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Victoria (Melbourne Region) |
| Western Coast | |
| The peninsula essentially starts at suburban Frankston, 40km from central Melbourne, and from here on down, the western coast, flanked by the Nepean Highway, is beach after beach, all crowded and traffic-snarled in summer. Twelve kilometres beyond Frankston, the old fishing port of Mornington preserves some of its heritage in fine buildings along Mornington Esplanade; every Wednesday there’s a produce and craft market on Main Street. | |
| Mount
Martha, 5km on, is another old settlement, the Briars Historic Park
(homestead daily 11am–4pm, parklands and wetlands: 9am–5pm, admission
fee for both $5), an 1860s homestead surrounded by lawns and gardens,
woodlands and extensive wetlands. At the visitor’s centre near the
homestead, an audiovisual display gives you an overview on how the
affluent upper crust lived in early pioneering days as well as a rundown
on the present-day facilities of the park.
The 74 acres of wetlands are of interest to naturalists, as they are used by more than fifty species of waterbirds, which can be observed at close distance from two bird-hides, accessible from the visitor information centre. There are also two woodland walkways, and guided bushwalks are conducted at night on request (except in winter). In summer, there are additional events, such as jazz concerts, astronomical viewing of the night sky, and Heritage Day with actors in period costume. Inland from Dromana, where seaside development begins in earnest, the granite outcrop of Arthurs Seat State Park rises 305m, providing breathtaking views of Port Phillip Bay. A chairlift makes the vista more easily accessible, leaving from the picnic area on Arthurs Seat Road, just off the Mornington Peninsula Freeway (Sept–2nd Mon in June daily 11am–4.30pm; rest of the year Sat, Sun, public & school holidays same hours; $8 return). Beyond, the peninsula arcs and narrows: the sands around Sorrento and Portsea offer a choice between the rugged surf of the ocean (“back” beaches) or the calmer waters of the bay (“front” beaches). |
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