Springs is your go to for anything and everything. Ice baths, saunas, massage rooms, live music as you watch the sun drop behind the hills while letting the muscles soak up the natural springs. This property truely is something special with so many different options and even a hotel planned in the coming months. If you can’t wait that long to seek some shelter there are currently glamping tent style function areas available for hire to make the perfect party. The sheer size of this place makes you feel like you’re a world away from the city giving the word tranquility a whole new meaning. If you’re lucky enough to score a seat in their famous clifftop pool, you will truely be in for a treat with 360 degree views of the peninsula.
There are no shortage of day time activities through the summer from strawberry picking in Red Hill, to surfing the back beach in Rye. Rising with the sun we headed down to Cape Shank Lighthouse to kick the Sunday off. Sitting on what feels like the edge of the earth is Victoria’s oldest lighthouse just moments from the RACV Cape Shank Resort. Once the drone took to the sky, looking down I realised how quickly we had become so isolated in this magical part of the state while also realising just how many unique little rock pools laid below which were completely hidden as we stood on the lookout point.
While you have an abundance of wineries at your doorstep, you would be hard pressed to find any better than the award winning Jackalope Hotel which houses the casual yet ever so tasty restaurant “Rare Hare” and the more intimate in “Doot Doot Doot”. It was no surprise to see the rain room pop up in the city in connection with the designers of this hotel as they nail every bit of creative design both inside and out, on and off the plate. Hosting many functions with the perfect back drop through the amazing valley, if you’re driving past these gates and don’t stop in… you must be lost.
Finding a spot along the water to watch the sun go down as you share your fish and chips with the friendly seagulls is all too easy with what feels like never ending coast line. Wrapping around the bay my personal favourite beach being Blairgowrie with it’s incredibly glassy waters and next to no tourist traffic. Looking for the best dinner? It’s hard to go past David Prosser Seafoods just meters from the Rye Pier. It would be hard to recommend the best spot in Sorrento as there are so many quality options but let me tell you, if you find yourself here mid morning then it would be incredibly rude not to try out the bakery for their famous French Vanilla Slices while later on a go to spot Hotel Sorrento.
Here’s the best weekend suitcase I’d recommend for the trip.
