Mornington, VIC

Mornington, Sorento, Frankston, Hasting, Dandenong, Portsea, Philip Island, Frenchs Island
Phillip Island and Gippsland Discovery is a great sweep of land in south-east Victoria that begins in the Great Dividing Range then descends into the placid green valleys of country Gippsland. It rises over the bush-clad Strzelecki Ranges before crossing South Gippsland’s abundant pastures on its way to a famous stretch of coastline.

The area is renowned for Phillip Island, where the nature park is home to the nightly Penguin Parade, the shearwaters that every year fly between Alaska and Phillip Island, the seals that cavort around Seal Rocks and the koalas on a treetop boardwalk.

Phillip Island measures 10,000ha in area, and is 26km long by 9km wide. It takes about 25 minutes to drive between the eastern and western points of the island. Phillip Island is mainly flat with low-level hills to break the landscape. The highest point on the island is Cape Woolamai, in the south-eastern corner, reaching 118m in height. The rugged southern coastline faces Bass Strait and offers great surfing, while the protected northern beaches nestle into Westernport Bay providing safe swimming areas.

There is no typical town in the Phillip Island and Gippsland Discovery region. They range from quiet seaside resorts to busy modern townships that service the nearby farmlands. Cowes, the main town of Phillip Island, has a long pier to walk or fish from and a pretty foreshore for picnics. You can dine looking out to sea or take refuge from the winter winds at a coffee shop with an open fire.

Things to do:

• Start your day feeding the pelicans at San Remo, the last mainland town before you cross the bridge to Phillip Island.
• Once on the island you can enjoy the wildlife, the rugged coastlines or the calm waters of the wetlands. The island is home to the largest colony of fur seals in Australia. You can take a boat tour out to Seal Rocks or you can view the seals via close circuit television at the Sea Life Centre.
• The Koala Conservation Centre offers you the chance to go koala spotting in the surrounding woodlands. Or view the koalas up close in their tree top homes on the elevated boardwalk.
• Stop for lunch at one of the island’s many restaurants or picnic at the wetlands of Swan Lake or Rhyll Inlet and enjoy the many wild birds. Historic Churchill Island will take you back in time with its restored Amess Homestead and pretty cottage garden.
• The Cape Woolamai walking track which has spectacular coastal scenery, including rugged cliffs known as The Pinnacles.
• The world-famous Penguin Parade is a great way to finish your day on the island. Each night, hundreds of ‘Little Penguins’ return from their day at sea to their burrows nestled along Summerland Beach. Viewing stands and an extensive boardwalk ensure everyone gets a great view.

Mornington Peninsula National Park’s spectacular features make it one of Victoria’s most popular. Enjoy fabulous views from Point Nepean to Cape Schanck. Marvel at the sea’s fury at Cape Schanck, Gunnamatta, and Sorrento and Portsea ocean beaches. Picnic, swim, walk, ramble in the rock pools, dive on a coral reef, surf.

Take a short ferry ride from Stony Point to French Island National Park, an 11,000ha wilderness wonderland. Peaceful, isolated, a wildlife haven, home to Victoria’s largest and disease-free koala population.

Wander Western Port Boardwalk as it transverses heritage-listed wetlands and mangroves. Explore wetlands teeming with more than 176 bird species at historic Coolart Homestead.

The Mornington Peninsula National Park has long been a favourite for summer holidays. Covering 2,686ha, its diverse coastal environments range from the basalt cliffs at Cape Schanck to the native bushland of Greens Bush and the roaring surf of Gunnamatta. Historic Point Nepean has old fortifications interpreted by displays and soundscapes, and spectacular views of the Port Phillip Heads.

Things to see and do

• Swim or surf at the ocean beaches (for safety swim at patrolled beaches or in rockpools)
• Try the Bushrangers Bay Nature Walk, starting at Cape Schanck, or the Farnsworth Track at Portsea
• Explore Point Nepean's historic fortifications and enjoy fabulous ocean and bay views
• Have a beach picnic
• Walk the ocean beaches or along the Main Creek Track through Greens Bush
• Tour the Cape Schanck Lighthouse (adjacent to the park)
• Enjoy the panoramic view from Arthur's Seat

French Island National Park is a true paradise. Accessible only by 30-minute passenger ferry ride, French Island is a haven of peace and serenity. The 11,100ha park contains environments ranging from mangrove saltmarsh areas to open woodlands and plays home to an equally diverse range of wildlife.

Things to see and do

• Explore the park at leisure by bus or bike or on foot, using the network of public roads and management tracks. There are whole day, half day and shorter walks and rides starting at Tankerton Foreshore Reserve (see the information display at the Ranger Station for guides to routes and more information).
• >Stay overnight in a former prison cell at McLeod Eco Farm and Historic Prison
• See a chicory kiln, such as the one at Bayview Chicory Kiln
• Spot some of the large population of koalas or long-nosed potoroos
• Enjoy the peace and quiet of an isolated island

Rising above the Mornington Peninsula, Arthurs Seat is the most familiar of all Port Phillip Bay landscape features Its 314m summit, reached by road, chairlift or foot, gives spectacular views of the bay and Port Phillip Heads. On a clear day, the view extends to the city skyline, the You Yangs and Mount Macedon.

Things to see and do

• Take the pleasant 1-hour circuit walk to Kings Falls
• Enjoy a view of the bay and city skyline while taking the chairlift or from the summit
• Visit the delightful Seawinds Garden which contains several sculptures by William Ricketts