Self-catering properties
-
Zealandia
- Style
- Hip Fifties beach house
- Setting
- Upscale Portsea
Mornington Peninsula Overview
Victoria
- Coastline
- Bay versus ocean
- Coast life
- The Med comes to Melbourne
Just over an hour from buzzy Melbourne, the mellow Mornington Peninsula combines coast and country, with an enticing mix of exclusive seaside escapes and laid-back rural hamlets.
Victorians have been chilling out at chic Portsea and Sorrento since the early 1900s, drawn by tranquil bayside swimming and the surf-lashed 'back beaches' on the ocean side of this skinny strand, which curves coquettishly towards the mouth of Port Phillip Bay. These days, 'the Peninsula' is a dream destination for those locked in a love affair with fine wine, boutique breweries and gourmet produce: more than 50 cellar doors showcase hallmark pinot noirs and chardonnays, many with award-winning restaurants.
Marvellously Mornington Peninsula
With more than 200 boutique wineries and 50 cellar doors, Mornington Peninsula is a must for wine lovers, with tastings, restaurants and events to savour; visit Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association for details and maps. Take your pick of cool-climate wines, infused with a Mediterranean-style maritime climate. Architecturally sexy Port Phillip Estate in hinterland Red Hill is a tasty place to start a tour. Red Hill is also home to respected Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove , with a café, restaurant, picnic spots and sculpture trail, or head to Red Hill South to award-winning Red Hill Estate. Stonier Wines in the southern village of Merricks is worth a look; if you're further north check out Moorooduc Estate. For three vineyards just 10 minutes apart by tractor, we love Ten Minutes by Tractor on the Mornington-Flinders Road.
Local Knowledge
- Taxis
- For Australia-wide taxis call 131 008; for a reliable local service try Peninsula Taxis (+61 (0)3 5981 2233; www.peninsulataxis.com).
- Siesta and fiesta
- La vida Peninsula may be relaxed but it's not horizontal. The region's proximity to big-smoke Melbourne ensures banks and shops keep fairly standard hours (9am–5pm, Monday–Friday, with some open 10am–4pm or 5pm on weekends). Cafés dish up all day but you may find it hard to order dinner at restaurants after 9pm. Eat earlier, then head to the pubs, which pull pints until 11pm or midnight.
- Packing tips
- Floppy hats, floaty linens and nautical stripes for bayside lounging; a well-honed palette for wine quaffing; mask and snorkel for ducking and diving.
- Recommended reads
- Foodies should pick up a copy of Produce to Platter Mornington Peninsula, a guide to the area's gourmet treats by Jonette George and Daniele Wilton. History buffs will love The Life and Adventures of William Buckley, edited by Tim Flannery and John Morgan, the epic tale of an English convict who escaped Victoria's first settlement at Sorrento in 1803, before battling hunger, thirst and isolation for 32 years on the run around the bay. After befriending local Aborigines and learning their language, Buckley finally returned to colonial life. His against-the-odds survival gave rise to today's slang 'You've got Buckley's, meaning 'no chance', and is also celebrated in Maree Coote's visually lush tome The Melbourne Book – A History of Now.
- Regional specialities
- There's a savvy epicurean sensibility here, with farms, orchards and vineyards blanketing the Peninsula and fuelling passion for seasonal, local produce. Enjoy cool-climate wines benefitting from the Med-style maritime climate, and pick up delicious deli and farm-gate fare, including olive oil, artisan cheese, luscious tomatoes, fruit and veg. Pick your own berries at Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm (www.sunnyridge.com.au), then sink a craft beer at Mornington Peninsula Brewery (www.mpbrew.com.au).
- Currency
- Australian dollar (AU$).
- Time zone
- GMT+10.
- Dialling codes
- Australia country code: +61; Mornington Peninsula: (0)3.
- Do go/don't go
- A great year-round escape, the Peninsula can get hot and dry in summer (December–February), and nippy in winter (June–August), so dress accordingly. School holidays and long weekends draw smart Melburnians by the 4WD-load, so book ahead or aim for the quieter southern coast, away from hotspots Portsea and Sorrento. Wine festivals take the edge off the chill in winter; swimming is warmer in summer.
Don't go home without...
learning to surf. East Coast Surf School (http://eastcoastsurfschool.wordpress.com), run by former women’s champion Prue Latchford, will guide you through the southern Peninsula’s best breaks, from protected, beginner-friendly reefs around Point Leo and Shoreham to wilder ocean waves from Gunnamatta to Portsea for the more experienced. Book a private class or join a group.
