Food, Wine and Walking: Mornington Peninsula

Welcome to the Mornington Peninsula! Arrive by 8.30am at Frankston train station (approx. 1 hour by train from Melbourne CBD) where you will meet your fellow travellers, RAW Travel guide and bus driver.

Then you’ll be transferred to nearby Mornington where we’ll have a coffee and thorough briefing with your leader about the week ahead as we take in views of the picturesque harbour. Today we start with an easy walk from the Mornington foreshore framed by red sandstone cliffs and iconic bathing boxes of Mills beach. We’ll follow a trail that takes us to the clifftop mansions and beautiful gardens of Beleura Hill from where you can get great views of Port Phillip and then meet our driver and van.

Please note: The 1km clifftop section of this walk is currently closed due to storm damage and an amendment to this route will be advised if this affects your departure.

From here it’s a 20-minute transfer to the gateway of the wine region, picturesque Red Hill where we commence our next walk. The trail to Merricks follows an old railway line and is a leisurely downhill walk on a wide path past vineyards and avenues of cedar trees. Passing rolling pastures on either side you will get some beautiful views of Westernport Bay across to Phillip Island.

Walking into the coastal village of Merricks we will take lunch a the Iconic general store, with a delicious menu that reflects the seasons and local produce available. There is also some excellent local wines to be sampled at the informal cellar door experience here, showcasing some local favourites.

Afterwards we transfer to Point Leo Estate with its stunning architecture and sculpture park by the sea. This prestigious winery will open its Cellar Door to offer a bespoke wine experience that is both informative and entertaining with the highly awarded winemaking team, where you will sample fragrant white grape varieties in the sunshine, sipping on a red for the cooler days – or perhaps a bit of each! Afterwards we wander the beautiful Sculpture park which includes includes works by major international as well as major Australian artists, all with a stunning backdrop of views across the waters to Phillip Island.

With full bellies, we will return to our accommodation in Flinders where the evening is at leisure. Flinders is a charming hamlet that is home to bespoke art galleries, quaint cafés and restaurants, a chocolaterie and a great pub.

Meals: Lunch

After breakfast we transfer to stunning Arthurs Seat, the highest point on the Mornington Peninsula and a prominent feature on the Port Phillip Bay landscape due to its summit of 314-metres. Atop Arthurs Seat the views across the bay to Port Phillip Heads, the Melbourne city skyline, Mount Macedon and the You Yangs Ranges are spectacular.

We commence our walk through Seawinds Gardens winding down to Kings Falls.

Seawinds Gardens features William Rickets sculptures dotted throughout the park, Rickets was an Australian artist who embraced Aboriginal spirituality and respect for the natural world as his general message throughout his works. We have time to relax at Kings Falls, a naturally formed stone terraced escarpment.

We then head off to a historic Heronswood, home of The Diggers Foundation to enjoy our lunch and wander through the gardens abundant with heirloom flowers and vegetables.

In the afternoon we will visit a beautiful 10-acre farm which started its life as a dairy but now produces olive oil, cider and cordials. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look and a wander through the olive groves. The grove has over 1300 trees featuring a range of olive varieties. In harvest season you have the opportunity to purchase the freshest oil that cannot be found in any shop. Enjoy a tasting of their award-winning apple and pear cider. It is produced with a fusion of heritage crops from their own farm with more modern varieties from their neighbours. On a sunny day there is nothing more refreshing than a quince pear and apple cider! And in the cooler months, how does a warmed spiced cider sound?

Time permitting, we will then call into a local truffle farm to sample some of the fantastic truffles grown here and hear more about this fascinating business.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today’s walk is a true highlight of the Mornington Peninsula. From thick forest and bushland to spectacular coastal trails, coupled with diverse and abundant wildlife, this morning’s walk is part of the iconic Two Bays Walk. After breakfast you will be transferred to Green’s Bush at the start of the delightful Baldry’s Crossing circuit walk. Starting off along Main Creek, keep an eye out for kangaroos and wallabies as many inhabit this area. There is variety of habitats we pass through from dense grasstree and eucalypt forest to open heathlands. We will stop for refreshments and a toilet stop at the Lightwood Creek camp spot.

Continuing on we pass through fields of grass trees and eucalyptus before crossing Boneo Road and meeting our van. We have a beautiful picnic lunch before our transfer to the historic seaside town of Sorrento and Portsea, an area rich in history and boasts having some of the oldest and highest limestone buildings in Australia. The site of Victoria’s first European settlement it is now a popular destination for tourists with restaurants offering menus inspired by the season’s local produce, organic meat, handmade cheese, daily fresh and ethically sourced fish, and plenty of recently harvested vegetables and fruit.

In the afternoon we will have a meander along what is known as the ‘Millionaires Walk’. This clifftop stroll will make you feel like a trespasser as you literally walk through the backyards of some of the most prime real estate you could find. As we wander along, take in the views of beautiful homes and private jetties, seeing firsthand ‘how the other half live’ on this exclusive part of the Peninsula. Dinner is included tonight at a local contemporary restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, we head to the Cape Schank coast for some more cliff-top trails. We will be transferred a short distance to start our walk to Bushrangers Bay, a popular spot with local walkers. Stunning vistas and views of rugged Bass Strait coast accompany our walk, offering up lots of photo opportunities. The track is gently undulating, mostly sand and dirt underfoot. As we near the end, glimpses of the red-topped lighthouse that sits on the clifftop overlooking Bass Strait will appear through the trees. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is constructed from limestone blocks and has been in operation since 1859. Today it continues to provide ships with safe passage between Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne, though Bass Strait. We will descend down the boardwalk stairs to the edge of the Cape, the Southernmost tip of the Mornington Peninsula, stunning in any weather.

Next stop is a unique al fresco lunch at a local flower garden, using produce supplied from local growers when in season. Much of the vegetables used in the restaurant come from organic markets in the area. This afternoon we get to experience the Peninsula’s famous ‘back beaches’ with some stunning clifftop scenery and quiet rocky bays to explore. For the history buffs, today we also learn about the important role the Peninsula played in Australia’s settlement. We start walking from Diamond Bay to Sorrento and enjoy this spectacular eroded coastline with it’s beautifully sculpted bays.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we get to experience both sides of the Peninsula, as we venture out on the narrow and spectacular neck of Point Nepean at the southernmost tip.

Driving on to Portsea we will arrive at the entrance of the Point Nepean National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty and historical interest. Walking along both coastal and bushland tracks we will pass a number of historic sites including the Quarantine Station, (Australia’s largest and most long-running) and many former military defences, which in WWII played an important role in protecting Victoria’s coast. Also on the walk to the Point, you’ll pass the memorial to drowned Prime Minister Harold Holt at rugged Cheviot beach. reaching the Point itself there are incredible views either side of you of Bass strait and the Narrow entrance to Port Phillip bay known as the heads, one of the most treacherous straits of water on the planet for ships to navigate in rough weather.

We finish at Sorrento back beach where we will be transferred to the contrasting bayside front beach for our farewell lunch at The Baths, an iconic Sorrento restaurant perched on the beach with the sand at your feet. We can reminisce about our walking adventure together while enjoying our farewell lunch overlooking Port Philip Bay.
We then transfer back to Frankston train station (or Mornington) to say our final goodbyes.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

IMPORTANT NOTE: All daily distances are approximate and the itinerary is subject to change. RAW Travel reserves the right to make necessary itinerary changes based on local conditions, track closures, group safety, extreme weather or unforeseen difficulties with local suppliers.

• 2 nights ensuite accommodation in a boutique hotel at Flinders
• 2 nights ensuite accommodation in a boutique accomodation at Sorrento/Portsea
• 4 hotel breakfasts
• 5 lunches including:
• – Gourmet lunch at Merricks General Store
  – The Baths in Sorrento (food only)
  – Bistro Lunches (local produce)
• 1 dinner at local Sorrento/Portsea Restaurant
• Flower Garden lunch & tour
• Refreshment and snack stops
• Cider Farm, truffle farm and olive grove visit including cider, olive oil tasting
• Private transfers throughout plus pick-up/drop-off at Frankston train station
• Experienced RAW Travel walking guide
• Dedicated driver and support vehicle throughout
• All luggage transfers
• National park admission fees
• Full carbon offset for your trip and an Australian tree planted on your behalf

• Travel insurance
• Dinners other than those mentioned in the itinerary (can be taken at your accommodation or nearby restaurants and pubs)
• Beverages, other than mentioned in the tastings
• Items of a personal nature
• Single supplement (extra $745) – please enquire, limited single rooms available.