PLACES TO VISIT ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA

The Mornington Peninsula, only one hour from the City of Melbourne is a scenic and green peninsula with coastal villages surrounded on three sides by the waters of Port Philip and Westernport Bay (with its many surfing beaches) and Bass Strait.

From Seaford the Nepean Highway is the direct route to the Mornington Peninsula, but a more scenic coastal drive begins at Frankston. The coast road takes in Mornington, Dromana, and Rosebud, where the option of a 40-minute chair-lift ride to the top of Arthur's Seat is worth taking.

Then on to Sorrento and the graves of Victoria's first settlers, to Portsea, and the Mornington Peninsula National Park (opened 1988).

At least two days are needed to cover the entire peninsula. Between the bays rich hinterland boasts fine scenic views of grazing pastures, picturesque farms, orchards and rural retreats and scenic diversions inland at Red Hill, Main Ridge and Balnarring will reveal boutique wineries, restaurants, antiques, paintings, pottery and craft centres, historic properties and markets.

On Western Port Bay experience a natural escape to one of Victoria's best kept secrets French Island currently a State park, but soon to become Victoria's newest national park.

The splendour of Melbourne' s Mornington Peninsula is an integral part of the Victorian visitor experience. A trip to the Peninsula can easily be combined with the Great Ocean Road using the ferries that operate between Sorrento and Queenscliff. A passenger only ferry service operates daily from Christmas till Easter, then on School Holidays, travelling the scenic route to Queenslciff giving spectacular view of the clifftop homes, passing the Nepean National Park and often seeing the bay's schools of dolphins [phone 03 5984 1602]. The car and passenger ferry operates all year round departing daily from Sorrento [phone: 03 5258 3244].

Surfing

Somers-Balnarring: Beach and reef breaks best at high tide with a north-west to west wind. Beginners to intermediate.

Point Leo: Reef breaks-Crunchies, Suicide, First reef, Second reef and Honeysuckle. Half to high tide breaks, north to north-west winds. Novice to advanced.

Shoreham-Flinders: All reef breaks. The Pines and The Farm. Half to high tide breaks. Meano's is a left-hander. Cyril's a righthander. North to north-west wind. Novice to advanced stardard.

Gunnamatta-Portsea: Beach and reef breaks work through all tides. North east wind. Novice to advanced depending on wave size.

Mornington Peninsula National Park

25 kilometres of coastal park with spectacular caves, flora, fauna and military history at Point Nepean National Park. Cape Schanck, a rugged headland with 100 metre high cliffs covered by low lying scrub and heathland steps and boardwalks provide access from the rugged cape beaches to the llighthouse which offers guided tours.

French Island

French Island is easily accessed from Seaford, by car or by train to Stony Point. Access to French Island is via the French Island Ferry Service [phone: 03 5979 3722] ferry's operate daily, or by light plane from Moorabbin airport. There is no public transport on French Island, so unless you are only wanting to bush walk it's important to hire a bike or a horse, or book onto one of the several tours available. Eco-Discovery /Tours of Australia 03 9580 6200, provide half day koala adventures including afternoon tea, via ferry $45, via aircraft $90. French Island Trail Rides 03 5979 2273,offer fully catered weekend rides and scenic bush rides. French Island Tours 03 5980 1241, 'drop off and pick up later' service, morning, afternoon and whole day tours.

Arthur's Seat Scenic Park

Arthur's Seat at 300 metres above sea level commands outstanding views over Port Phillip Bay to Melbourne, the mountains of the Great Dividing Range and over Western Port Bay to French Island.

A 74 seat chairlift takes you to the summit of Arthur's Seat. On the 20 minute ride you'll often spot a koala, kangaroo or rosella. There are many short walks from the picnic grounds at the top of Arthur's Seat including Seawinds Botanic Gardens with spectacular scenery and many of William Rickett's sculptures. Also worth a visit is the home of Digger's Seeds, 'Heronswood' at the foot of Arthur's Seat, with it's historic homestead (1871) and beautiful gardens [105 Latrobe Parade, Dromana].

Historic Properties

Coolart Homestead and Wetlands, Lord Somers Road, Somers. Apart from strolling through the beautiful gardens there is the century old homestead. During the week there is self serve tea and coffee available with Devonshire Teas on Sundays. You can also view the waterbirds through one way glass windows before going on to explore the wetland track which winds through bushland.

Mulberry Hill, Golf Links Road, Baxter. Former home of Sir Daryl Lindsay, artist and art administrator and his wife Joan Lindsay, artist and author of 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'. The house was bequeathed to the National Trust and contains a fine collection of art and furniture. Open Sunday for tours at 1.30, 2.15 and 3pm.

McCrae Homestead, 11 Beverly Road, McCrae. Built in 1844 of drop-slab construction, the Homestead contains much original furniture and memorabilia. This National Trust property recreates the life of Scottish migrants the McCrae's.

The Briars, Nepean Highway, Mount Martha, a 225 hectare property with a historic 1840's homestead as well as woodland walks and bird hides to watch the different native birds in their natural habitat.

Antiques

In Seaford there is an excellent antique shop-Two Cans Antiques, in a former bakery where room after room reveals a magnificent showcase of furniture, jewellery, linen and lace from Australia, England and Europe.

The tiny town of Tyabb on the Westernport side of the Peninsula has developed the reputation as an important antique centre-the town. There are two major antique centres-Tyabb Packing House, the largest antiques and collectables centre in the southern hemisphere with over two acres of floor space and the Old Wooden Pew next door offering a wide range of quality furniture, collectables, pottery, china and jewellery [open from Thursday to Sunday] There are also around half a dozen individual shops in the town as well as many tearooms and restaurants. Tyabb is also accessible via the Stony Point train line.

Paintings, Pottery and Craft

Many artists and craftspeople, drawn by the area's natural beauty have chosen to live on the Peninsula-giving the many galleries and craft markets a depth and quality worthy of exploration.

The Barn- on the Bittern Dromana Road is a 'must see' for craft lovers. This craft centre is set in an old coolstore with rooms crammed full of beautiful individual work, with the opportunity to see many of the craftspeople at work. The 'She's Apples' coffee shop provides tasty home made snacks.

Fleece and Spindle-located in the original Langwarrin Post Office, a National Trust property with paintings, pottery, lead lighting, dining & coffee tables, a wide range of local crafts and home preserves. The centre is also the home of Australian Rescued Timbers which salvages and mills suburban log waste, unique and exotic timbers, bark to bark slabs and woodturners blanks

Echidna Crossing-garden gallery and country craft cottage, with fine art, craft, ornamental plants and garden statuary on the Red Hill Shoreham Road, Red Hill South

Peninsula Markets

Many thousands of people make a regular pilgrimage to the markets of the Mornington Peninsula. Be sure to include a visit to at least one of these delightful markets during your stay.

Red Hill Community Market-the first Peninsula Market is still setting the standard over 20 years on. Open the first Saturday Morning monthly from September to May 7am-1pm with over 300 stalls offering you the finest craft, delicious food, plants and farm fresh local produce [Red Hill Recreation Reserve, Melways: 190 J3].

Mornington Racecourse Sunday Craft Market-Open 2nd Sunday of each month 9am - 2pm all produce offered is home cooked, hand made and home grown. There are lot's of excellent food stalls so you can have breakfast or lunch as you wander around. Some of the stalls are now permanently undercover which allows stallholders to display their products throughout the year [Mornington Racecourse, Melways: 146 A4].

Boneo Community Market-Open 3rd Saturday of every month 8am - 12 noon. Located in the heart of the Boneo farming district, the market is a rural delight with all profits funding local community projects.[Boneo Reserve, Cnr Limestone & Boneo Roads, Boneo Melways: 253 A3].

Balnarring 'Emu Plains' Summer Markets-Open 3rd Saturday from November till May 9am-2pm. The market creed is 'Home cooked, hand made, home grown. With excellence.' [Balnarring Racecourse Melways: 163 H9].

Restaurants

In Seaford the Wossle Stip Cafe run by Steve and Ben has scrumptious freshly prepared food. On Fridays and Saturdays there is usually live music ranging from blues to baroque.

In Frankston there are a number of quality restaurants, including Via Mare with its distinctive two storey Miditerranean style giving it a cosmopolitan feel. Its food is innovative with an Italian, seafood based menu. During summer lunch can be enjoyed outside on the upstairs terrace. Tamari is another very popular Frankston restaurant with its modern innovative seafood and vegetarian dishes in a relaxed atmosphere. The Kananook Creek Boathouse (my favourite) has fantastic food, modern Australian style. You can eat indoors by the open fire in winter, or outside on the verandah or creek-side in Summer. There is also an excellent art gallery showcasing different artists regularly.

The Pig and Whistle restaurant at Main Ridge offers the cosy, warm and friendly atmosphere of an English country pub with more than 25 imported beers and a range of local wines. Bar snacks (steak and kidney pudding, gammor etc) are available or there is an excellent modern Australian type menu.

For that special lunch or night out Delgany at Portsea is set in a beautiful building modelled on an old Scottish castle set on a hill surrounded by 5 hectares of manicured garden. Lunch is served either poolside or in the restaurant and on Sunday's there is live entertainment.

The Peak restaurant on the summit of Arthurs Seat offers panoramic views across Port Phillip Bay with local produce including emu, bay fish & crustaceans and Flinders mussels. On Friday and Saturday evenings there is live music. The Vinotheque Bar offers light snacks and nibbles as well as morning and afternoon tea on the garden terrace overlooking the restaurant's own vineyard, and the Bay.