Mornington Peninsula Highlights

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 harbor. 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 upto 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. 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 either side you will get some beautiful views of Westernport Bay across to Phillip Island. We will have lunch at Merricks General Store, a Mornington Peninsula icon, where we can accompany our country-style meals with wine tasting from excellent local vineyards. Very civilised! (Merricks may be substituted with Somers General store if it’s not open.)

In the afternoon we will have an easy walk along the back beaches of Westernport from near Merricks beach to the edge of Somers village. This area offers great views along the Peninsula coast and across the Water to Phillip Island and the Nobbies. This coast of the Peninsula has a very natural character with rock pools and healthy deposits of kelp that hint at the vibrant underwater world. Dolphins are often seen along this part of the coast where we’ll hike. The villages of Balnarring beach and Somers have an understated beauty that makes them a favourite of Peninsula locals to visit.

After our afternoon walk we drive onto Flinders, where our accommodation is located. Flinders is a charming village that is home to art galleries and interesting shops, cafes, a great pub and the Mornington Peninsula chocolaterie.

Meals: Lunch

Overnight: Flinders Hotel

Today we climb to the highest point of the Mornington Peninsula – Arthurs Seat.
After breakfast, we transfer to Dromana and climb up the side of Arthurs Seat, taking in the unprecedented views of the Bay from McCrae to the Port Phillip Heads.

We enjoy a short walk around Seawinds Gardens, enjoying the some of William Rickets sculptures and again, taking in the magnificent views from several lookouts along the way. On a clear day the views extend to the You Yangs and Mount Macedon. We then descend through the eucalypts down to the trickling Kings Falls circuit walk – a short boardwalk circuit
through a fern gully.

Returning back to Seawinds Gardens, we enjoy a picnic lunch before heading  off to the usually wild and windy Flinders Blowhole formation. We will take a cliff top walk to Tea Tree Creek with the time to explore the rock pools and hopefully catch sight of some elegant sea eagles along with other birdlife. Whales can even be spotted here in the winter months.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Flinders Hotel

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 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 continuing along the clifftop coastal portion of today’s walk. Stunning vistas and views of rugged Bass Strait coast accompany you until you reach Bushranger’s Bay, a popular spot with local walkers and surfers. Tide permitting, we can descend down to the beach for a chance to explore the rock pools and golden sands. Climbing back up to the track we continue our scenic walk through to Cape Schanck. Take your time to explore the lighthouse, former keeper’s house and museum grounds, and descend on the long boardwalk to the coast which has fantastic rock formations and views of the lighthouse on its headland.

You have the option tonight to visit the iconic Peninsula Hot Springs, an unmissable part of any Mornington Peninsula sojourn. The award-winning hot springs are in a natural bush setting. The 37 steaming pools have different themes and locations, from hammam rooms, saunas, ice caves and hilltop experiences to massaging jet pools.This is an optional visit and entry fees and any treatments are an additional cost. Availability is often limited and bookings must
be made in advance online.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Sorrento/Portsea

Today 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 begin with a transfer after breakfast to Bridgewater Bay and head towards Sorrento.

Our first stop is at Spray Point where, if we are lucky, we will get to witness the point’s namesake. We the drop down onto Koonya Beach and enjoy a short walk across the sands before re-joining the Lifesaving Track. Continuing on we next come to Diamond Bay – well worth the detour to see the stunning views of Cape Schanck to the eastand, on a clear day, the Otways to the west. Climbing back, we continue on to Jubilee Point. From here we take the meandering clifftop track with historic markers that explain the area’s history while also providing breathtaking lookouts over Bass Strait. We finish at Sorrento back beach where we will be transferred into Sorrento for lunch.

After lunch, we will be transferred to the historic Point Nepean National Park with its multitude of walks and fascinating history. Point Nepean is the traditional Country of the Bunurong People who have lived on and around this important cultural place for over 35,000 years. The coastline has been an important source of shellfish and other foods and extensive shell middens are reminders of that history. Point Nepean and Sorrento were home to the earliest European settlement in Victoria, including convict settlement, pastoral activities and lime burning. The Quarantine Station at Point Nepean was established in 1852 and was in use until 1979.

We will take in such highlights as the old Quarantine Station, Observatory Point Cemetery, Cheviot Hill (site of missing Prime Minister Harold Holt!) as well as Point Nepean itself with its WWII forts and stunning views across Bass Strait and Port Philip Bay. After exploring the park thoroughly, we will be transferred back to our accommodation for the night, in Sorrento/Portsea.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Sorrento/Portsea

After our breakfast with a view, we head off from our doorstep along the unique Artists Trail towards Sorrento. Established in celebration of those artists who have made the spectacular Peninsula scenery subjects of some of their major works, this walk stops at those positions along the way where the artists have sat to paint their works.

Along the way we will also take in the Millionaires Walk. This short walk will have you feeling like a trespasser as you literally walk through the backyards of some of the most prime real estate you could find. You will get to take in the views of beautiful homes and private jetties, seeing firsthand ‘how the other half live’!

Coming out at Sorrento Beach we will continue a short way to Collin’s Settlement. The site of Victoria’s first ill fated attempt at European settlement in 1803 and hear about the remarkable story of escaped convict William Buckley. From here we will be transferred back to Sorrento for our final lunch together before being transferred to Frankston Station in the early afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch  

IMPORTANT NOTE

All daily distances are approximate and this itinerary is subject to change. RAW Travel reserves the right to make necessary itinerary changes based on local conditions, group safety, track closures, extreme weather or unforeseen difficulties with local suppliers due to the effects of COVID-19.

• 4 nights ensuite accommodation in a boutique hotel
• 4 hotel breakfasts
• 2 Lunches at Merricks General Store and a Sorrento eatery
• 3 excellent picnic lunches inspired with local produce
• Private transfers throughout plus pick-up/drop-off at Frankston train station
• Experienced RAW Travel walking guide (a MP local)
• Refreshment and snack stops
• Dedicated driver and support vehicle throughout
• National park admission fees
• Full carbon offset for your trip and an Australian tree planted on your behalf

• Travel insurance
• Dinners (can be taken at your accommodation or nearby restaurants and pubs)
• Single supplement (extra $850) – please enquire, limited single rooms available
• Entrance to Peninsula Hot Springs (optional)