Victoria (Melbourne Region)
French Island
FRENCH ISLAND, off the eastern side of the Mornington Peninsula, is well off the beaten track. A former prison farm, about two-thirds of the island is a national park with the remaining third used as farm land. The island is renowned for its rich wildlife, especially birds of prey, and a flourishing koala colony. Virtually vehicle-free, it’s a great place to cycle, and this is encouraged, with all walking tracks open to bikes. 
 
In the national park you can either camp at the Fairhaven Campground or stay at the McLeod Eco Farm and Historic Prison in former prison cells converted into twins with bunk beds, or in the former officer’s quarters with queen-size beds. The very reasonable rate includes three meals using the produce organically grown on the farm, and transfer from and to the ferry jetty 21km away. The farm is surrounded by national park and has 8km of beach frontage. The small Tortoise Head Guesthouse near the jetty has rooms with water views. The rate includes accommodation, three sumptious wholefood meals as well as free use of mountain bikes.

The general store (2.5km from the jetty) has takeaway food. Refreshments and Devonshire teas are available at the Bayview Chicory Kiln Tea Room (10km from the jetty), which also has a private campsite; both are run by Lois Airs (tel 03/5980 1241, mobile phone 019/406 694), a longtime resident and an inexhaustible mine of information about the island. Lois also does very inexpensive morning or afternoon tours of the island, and if you want to camp at Fairhaven, she will transport your luggage there, leaving you free to cycle. Alan “Koala Dundee” Chandler, another very knowledgeable islander, also does day-tours (tel 03/9770 1822). 

A ferry service from the French Island Ferries company connects the Mornington Peninsula with French Island and Phillip Island. It leaves at least four times daily from Stony Point on the eastern side of the Mornington Peninsula (from Melbourne, connect with Met train services from Flinders Street Station via Frankston), departing from Tankerton jetty on French Island thirty minutes later for Phillip Island ($15 return, bike $2; tel 03/9585 5730). 

The Cowes (Phillip Island) cruise company Bay Connections runs a ferry service to French Island and to Stony Point on Wed and Sun, during the summer holidays (mid-December to January) also on Thurs – all services are subject to demand and must be booked 24 hours ahead. The ferry service can be combined with a tour of the island (tel 03/5678 5642 or 5952 3501; ferry service $26 return, ferry and tour of the island $40).