7 Unforgettable Glamping Stays On The Mornington Peninsula

From spa staycations to weekends in a yurt, these seven glamping getaways on the Mornington Peninsula will have you clicking ‘book’ on your next Victorian break.

It’s a bucolic bubble, within easy striking distance of the big city. Well-known as the weekend retreat of choice for many Melburnians, the Mornington Peninsula offers nature aplenty, a beautiful coastline and a ripper food and wine scene. If you’re planning on getting closer to all the Mornington Peninsula action, and its bountiful flora and fauna, then booking a glamping stay is a great bet.

1. Peninsula Hot Springs

woman sitting on deck of Peninsula Hot Springs Glamping — Glamping accommodation is nestled in the natural surrounds of the hot springs.

A day pool hopping in Peninsula Hot Springs is a day well spent. But add the venue’s glamping accommodation to the equation, and that dreamy day can become several. Aside from enjoying access to the natural hot spring’s features (think day spa, saunas, a reflexology walk, plunge pools, a cafe, bathing pools and more), glamping guests can enjoy peak serenity in the venue’s leafy grounds, with nothing but the surrounding frog calls to lull you to sleep.

This is no twee, amateur set-up with walls that wobble in the wind and limited headspace either. Each tent sleeps a maximum of two and features an ensuite, a walk-in robe, custom-made furniture, a king-sized bed, a private deck area and thermally heated concrete floors. There’s even a mini bar, with a healthy buffet breakfast served each morning in the dining room at the Spa Dreaming Centre.

There are just 10 glamping set-ups in three different styles: garden view, lake view and secluded pavilion. For those wanting to up the luxury, the eco lodges are for you.

Address: 140 Springs Lane, Fingal, Mornington Peninsula

2. Iluka Retreat

Iluka Retreat outdoor tent — Treat yourself to a glamping experience at the picturesque Iluka Retreat.

Staying true to the more rustic-chic roots of glamping, the canvas bell tents at Iluka Retreat are kitted out with bunting, plenty of cushions, blankets and rugs, and a small private deck to boot. Moreover, they’re great for families, with space for two single-bed mattresses to be added if you plan on bringing the brood. You can even hire a fire pit to sit around and toast marshmallows over. All you need to bring is a torch or light for your tent, an overnight bag and a sense of adventure.

Set on a 15-hectare property near Red Hill South with a creek running through it, the glamping village at Iluka overlooks the lush valley, as well as the property’s lake below. Naturally, the peninsula’s beaches, cellar doors and award-winning winery restaurants are all supremely accessible, as is the nearby surf town of Shoreham.

Glamping guests share a camp kitchen, barbecues and a camp bathroom.

Address: 20 Shoreham Rd, Shoreham, Mornington Peninsula

3. Glamping at The Ranch

a look inside one of the tents at Glamping at The Ranch, Mornington Peninsula — Each glamping retreat comes with modern comforts.

The Ranch is normally a place where kids come for school camps, but Peninsula Nomads, an operation that sets up glamping retreats for events, has also pitched some teepees at this property near Cape Schanck.

Glamping at The Ranch set-ups have a diameter of either 4.5 metres or six metres; the smaller suits a couple, while the larger can have single air mattresses added for kids. Each is beautifully styled with lots of strings of lights, lounge chairs and beautifully made-up air mattresses. It’s part of a larger campsite, so you might have just a couple of glampers near you or have lots of people in caravans and campers. There’s a camp bathroom, camp kitchen and a pool.

If you like, you can also book the giant Jenga or Connect 4 or organise grazing boxes, so you don’t have to worry about supplies when you arrive.

Some of the activities you can take on at The Ranch, include horse riding, mountain boarding, archery and zip lining, so it’s a great option for families.

Address: 810 Boneo Road, Boneo, Mornington Peninsula

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

4. Happy Glamper

glamping tents at Happy Glamper, Mornington Peninsula — Wake up as the happiest glamper.

If you’re sold on the idea of glamping but want to choose where to stay, try Happy Glamper on for size. The company creates bespoke glamping micro-adventures across the Mornington Peninsula: all you have to do is choose when, where and how.

There are six types of bell tents from which to choose. The four-metre tent is a cosy option for couples, while the Emperor Tent is the largest, suitable for a big family or group of six mates. Best of all, Happy Glamper’s operation is far from bare-bones – all the pitching, styling, packing down and removing is included within your rate, as are an array of furnishings, features and amenities such as LED lanterns, bath towels, outdoor and indoor mats, chairs, decorative bunting, board games, books and magazines, a combination lock for the tent door, and even string lights and power points if you book a powered site. Optional extras are available too (think bar fridges, picnic kits and heaters).

The only thing that isn’t included in the price is the campsite itself. Instead, glampers book their own spot at any of the sites available on the peninsula, ranging from foreshore camping managed by the local council to privately owned holiday parks. If you’re not sure where to start, the Happy Glampers website has a handful of good ideas.

Address: 16/1921Frankston, Flinders Rd, Hastings, Mornington Peninsula

5. Mornington Peninsula Retro Caravans

If you’ve been burned by the weather on a weekend getaway before, you may prefer to stay in accommodation that is a little sturdier than canvas. If that’s the case, another option – a relatively inexpensive one at that – is to stay in one of the 13 old-school caravans permanently parked at Rye’s Kanasta Caravan Park.

They range from the adorable Peggy Sue that sleeps two to a number of other campers with annexes that sleep up to six, which makes them great for families. Some of the caravans maintain their 60s allure – Daisy’s old-school vinyl banquette, laminated table and two-tone kitchen – while others have been updated with more modern features.

Each of these caravan cuties has a TV, split-system air conditioning, linen, cutlery, crockery, tea and coffee-making facilities. Some also have an electric stove top, but you can also borrow an electric fry pan if you want to cook breakfast. What makes this more like camping than staying in a hotel is you’re using the park’s amenities block.

But you’re only a five-minute walk from Rye Beach, plus lots of cafes and shops.

Address: 1–9 Sinclair Avenue, Rye, Mornington Peninsula

6. Shipwrecked Oasis

the bed at Shipwrecked Oasis glamping in Mornington Peninsula — Rest up in the nautical space.

Here’s one for all the landlubbers out there. If you’ve always wanted to stay on a boat, but are worried about getting seasick, you should be this unique offering. The owners have taken a vintage timber cruiser and stranded it on their property near St Andrews Beach.

The interior of Shipwrecked Oasis is all original wood panelling and nautically inspired decor. There’s a comfy double bed and kitchenette on the inside. Outside, it’s completely private with a rustic outdoor bathroom and your own portaloo. There are also plenty of places to sit outside, including chairs around a fire pit (BYO wood).

This is a great place to really get away from it all. You’re surrounded by the bush and all that entails – you might, for example, get a possum on the roof during the night – and can walk to either ocean or bay beaches. Oh, and St Andrews Beach Brewery is an easy stroll down the street. You’re also only a five-minute drive from Peninsula Hot Springs, too, if you need to decrease your stress levels even more.

Accommodation doesn’t get much more unique than this.

Address: Placadena Road, St Andrews Beach, Mornington Peninsula

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

7. Yurt Hideaway

the glamping accommodation at Yurt Hideaway, Mornington Peninsula — Find stylish glamping sanctuaries at Yurt Hideaway.

If you’ve ever wanted to stay in a traditional Mongolian yurt but were put off by the long plane ride, book a couple of nights at Yurt Hideaway. This is a spacious glamping accommodation, with plenty of headroom for even the tallest of holidaymakers.

A queen-size bed with a canopy sets the romantic scene. There’s a full private bathroom stocked with eco-friendly amenities, a kitchenette with lots of thoughtful additions from the owner, and a gorgeous patio surrounded by plants where you can just relax and enjoy yourself.

If it’s a special occasion and you want to make the stay extra special – flowers, a brekkie box, celebration cakes, private yoga classes or passes to Peninsula Hot Springs – just add them to your booking and your hosts make your requests a reality.

Address: Meadow Avenue, Tootgarook, Mornington Peninsula

Discover the best things to do on the Mornington Peninsula.

Video credit: Visit Victoria/Tourism Australia

The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

There are no kangaroos back in Chicago: they’re all here in the Grampians/Gariwerd. In the heart of the Grampians National Park’s main gateway town, Halls Gap, pods of eastern greys are eating grass beside my parked rental car beneath the stars. Next morning, when I see the backyard of my rented villa on the edge of town for the first time, there are kangaroos feeding beside a slow-moving creek, lined with river red gums.

Five hundred metres up the road, 50 or so of them are eating by the side of the road in a paddock. I pull over to watch and spot three emus. Yellow-tailed black cockatoos fly overhead towards the tall green mountains just beyond town.

‘Kee-ow, keee-oww’… their calls fuse with the maniacal cackle of a kookaburra (or 10). Gawd, how I’ve missed the sound of them. Far above, a wedge-tailed eagle watches, and there you go: the ‘great birds of Australia’ trifecta, all half a kay from the town limits.

Exchanging city chaos for country calm

kangaroos near Halls Gap, Grampians National Park — The park is renowned for its significant diversity of native fauna species. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

I’ve come to the Grampians to disconnect, but the bush offers a connection of its own. This isn’t just any bush, mind you. The Grampians National Park is iconic for many reasons, mostly for its striking sandstone mountains – five ridges run north to south, with abrupt, orange slopes which tumble right into Halls Gap – and for the fact there’s 20,000 years of traditional rock art. Across these mountains there are more than 200 recorded sites to see, created by the Djab Wurrung, Jardwadjali and Gunditjmara peoples. It’s just like our outback… but three hours from Melbourne.

I’ve come here for a chance at renewal after the chaos of my life in America’s third-largest city, Chicago, where I live for now, at the whim of a relative’s cancer journey. Flying into Melbourne’s airport, it only takes an hour’s drive to feel far away from any concept of suburbia. When I arrive in Halls Gap two hours later, the restaurant I’m eating at clears out entirely by 7:45pm; Chicago already feels a lifetime ago.

The trails and treasures of the Grampians

sunrise at Grampians National Park /Gariwerd — Grampians National Park /Gariwerd covers almost 2000 square kilometres. (Image: Ben Savage)

Though the national park covers almost 2000 square kilometres, its best-known landmarks are remarkably easy to access. From my carpark here, among the cockatoos and kangaroos on the fringe of Halls Gap, it only takes 60 seconds’ driving time before I’m winding my way up a steep road through rainforest, deep into the mountains.

Then it’s five minutes more to a carpark that serves as a trailhead for a hike to one of the park’s best vantage points, The Pinnacles. I walk for an hour or so, reacquainting myself with the smells and the sounds of the Aussie bush, before I reach it: a sheer cliff’s edge lookout 500 metres up above Halls Gap.

walking through a cave, Hollow Mountain — Overlooking the vast Grampians landscape from Hollow Mountain. (Image: Robert Blackburn)

There are hikes and there are lookouts and waterfalls all across this part of the park near town. Some are a short stroll from a carpark; others involve long, arduous hikes through forest. The longest is the Grampians Peaks Trail, Victoria’s newest and longest iconic walk, which runs 160 kilometres – the entire length of Grampians National Park.

Local activities operator Absolute Outdoors shows me glimpses of the trail. The company’s owner, Adrian Manikas, says it’s the best walk he’s done in Australia. He says he’s worked in national parks across the world, but this was the one he wanted to bring his children up in.

“There’s something about the Grampians,” he says, as he leads me up a path to where there’s wooden platforms for tents, beside a hut looking straight out across western Victoria from a kilometre up in the sky (these are part of the guided hiking options for the trail). “There are things out here that you won’t see anywhere else in Australia.” Last summer, 80 per cent of the park was damaged by bushfire, but Manikas shows me its regrowth, and tells me of the manic effort put in by volunteers from town – with firefighters from all over Australia – to help save Halls Gap.

wildflowers in Grampians National Park — Spot wildflowers. (Image: Visit Victoria)

We drive back down to Halls Gap at dusk to abseil down a mountain under the stars, a few minutes’ walk off the main road into town. We have headlamps, but a full moon is enough to light my way down. It takes blind faith to walk backwards down a mountain into a black void, though the upside is I can’t see the extent of my descent.

Grampians National Park at sunset. (Image: Wine Australian)

The stargazing is ruined by the moon, of course, but you should see how its glow lights up the orange of the sandstone, like in a theme park. When I’m done, I stand on a rocky plateau drinking hot chocolate and listening to the Aussie animals who prefer nighttime. I can see the streets of Halls Gap off in the distance on this Friday night. The restaurants may stay open until 8pm tonight.

What else is on offer in The Grampians?

a boat travelling along the Wimmera River inDimboola — Travelling along the Wimmera River in Dimboola. (Image: Chris McConville)

You’ll find all sorts of adventures out here – from rock climbing to canoeing to hiking – but there’s more to the Grampians than a couple of thousand square kilometres of trees and mountains. Halls Gap may be known to most people, but what of Pomonal, and Dimboola, and Horsham? Here in the shadow of those big sandstone mountains there are towns and communities most of us don’t know to visit.

And who knew that the Grampians is home to Victoria’s most underrated wine region? My disconnection this morning comes not in a forest, but in the tasting rooms and winery restaurants of the district. Like Pomonal Estate, barely 10 minutes’ drive east of Halls Gap, where UK-born chef Dean Sibthorp prepares a locally caught barramundi with lentil, pumpkin and finger lime in a restaurant beside the vines at the base of the Grampians. Husband-and-wife team Pep and Adam Atchison tell me stories as they pour their prize wines (shiraz is the hero in these parts).

dining at Pomonal Estate — Dine in a restaurant beside vines at Pomonal Estate. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Three minutes’ drive back down the road, long-time mates Hadyn Black and Darcy Naunton run an eclectic cellar door out of a corrugated iron shed, near downtown Pomonal. The Christmas before last, half the houses in Pomonal burnt down in a bushfire, but these locals are a resilient lot.

The fires also didn’t stop the construction of the first art centre in Australia dedicated to environmental art in a nature-based precinct a little further down the road (that’s Wama – the National Centre for Environmental Arts), which opened in July. And some of the world’s oldest and rarest grape vines have survived 160 years at Best’s Wines, outside the heritage town of Great Western. There’s plantings here from the year 1868, and there’s wines stored in century-old barrels within 150-year-old tunnels beneath the tasting room. On the other side of town, Seppelt Wines’ roots go back to 1865. They’re both only a 30-minute drive from Halls Gap.

Salingers of Great Western — Great Western is a charming heritage town. (Image: Griffin Simm)

There’s more to explore yet; I drive through tiny historic towns that barely make the map. Still part of the Grampians, they’re as pretty as the mountains behind them: full of late 19th-century/early 20th-century post offices, government offices and bank buildings, converted now to all manner of bric-a-brac stores and cafes.

The Imaginarium is one, in quirky Dimboola, where I sleep in the manager’s residence of an old National Australia Bank after a gourmet dinner at the local golf club, run by noted chef and teacher, Cat Clarke – a pioneer of modern Indigenous Australian cooking. Just south, I spend an entire afternoon at a winery, Norton Estate Wines, set on rolling calico-coloured hills that make me think of Tuscany, chit-chatting with owners Chris and Sam Spence.

Being here takes me back two decades, when I lived here for a time. It had all seemed as foreign as if I’d driven to another planet back then (from Sydney/Warrane), but there seemed something inherently and immediately good about this place, like I’d lived here before.

And it’s the Australian small-town familiarity of the Grampians that offers me connection back to my own country. Even in the better-known Halls Gap, Liz from Kerrie’s Creations knows I like my lattes with soy milk and one sugar. And while I never do get the name of the lady at the local Ampol station, I sure know a lot about her life.

Kookaburras on a tree — Kookaburras are one of some 230 bird species. (Image: Darren Donlen)

You can be a local here in a day; how good is that? In Chicago, I don’t even know who my neighbour is. Though each day at dusk – when the kangaroos gather outside my villa, and the kookaburras and the black cockatoos shout out loud before settling in to sleep – I prefer the quieter connection I get out there in the bush, beneath these orange mountains.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Sleep beside the wildlife on the edge of Halls Gap at Serenity.

Playing there

abseiling down Hollow Mountain — Hollow Mountain is a popular abseiling site.

Go abseiling under the stars or join a guided hike with Absolute Outdoors. Visit Wama, Australia’s first environmental art centre. Check out Dimboola’s eccentric Imaginarium.

Eating there

steak, naan bread and beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap — Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap serves a great steak on naan bread.

Eat world-class cuisine at Pomonal Estate. Dine and stay at much-revered icon Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld. The ‘steak on naan’ at Halls Gap brewhouse Paper Scissors Rock, can’t be beat.

Dunkeld Arboretum in Grampians National Park — The serene Dunkeld Arboretum.

For Halls Gap’s best breakfasts head to Livefast Cafe. Sip local wines at Great Western’s historic wineries, Best’s Wines, Seppelt Wines and Norton Estate Wines.

two glasses of beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap — Sink a cold one at Paper Scissors Rock.

7 unforgettable glamping stays on the Mornington Peninsula

From spa staycations to weekends in a yurt, these seven glamping getaways on the Mornington Peninsula will have you clicking ‘book’ on your next Victorian break.

1. Peninsula Hot Springs

2. Iluka Retreat

3. Glamping at The Ranch

4. Happy Glamper

5. Mornington Peninsula Retro Caravans

6. Shipwrecked Oasis

7. Yurt Hideaway

This Mornington Peninsula glamping stay is an all-round wellness experience

Victoria’s newest mineral springs bathhouse now has luxury villas to match

This seaside motel’s retro makeover is making waves

Relax at these Mornington Peninsula hot springs and day spas

This scenic Victorian region is the perfect antidote to city life

The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

Exchanging city chaos for country calm

The trails and treasures of the Grampians

What else is on offer in The Grampians?

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Playing there

Eating there

From spa staycations to weekends in a yurt, these seven glamping getaways on the Mornington Peninsula will have you clicking ‘book’ on your next Victorian break.

1. Peninsula Hot Springs

2. Iluka Retreat

3. Glamping at The Ranch

AI Prompt

4. Happy Glamper

5. Mornington Peninsula Retro Caravans

6. Shipwrecked Oasis

7. Yurt Hideaway

This Mornington Peninsula glamping stay is an all-round wellness experience

Victoria’s newest mineral springs bathhouse now has luxury villas to match

This seaside motel’s retro makeover is making waves

Relax at these Mornington Peninsula hot springs and day spas

The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

Exchanging city chaos for country calm

The trails and treasures of the Grampians

What else is on offer in The Grampians?

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Playing there

Eating there