MORNINGTON PENINSULA – THE AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLER GUIDE

Not your usual pub accommodation ‘Quarters’ at The Flinders Hotel, Flinders, Vic Part of the iconic Flinders Hotel, Quarters is architecturally designed accommodation, inspired by the natural bushland surroundings. The rooms are contemporary and elegant, worlds away from the typical pub-style hotel.

A classic coastal getaway for large groups, Millers Rest thoughtfully combines family-friendly elements with chic touches of modernity. After a recent revamp, the house includes an open-plan kitchen (decked out in Smeg appliances), large living area, an outdoor entertainment area and all the necessary mod cons: plasma TV, a large DVD collection and even space for your holidaying pets. Several beaches (Montforts Beach, Bridgewater Bay and Fowlers Beach) are a short stroll away, while Blairgowrie village can be reached in 15 minutes on foot. No summer holiday would be complete without fish and chips on the beach, either – and...

Halfway between the crashing surf of Sorrento Back Beach and the gentle waves of Port Phillip Bay is this revamped weatherboard beach cottage, just 500 metres from both. Despite maintaining a heritage-listed charm, this cottage has all the mod cons – Foxtel, an outdoor spa set in manicured gardens, iPod docking station, and three spacious bedrooms; each decked out in the requisite nautical-inspired décor. Aside from the cottage’s close proximity to beaches, it’s also conveniently located on café-strip Ocean Beach Road. Among them is a fabulous family pizza bistro, as well as Koonya general store – an old-fashioned gas station...

While many east-coast Aussies head north for summer, wise wanderers travel south to this idyllic beach haven, writes Elisabeth Knowles. 5 Reasons to visit the Mornington Peninsula 1. The beaches. Surf and swimming beaches abound, as do tranquil bays and stretches of sand dotted with painted changing huts for people who get a kick out of retro visuals. 2. The bush. Hiking is incredible here. 3. The food. There are stacks of farm gates, local produce to sample, and five hatted restaurants within half an hour’s drive of each other! 4. The wine. Vineyards everywhere. 5. The golf. There are...

AT's guide to the best cheap accommodation for summer and Christmas holidays Sorrento Why do we rate it? On the tip of the Mornington Peninsula, this small, sheltered town offers a family-friendly vibe, wildlife and a multitude of ways to spend the day. Where is it? 105km south-east of Melbourne, a 1hr 45min drive on the Moorooduc Highway. Where to stay The rows of brightly coloured rooms at Sorrento Beach Motel set the vibe for a fun beachside holiday. Ten-room cottage Bayplay Group Lodge is west of Sorrento, near Blairgowrie Beach. It’s great for groups, with a swimming pool and...

Australian Traveller Magazine’s 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes This modernist architectural remnant from the 1950s in Portsea on the Mornington Peninsular is the ultimate in cool; the kind of place in which you could easily imagine James Dean strolling from the bathroom having just had a shave. Brainchild of Melbourne-based graphic designers Mark Young and Mat Windebank, everything about the three-bedroom house – its boxy and simplistic design, the Eames and Nelson, Florence Knoll and Noguchi furniture, Italian lighting and design classic kitchen utensils – is iconic. Original ’50s prints and accessories are complimented by Indigenous artwork and quirky details,...

Australian Traveller Magazine’s 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes Delgany Castle is a grand historic property, commissioned by Harold Armytage in the 1920s as a personal residence, and which today has an array of award-winning luxury homes set within its eight acres of well-tended gardens. There are various beachside retreats to choose from, including three or four bedroom apartments and town houses with full kitchen, dining room, modern lounge and outdoor entertaining areas – all reflecting the majesty of the main castle, dextrously designed to blend the old with the new, and all within minutes of The Cutting, with its famous...

Heralded as the wealthiest postcode in Australia, pretty Portsea on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula remains warm and welcoming, writes Luke Wright. Out & About: Portsea  Heralded as the wealthiest postcode in Australia, pretty Portsea on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula remains warm and welcoming, writes Luke Wright.  Elementary, my dear Watsons At the end of Victoria’s boot-shaped Mornington Peninsula, one half of the pincer-like promontories that almost enclose Port Phillip Bay, lies pretty Portsea. Less than 100 kilometres from Melbourne, with a few shops and only a few hundred people, the tiny town with the big reputation is regularly ranked as Australia’s wealthiest...

French Island Eco-Tours There’s a hidden gem in Victoria that most people don’t know about: Phillip Island’s larger neighbour French Island. It has a permanent population of less than 60 people and the primary focus is on eco-tourism, making it a secluded and amazing place for bicycling, watching more than 200 species of birds, walks through wildflower fields and heath lands with hundreds of plant species, bus tours and camping. There are no sealed roads, no piped water and it’s independent from outside electricity; 70 percent of the island is National Park, but there’s even more to it than that....