Victoria's Mornington Peninsula curves southward and westward from the state capital, Melbourne, along the eastern coast of Port Phillip Bay.
It is a region of fine beaches, holiday homes, vineyards and wineries, and a variety of other attractions.
Mornington Peninsula is one of the two wine regions closest to Melbourne, the other being the Yarra Valley in the east-northeast.
See Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley wine regions.
Coastal route
The easy coastal route to the Mornington Peninsula from Melbourne is via St Kilda Rd, which is the continuation southward of Swanston St in the city.
St Kilda Rd eventually leads into Nepean Highway which can take you all the way down to Portsea at the southwestern end of the peninsula.
Visitor centre
Frankston is your first big town south of Melbourne on the Nepean Highway.
Drive to the Frankston waterfront to the Frankston Visitor Centre on the Pier Promenade for specific ideas of places and attractions to visit.
Market and gallery
In Mornington, it's market time on Wednesdays when you might want to browse for local art and craft items or fresh local produce.
While in town, you may want to visit the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery (closed Mondays and some public holidays) at the Civic Reserve, Dunns and Tyabb Rds.
Drive west to the water's edge for a rest in the park or continue on Schnapper Point Drive down to the marina and have a bite to eat, if it's that time, at The Rocks restaurant.
South to Sorrento
Southwards to Dromana, Rosebud, Rye and Sorrento, the main attractions are water activities which include kayaking, diving, snorkeling, swimming with seals and dolphins, and horseback riding on the beaches and inland trails.
You may want to visit Peninsula Hot Springs at Rye where hot mineral waters flow from underground into pools and private baths.
National park
Mornington Peninsula National Park extends along the coast from Portsea to Flinders on the southeastern end of the peninsula.
Mazes to Amaze
At Shoreham, north of Flinders, there's the Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Garden. Inland at Arthurs Seat, there's the Enchanted Maze Garden. There's also the Boneo Maze and Wetlands Centre at Fingal, five minutes off Rosebud.
Returning to Melbourne
You may want to take another route in returning to Melbourne. Consult your map for the route that suits you best.
