These Are the Top Things to Do on the Mornington Peninsula

This outstanding region offers a long list of experiences you’ll want to write home about.

Melbourne’s own version of the Hamptons boasts incredible food producers, wineries, top-of-the-line restaurants, walking trails and so much more.

Sadly, many Victorians – let alone interstaters – are yet to discover the many gems hidden among the dunes and bushland of the pretty peninsula. This relaxed region stretches from Frankston to Portsea, and here’s how to get acquainted with the best things to do on the Mornington Peninsula.

1. Take a hatted restaurant tour

the Doot Doot Doot restaurant interior with a glamorous ceiling — Doot Doot Doot is located within the iconic Jackalope Hotel. (Image: Visit Victoria)

If you consider yourself a gourmand, you’ll be impressed the Mornington Peninsula delivers enough world-class restaurants to keep you fed for more than a few weekends.

The first, Laura at Pt. Leo Estate, offers exquisite modern Australian cuisine championing local producers. Brigitte Hafner’s Tedesca Osteria is the very definition of a restaurant practising the principles of slow food. She serves four set-course lunches a week, each with only one sitting, changing the menu every day to account for what is best and freshest.

Celebrate incredible produce and wine from the region at Main Ridge’s Ten Minutes By Tractor. Kiwi-born chef Hayden Ellis has worked at some of the best restaurants in the world, including the Fat Duck, and makes good use of the produce from the estate’s kitchen garden.

a spread of food and wine at Rare Hare — Enjoy delicious share-style plates at Rare Hare. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Audrey’s, with its seafood tasting menu, is an homage to chef Scott Pickett’s grandma, who instilled his passion for cooking. Doot Doot Doot is Jackalope’s fine-dining restaurant. On offer is a three-course menu served with a selection of snacks (and upgrades if you’re celebrating) that make the most of the plentiful local produce.

The hotel’s more casual bistro (and food and wine store), Rare Hare, has a wood-fired oven at its heart and offers indoor and outdoor dining options. Over at Flinders, the Moke crew offers a relaxed, shared dining experience, with chef Michael Cole changing the menu each week. If you’re looking for something a little different, chef Gayan Pieris is serving a modern Asian menu inspired by Sri Lanka at Many Little Bar & Dining.

the vineyard at The Restaurant at Montalto — The Restaurant at Montalto features a menu that champions estate-grown heirloom produce. (Image: Supplied)

Chef Gayan Pieris works, this time, with Polperro’s farmer Nick to create dishes overflowing with organic and biodynamic produce that’s picked at the perfect moment and paired with the finest proteins. Each of the four courses served during a shared meal at The Restaurant at Montalto is designed to highlight a connection between the estate gardens, the kitchen and the property’s award-winning wines.

Inspiration for the menu at Port Phillip Estate comes from Europe, but the ingredients that go into it are much more local than that. On a sunny day, ask for a table on the deck and enjoy the views of the vineyard and Western Port Bay.

Discover more great places to eat and drink on the Mornington Peninsula.

2. Mornington Peninsula hot springs

an aerial view of the Peninsula Hot Springs — A visit to the Peninsula Hot Springs is the ultimate indulgent experience. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Consistently voted as the best luxury mineral spa in the world, Peninsula Hot Springs is the real deal. Located on a 17-hectare property, it offers more than 50 hot spring pools and geothermal bathing experiences, from cave pools to Turkish steam baths, all in a natural bushland setting. There’s also a beautiful hilltop bath with an incredible view. The naturally heated, mineral-packed water is pumped from 637 metres below ground, ready to soak tired muscles.

As well as soaking, you can book a treatment, have lunch and even stay overnight. Here’s a tip: if you’re staying close by, get up early and enjoy bathing from 7am before the crowds arrive.

A newer option is Alba Thermal Springs & Spa, where you can immerse yourself in the healing waters from early morning until well after the sun sets. There are 22 pools, each beautifully designed, as well as private bathing experiences, body treatments and rituals, and lunch or high tea at the onsite restaurant.

3. Hike to your heart’s content

The Mornington Peninsula is home to a selection of trails that will give your legs a good stretch while you’re visiting.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

THE BAY TRAIL

To get a true sense of the peninsula in its entirety, the 30-kilometre Bay Trail extends along the Port Phillip coast from Safety Beach to Portsea.

POINT NEPEAN NATIONAL PARK

A natural beauty at the tip of the peninsula, this walk will see you pass the historical quarantine station and WWII housing.

TWO BAYS WALKING TRACK

Trek 26 kilometres from one side of the peninsula (Dromana) to the other (Cape Schanck).

MORNINGTON PENINSULA WALK

Keen ramblers can tackle the 100-kilometre Mornington Peninsula Walk, which combines all the above. There are plenty of shorter sections if your preference is for a stroll.

4. Play a round of golf

an aerial view of the RACV Cape Schanck Resort — RACV Cape Schanck Resort features an 18-hole, par 70 championship golf course by the ocean. (Image: Supplied)

The peninsula draws comparisons to Scotland’s Fife district due to the concentration of clubs here. Go for a swing at a mix of traditional and links courses. Natural dunes create sweeping hills and natural sand traps, plus most courses offer amazing sea views while you play.

RACV Cape Schanck Resort has excellent accommodation, a lovely restaurant and stunning views. But for the keen golfer, the 18-hole, par-70 championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr is the big drawcard. Portsea Golf Club, with its links course set amid sand dunes and Moonah forest, hosts state and national events, complemented by its own prestigious Portsea Pro-Am.

With two 18-hole championship courses, Moonah Links has become one of the destinations for aficionados of the great game. It’s even hosted the Victorian PGA Championship. Built along a stunning stretch of clifftop land overlooking Bass Strait and Western Port Bay, The Flinders Golf Club is more than a hundred years old and a great place to get into the swing of things.

5. Enchanted Adventure

a man conquering the adventure course at Enchanted Adventure — Tackle the high ropes adventure courses and mazes. (Image: Visit Victoria)

If you have kids, make a beeline for Enchanted Adventure at Arthurs Seat. Alongside manicured garden mazes as far as the eye can see, this playful paradise houses a tube slide ride, sculpture park, indoor maze and lolly shop. Add an extra couple of hours to your visit and go tree surfing on one of two high ropes adventure courses. There are zip lines, swinging rope bridges, suspended tunnels and a giant Tarzan swing set in the native trees of this ancient woodland. Choose from two courses: the Grand course for adults/teens and the Nippers course for kids. Make sure you check out the bookings website for additional information before you visit.

6. Mornington Peninsula beaches

the waves at Sorrento Back Beach — Sorrento Back Beach is famed for its epic surf breaks. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The sandy shores of Port Phillip Bay offer boating, fishing, safe swimming and beachfront camping aplenty. The west coast faces Bass Strait, so there are amazing surf beaches. On the Western Port side, there are more surf beaches and views across to Phillip and French Islands.

Avoid the crowds at Mothers Beach in Mornington. Take a swim, walk the shores and get out a picnic if you’re so inclined. Nearby Shire Hall Beach is home to colourful huts, along with plentiful benches, picnic tables and toilets.

Fossil Beach offers budding geologists a picturesque limestone cliff walk. There’s a signposted trail that indicates sites of significance regarding the original First Nations inhabitants of the region and the first European settlers.

Further south, between Mount Martha and Dromana, Safety Beach is another calm spot. In between Portsea’s mansions – at the end of Point King Road – a hidden path leads down wooden stairs to Point King Beach.

Surfers should head to Portsea Surf Beach, Sorrento Back Beach, Rye Ocean Beach, Saint Andrews and Gunnamatta Surf Beach.

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7. Arthurs Seat Eagle

a cable car overlooking Port Phillip Bay at Arthurs Seat Eagle — Take in the views of Port Phillip Bay from a cable car. (Image: Visit Victoria)

When the ground just isn’t cutting it anymore, make your way to Arthurs Seat Eagle, which gives you the chance to soar in a cable car through the forest canopy over Arthurs Seat State Park.

The summit is 314 metres high, granting great views across Port Phillip Bay to Melbourne. Each ‘eagle’ is all-inclusive and caters to people with disabilities, as well as the elderly, frail and toddlers. It is also wheelchair and pram-friendly.

8. Bask in a brew

pizza, beer and more served by the fire at St Andrews Beach Brewery — Pop by St Andrews Beach Brewery for pizza and beers. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Take a detour from Mornington Peninsula’s various vinous highlights and bask in the talent of a growing crop of artisanal brewers, distillers and cider makers.

Tar Barrel Brewery and Distillery, Red Hill Brewery and St Andrews Beach Brewery are three venues leading the charge. Each space has taps of refreshing ales and their regularly changing specialty brews, matched with no-nonsense favourites like woodfired pizza, nachos, smoked meats and burgers and fries.

There are some newer places to try too: Jetty Road, Banks and a local favourite TWØBAYS Brewing Co. It makes gluten-free beer in a variety of styles, including an IPA, stout and sour, and excellent gluten-free pizza comes from the kitchen.

a couple inside JimmyRum Distillery — JimmyRum Distillery is proudly Victoria’s first dedicated craft rum distillery. (Image: Visit Victoria)

In Red Hill, Bass and Flinders Distillery produces a range of grape-based gins, brandy and other spirits. Visitors can taste a gin paddle, order a signature cocktail or participate in a gin masterclass to make their very own batch. Single-malt whisky is the specialty of Chief’s Son Distillery, while rum and all the creations you can make from it are the drawcard at JimmyRum Distillery. The garden is dog-friendly, too. In Rye, you’ll find Penni Ave Distillery, where the makers are dedicated to vodka. Cocktails and tasting paddles are available, and there’s often a food truck parked outside for those feeling hungry.

A fifth generation of sisters is now in charge of Mock Red Hill, which brews biodynamic ciders created from dessert apples grown in a single orchard. Visitors can try a pint in the Cider Lounge with a platter of local cheeses or check out the Farmgate store.

9. Pt. Leo Estate Sculpture Park

a head sculpture at Pt. Leo Estate — The sculpture park features large-scale installations. (Image: ©CMcConville)

Pt. Leo Estate wears many hats. Owned by the Gandel family, the property consists of a 20-hectare vineyard, a cellar door, restaurants and, possibly the crowning glory of the whole project, a meandering sculpture garden.

Covering an extensive 135 hectares, the sculpture park is an outdoor gallery displaying 60 large-scale installations. The collection is made up of pieces by Australian and international artists, and this is the first time all these pieces have been brought together – in the past, they’ve either been stored or loaned out. One work was relocated from a paddock where some of the property’s hundred or so heads of Angus cattle used it as a scratching post.

Thirty and 60-minute walks see you meander through the exhibition and adjacent vines. Pieces are rendered in various mediums, from slate to wood to metal, and laid out so you can view them from every angle.

10. Mornington Peninsula Markets

There are many aspects that make the Mornington Peninsula special, and one of them is the produce and the people who grow it. The best way to find out about the food you’re eating is to have a chat with the farmer, fisherman or cheesemaker at a local market.

Farmers’ markets take place at different locations each week. A favourite is the Red Hill Community Market, which takes place on the first Saturday of the month. The more than 300 stalls are chock-full of the freshest seasonal produce, as well as plenty of value-added items, from fresh bread to condiments, as well as crafts, plants and tasty treats to eat right there. Another favourite is the Point Nepean Portsea Market, and not just for its picturesque bayside setting. Meet the bakers, makers and growers, who are ready to share their produce and passion. There are lots of crafts to check out, too.

Try something completely different at the end of the disused Mornington Railway Station. This is where you can find Food Yard, held on the fourth Friday night of each month. Grab something to eat from the food trucks serving delicacies from around the world then find a spot to sit. There’s also a bar and kids’ game area.

Now discover the ultimate Mornington Peninsula road trip.

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Just 15 years ago, Federal Mills was a very different place. Once among the most significant industrial sites in Victoria, the historic woollen mill was one of a dozen that operated in Geelong at the industry’s peak in the mid-20th century, helping the city earn its title as ‘wool centre of the world’. But by the 1960s global competition and the rise of synthetic fabrics led to the slow decline of the industry, and Federal Mills finally shuttered its doors in 2001. Within a few years, the abandoned North Geelong grounds had become makeshift pastoral land, with cows and goats grazing among the overgrown grass between the empty red-brick warehouses. It was a forgotten pocket of the city, all but two klicks from the bustle of the CBD.

Geelong cellar door wine bar — Geelong has shed its industrial identity to become an innovative urban hub with reimagined heritage spaces. (Image: Ash Hughes)

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Today, the century-old complex stands reborn. The distinctive sawtooth-roof buildings have been sensitively restored. An old silo is splashed with a bright floral mural, landscapers have transformed the grounds, and the precinct is once again alive with activity. More than 1000 people work across 50-plus businesses here. It’s so busy, in fact, that on a sunny Thursday morning in the thick of winter, it’s hard to find a car park. The high ceilings, open-plan design, and large multi-paned windows – revolutionary features for factories of their time – have again become a drawcard.

Paddock Bakery andPatisserie — Paddock Bakery and Patisserie is housed within the historic wool factory. (Image: Gallant Lee)

At Paddock, one of the precinct’s newer tenants, weaving looms and dye vats have been replaced by a wood-fired brick oven and heavy-duty mixers. Open since April 2024, the bakery looks right at home here; the building’s industrial shell is softened by ivy climbing its steel frames, and sunlight streams through the tall windows. Outside, among the white cedar trees, families at picnic benches linger over dippy eggs and bagels, while white-collar workers pass in and out, single-origin coffee and crème brûlée doughnuts in hand.

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

Paddock Bakery can be found at Federal Mills. (Image: Gallant Lee)

“A lot of people are now seeing the merit of investing in Geelong,” says Paul Traynor, the head of Hamilton Hospitality Group, which redeveloped Federal Mills. A city once shunned as Sleepy Hollow, and spurned for its industrial, working-class roots and ‘rust belt’ image, Geelong has long since reclaimed its ‘Pivot City’ title, having reinvented itself as an affordable, lifestyle-driven satellite city, and a post-COVID migration hotspot.

And the numbers stand testament to the change. In March 2025, and for the first time in its history, Greater Geelong became Australia’s most popular regional town for internal migration, overtaking Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Current forecasts suggest Geelong will continue to outpace many other Australian cities and towns, with jobs growing at double the rate of the population.

Tourism is booming, too. The 2023-24 financial year was Geelong and The Bellarine region’s busiest on record, with 6.4 million visitors making it one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country. It’s not hard to see why: beyond the city’s prime positioning at the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong’s tenacity and cultural ambition stands out.

As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong is swiftly shaking off its industrial past to become a model for urban renewal, innovation, sustainability and creative communities. The signs are everywhere, from the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront, and the landmark design of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, to the growing network of local designers, architects and artists, and the burgeoning roster of festivals and events. That’s not even mentioning the adaptive reuse of storied old industrial buildings – from Federal Mills, to Little Creatures’ brewery ‘village’ housed within a 1920s textile mill – or the city’s flourishing food and wine scene.

The rise of a food and wine destination

Restaurant 1915 is housed within a restored former boiler house. (Image: Harry Pope/Two Palms)

Traynor credits now-closed local restaurant Igni, which opened in 2016, as the turning point for Geelong’s hospo industry. “[Aaron Turner, Igni’s chef-patron] was probably the first guy, with all due respect, to raise the bar food-wise for Geelong,” he says. “People now treat it really seriously, and there’s clearly a market for it.” While Igni is gone, Turner now helms a string of other notable Geelong venues, including The Hot Chicken Project and Tacos y Liquor, all within the buzzy, street art-speckled laneways of the CBD’s Little Malop Street Precinct. Many others have also popped up in Igni’s wake, including Federal Mills’ own restaurant, 1915. Housed within the cavernous boiler house, 1915’s interior is dramatic: soaring, vaulted ceilings with timber beams, exposed brick, a huge arched window. The share plates echo the space’s bold character, playing with contrast and texture, with dishes such as a compressed watermelon tataki, the sweet, juicy squares tempered by salty strands of fried leeks, and charred, smoky snow peas dusted with saganaki on a nutty bed of romesco.

The Woolstore, one of The Hamilton Group’s most recent hospo projects, opened in February. It occupies a century-old riverside warehouse and exudes a more sultry, fine dining ambience. Much like Federal Mills, the blueprint was to preserve the original brickwork, tallowwood flooring and nods to the building’s former life. That same careful consideration extends to the well-versed, affable waitstaff as well as the kitchen. Head chef Eli Grubb is turning out an eclectic mix of ambitious and indulgent mod Oz dishes that deliver: strikingly tender skewers of chicken tsukune, infused with hints of smoke from the parrilla grill, and glazed with a moreish, sweet gochujang ‘jam’; nduja arancini fragrant with hints of aniseed and the earthy lick of sunny saffron aioli; and golden squares of potato pavé, adorned with tiny turrets of crème fraîche, crisp-fried saltbush leaves, and Avruga caviar, to name but a few stand-out dishes.

Woolstore menu — Woolstore’s menu is designed for sharing.

Breathing new life into historic spaces

On the city’s fringe, hidden down a winding side road with little fanfare, lies a long-dormant site that’s being gently revived. Built from locally quarried bluestone and brick, and dating back to the 1870s, the complex of original tin-roofed mill buildings is lush with greenery and backs onto the Barwon River and Buckley Falls; the audible rush of water provides a soothing soundtrack. Fyansford Paper Mill is one of few complexes of its time to survive intact. It feels steeped in history and spellbindingly rustic.

“We were looking for an old industrial place that had some charm and romance to it,” explains Sam Vogel, the owner, director and winemaker at Provenance Wines which moved here in 2018. When he first viewed the building with his former co-owner, it was in such a state of disrepair that the tradie tenant occupying the space had built a shed within it to escape the leaking roof and freezing winter temperatures. “To say it was run down would be an understatement,” he notes. “There was ivy growing through the place; the windows were all smashed. It was a classic Grand Designs project.”

Provenance Wines moved to Fyansford Paper Mill in 2018. (Image: Cameron Murray Photography)

The team has since invested more than a million dollars into their new home. Where paper processing machinery once sat, wine barrels are now stacked. Vaulted cathedral ceilings are strung with festoon lights, and hidden in plain sight lies a shadowy mural by local street artist de rigueur Rone – one of only three permanent works by the artist.

While the award-winning, cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay naturally remain a key draw at Provenance, the winery’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Impressed already by whipsmart service, I devour one of the most cleverly curated and faultlessly executed degustations I’ve had in some time. It’s all prepared in a kitchen that is proudly zero-waste, and committed to providing seasonal, ethical and locally sourced meat and produce under head chef Nate McIver. Think free-range venison served rare with a syrupy red wine jus and a half-moon of neon-orange kosho, shokupan with a deeply savoury duck fat jus (a modern Japanese take on bread and drippings), and a golden potato cake adorned with a colourful confetti of dehydrated nasturtiums and tomato powder, and planted atop a sea urchin emulsion.

handcrafted pieces — Bell’s handcrafted functional pieces on display.

The complex is home to a coterie of independent businesses, including a gallery, a jeweller, and its latest tenant, ceramicist Elizabeth Bell, drawn here by the building’s “soul”. “There’s so much potential for these buildings to have new life breathed into them,” says Bell, whose studio is housed within the old pump room. “Even people in Geelong don’t know we’re here,” she says. “It’s definitely a destination, but I like that. It has a really calming atmosphere.”

A Melbourne transplant, Bell now feels at home in Geelong, which offers something Melbourne didn’t. “If this business was in Melbourne I don’t think it would’ve been as successful,” she notes. “It’s very collaborative in Geelong, and I don’t think you get that as much in Melbourne; you’re a bit more in it for yourself. Here it’s about community over competition.”

These are the top things to do on the Mornington Peninsula

This outstanding region offers a long list of experiences you’ll want to write home about.

1. Take a hatted restaurant tour

2. Mornington Peninsula hot springs