Hastings Jetty is one place to escape to on the Mornington Peninsula

When I think of the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria I think of summer holidays at the beach. Yes, I’ve spent a few summers there, but the Mornington Peninsula has so much more to offer. There’s its great cold climate grape growing wineries, great walks, fabulous ocean views and good food in the restaurants and cafes. So if you are considering visiting the Mornington Peninsula there is something for everyone. 

Yes, no matter if you are visiting the Mornington Peninsula as a solo traveller, as a couple on a romantic weekend getaway, with friends for a fun time or with your family, there is plenty to see and do on the Mornington Peninsula. Read on to find out some of the best things to see and do on the Mornington Peninsula. No matter who you are with and no matter the season you visit there is always something to see and do.

What and Where is the Mornington Peninsula?

The Mornington Peninsula is a local government area south-east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is some 724 square kilometres big. Putting this into perspective you could drive from one side to the other in about half an hour. Three sides of it are bound by water. Port Phillip Bay one side. The Pacific Ocean on another, and the calm waters in Western Point Bay on the other. The other side is the inland side. Check out the map.

map showing where Mornington Peninsula is in relation to Melbourne

How to Get to the Mornington Peninsula

If you are heading to the Mornington Peninsula you have three options to get there.

Drive to the Mornington Peninsula. The best way to get to the Mornington Peninsula is to drive. It is linked to Melbourne by a number of major roads including the Monash Freeway (M1) and Eastlink (M3) leading to the Peninsula Link (M11). You could even drive along the coastal rug hugging Port Phillip Bay, the Nepean Highway.

Take Public Transport to the Mornington Peninsula. If you don’t have a car to drive yourself to the Mornington Peninsula you can always rent one. I rent my cars through DiscoverCars. Or you can get to the Mornington Peninsula by public transport. Take a train to Frankston Train Station. Then you can catch a train taking you to areas on the Westernport side of the Mornington Peninsula. Or catch a bus taking you through the suburbs along the Port Phillip side. This bus route is quite scenic as it hugs the coast. Get details at Public Transport Victoria.

Go by Ferry to the Mornington Peninsula. Alternatively, take the Queenscliff (on the Bellarine Peninsula) to Sorrento vehicle and passenger ferry (Searoad Ferries). It operates 7am to 6pm and connects with Point Nepean Road at Sorrento.

Where to Stay on the Mornington Peninsula

The Mornington Peninsula is an easy day trip from Melbourne, however, if you want to stay longer, good news is, there is plenty of accommodation available. Yes, accommodation ranges from motel rooms to renting a house to house sitting with everything else in between. To find something that will suit your budget check out  accommodation options on the Mornington Peninsula at Booking.com.

Best Things to See and Do on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Get ready to discover the best of things to see and do on the Mornington Peninsula. No matter whether you want to kick back and relax or be active, you will be able to escape to the Mornington Peninsula however you like. Here is my favourite things to do on the Mornington Peninsula.

1. Get Great Views at Arthurs Seat

As you approach the Mornington Peninsula, Arthurs Seat a small mountain or granite hill extending 304 metres above sea level. It stands tall overlooking the peninsula and will be the first thing you see. If you are wondering about the name. When the  British explorers who first arrived on the Mornington Peninsula saw the mountain, they thought it looked a lot like Arthurs Seat in Edingburgh, Scotland, so named it so. And one of the best things to do when visiting the Mornington Peninsula is to visit the Arthurs Seat summit.

Going to the top, either driving or going on the Arthurs Seat Eagle, a cable car, will provide fabulous views over the peninsula. The cable car runs between Dromana and the top of Arthurs Seat. If driving to the top of Arthurs Seat, there are a couple of viewing points you can pull in to, for the great views. Be careful of oncoming traffic before you turn as the road is quite windy to the top.

Arthurs Seat Eagle is open daily except for Wednesday with an adult return ticket costing just under $30. The Summit Station is at 795 Arthurs Seat Road, Arthurs Seat with the Base Station at 1085 Arthurs Seat Road, Dromana. If you don’t want to go for a gondola ride, you could enjoy a coffee in the Eagle Cafe. There are a number of beautiful parks you could walk around at the Arthurs Seat summit and enjoy a picnic lunch or BBQ that you could cook yourself on the free BBQs.

You know you are almost there when you see Arthurs Seat.

Take the cable car to the top or down to Dromana

view from the top of Arthurs Seat looking over Dromana and Port Phillip Bay

2. Hit the Mornington Peninsula Beaches

As you saw on the map, the Mornington Peninsula is surrounded by beaches on three sides. And the beaches of the Mornington Peninsula are a big drawcard to any Mornington Peninsula holiday. You have the calm bay beaches on Port Bay Bay which are great for families visiting the Mornington Peninsula with kids. There is plenty of golden sounds to sit and play on with clear water to cool off in. Some of the beaches along the Mornington Peninsula like Dromana, Rye, Rosebud, Portsea and McCrae have some colourful beach boxes to look at.

The back beaches, Balnarring Beach, Merricks Beach, Shoreham Beach and Flinders offer great swimming and fishing and protected by Church Island and Phillip Island from the big surf. and then you have the surf beaches. Then there are the surf beaches of Gunnamatta Surf Beach, St Andrews Beach and Rye Ocean Beach that face Bass Straight. It is the body of water separating mainland Australia to Tasmania. These beaches have surf life savers in summer but not winter. Surfing enthusiasts will love riding the waves here.

see the beach boxes scattered along the beaches

3. Taste the Local Wine

One of the best things to do on the Mornington Peninsula is to discover and taste the local wine. You will be spoilt for choice as there are more than 200 vineyards, 60 wineries and at least 50 cellar doors on the Mornington Peninsula. The area is world-renowned for its excellent cool-climate wines, particularly chardonnays and pinot noirs. If you fancy sampling the wines get yourself a Mornington Peninsula wine touring map. Some of my favourite wineries include Montalto, Crittenden Estate, Main Ridge Estate, Red Hill Estate and Ten Minutes by Tractor. As you can tell, I like my wine and the Mornington Peninsula, besides the Yarra Valley is one of the best places if you love wine. And also dining, as many of the wineries have a restaurant.

It is easy to self-drive through the Mornington Peninsula visiting its wineries however, if you want to sample the wines and not be worried about being over the alcohol limit of driving in Australia, there are a number of guided tours to take you. Most are day tours from Melbourne, but I believe they will pick you up on the Mornington Peninsula if you request.

4. Enjoy the local produce

Pair your wine tasting by eating the local produce of the Mornington Peninsula. You can go picking it yourself. Picking strawberries is a fun thing to do with the kids while hunting for truffles is an experience the adults might like! If you prefer you can just enjoy the food in one of many local cafes and restaurants. There are many that line Point Nepean Road. I favour Wildflower Cafe in McCrae and Nordie in Red Hill, Rye Hotel in Rye and the Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery in Flinders (sister shop to the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery) to name a few. I could go on, but I am making myself hungry.

If on the Mornington Peninsula on the right day of the week, you could visit one of markets. The Dromana Indoor Market with 80+ stall holders is open daily. Every Sunday check out the Bittern Sunday Market or on the first Saturday of every month is my favourite market – the Red Hill Markets. You’ll find over 300 stalls of gourmet produce, fresh fruit and vegetables plus crafts. Get details of markets on the Mornington Peninsula Shire website.

enjoy a chocolate or ice cream at the Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery

5. Relax at the Mornington Peninsula Hot Springs

If wanting a relaxing experience why not kick back at the Mornington Peninsula Hot Springs. A visit to the Peninsula Hot Springs is definitely one of the top things to do on the Mornington Peninsula. I have been lucky enough to visit the hot springs several times and they are some of the best thermal baths I have visited. Enjoy a relaxing massage to soaking in the 20 or so public and private thermal pools to enjoying a glass of wine while sharing a plate of goodies, I’d totally recommend a day visit to the Peninsula Hot Springs. I’m feeling relaxed just thinking about the experience. Whether you choose to enjoy the views from the highest thermal pool or brave the cold in the ice cave, you can hide away from the hustle and bustle of Mornington Peninsula life and completely unwind. And during the visit, check out the cafe and restaurant – this is the only time it is acceptable to wear a robe to lunch!

6. Take in the Views at Cape Schank Lighthouse

Cape Schanck Lighthouse is a prominent feature in the Mornington Peninsula landscape. It was built in 1859 making it the second oldest lighthouse in Victoria. Standing at 21 metres tall it rises high above the rugged cliffs. Still in operation, the Cape Schanck Lighthouse helps guide seafaring vessels into Port Phillip Bay. The view from the top is pretty spectacular with crashing waves on the rocks below and along the wild Victorian coastline. And you can sometimes see whales as they migrate between May and October.

While at the lighthouse, there are a number of walks you can go on. Walk around the grounds visiting the lighthouse assistant keepers house which is now a small museum. Perhaps walk down to Bushrangers Bay. This rocky bay was named after two escaped convicts, Henry Bradley and Patrick O’Connor and they came ashore here leading police on a merry chase. Eventually captured, they were hung in Melbourne Gaol, now know as Old Melbourne Gaol and not a gaol anymore, but a great museum to visit. It is also the place Ned Kelly, Australia’s most notorious bushranger was hung. Back to Bushrangers Bay, if you walk to it you will be treated to wild surf, basalt cliffs with plenty of coastal native Banksia.

Cape Schank Light House

Bushrangers Bay

7. Go for a Walk

Get some exercise in while visiting the Mornington Peninsula by going on one of the many walks. There are different walks that take you along some of the most scenic walks in Australia. And a must walk is ‘Millionaires Walk’. Located between Lentell Avenue and Point King Road in Sorrento. You will walk past exquisite mansions that overlook Port Phillip Bay. There is also the Sorrento to Portsea Artists’ Trail displaying paintings that are positioned as close to the scene depicted in the painting as possible. 

sign in McCrae

8. Visit the Local Towns and Villages

Dotted across the Mornington Peninsula are many small towns and villages. Drive along Point Nepean Highway and you will pass through many of them – Mornington, Safety Beach, Dromana, McCrae, Rosebud down to Sorrento and Portsea. On the Western Port Side visit Flinders, Bittern and Hastings and while driving from one side of the peninsula to the other check out Main Ridge and Red Hill. These are just a selection of the Mornington Peninsula towns and villages, each being unique in their own way.

9. Discover Point Nepean National Park

Point Nepean National Park is a national park with historic forts at the end of the Mornington Peninsula. It is open daily to cars between 6am to 6pm and 6am to 8pm during daylight savings. Pedestrians and cyclists can enter and exit the park any time. You may want to check out the visitor centre first for ideas and a map of what to see and do in the park. Perhaps hire a bike to ride around the park or if you prefer, walk on one of the walking tracks. Bring your swimmers and maybe have a dip in the bay beach.

If wanting to visit some of the historic buildings you can visit the Gunners Cottage and selected buildings in the Quarantine Station from 9am to 4:30pm daily.

The Quarantine Station operated from the 1850s until 1979 in order to manage infectious diseases within Victoria. There are 50 heritage-listed buildings which make-up the Quarantine Station. You can enter most of them and see artefacts dating back more than 150 years. Point Nepean was chosen as the first permanent quarantine station in Victoria because of its isolation, easy access to shipping, and deep-water anchorage. This self-guided walk will take you to other buildings such as the Medical Superintendent’s Quarter, The Parade Ground (used for marching by Officer Cadets School), Quarantine Station Jetty and Passenger Waiting Room and the Disinfecting and Bathing Complex to name a few. It is a very interesting place to see which primary and high school aged kids might enjoy as will those interested in history.

10. Catch a Movie at the Dromana Drive-in

The Dromana Drive in has been showing movies since 1962. Going to the Drive-in cinema was one of the things to do over 30 years ago. There are three screens and a 1950’s style movie diner. What a great way to end a day on the Mornington Peninsula with a movie and movie snacks from the diner. To find out the latest films and screening times check out their website.

11. Enjoy some watersports

Everyone comes to the Mornington Peninsula for different reasons. With all the things to see and do on the Mornington Peninsula many like to enjoy the water sports. As three sides of the peninsula is lapped by water plenty come to play in the water. Most like to cool off in the waters on hot summer days while others like to throw a line in to catch some fish for dinner. There are a number of places to launch a boat or jetski. If you want to snorkel or scuba dive, you could do that too!

Are You Ready to Visit the Mornington Peninsula?

Visiting the Mornington Peninsula is one of my favourite holiday destinations. Living and working in Melbourne gives me the perfect opportunity to visit the Morning Peninsula for an easy day trip, a weekend break of a week long holiday. I hope you get to enjoy it too whether you live local, travelling Australia or visiting from interstate or overseas! Have you been to the Mornington Peninsula? I’d love to hear.