Some days, it seems impossible to keep everyone happy. On those days, we suggest making a beeline for one of our proudest traditions: the great Aussie beer garden. The best family-friendly ones have facilities, playgrounds or entertainment to keep the kids occupied while mum and dad take a breather or catch up with friends over an icy-cold beer or bottle of wine.
There’s a wonderful conviviality that hums in the air of a great beer garden in the summertime, and particularly those blessed with a prime coastal position. Fresh seafood and kids’ menus round out an easy-peasy, crowd-pleasing option.
Try these
The Newport , Newport, NSW A big beer garden with water views over Pittwater in Sydney’s northern beaches, two playgrounds and a restaurant.
Portsea Hotel , Portsea, Vic This Mornington Peninsula landmark overlooks the Portsea Pier and has a half-acre beer garden, from which the kids can look out for dolphins.
Eagle Bay Brewing Co , Dunsborough, WA This boutique brewery, vineyard and restaurant has panoramic views out to Bunker Bay and the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse.
Beach Hotel , Byron Bay, NSW With the ocean just across the road, the popular Beach Hotel is perfect for sundowners while the kids run around on the grass.
The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.
The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.
This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.
Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)
A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.
Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.
Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.
A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)
But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.
And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.
A traveller’s checklist
Staying there
Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)
Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .
Playing there
Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)
Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.
Eating there
Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.
