Mornington Peninsula

Located south-east of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is one of Victoria’s most prevalent coastal tourist destinations. The region offers stunning beaches on both Phillip Bay and the ocean, as well as an array of water sports, unspoiled national park land, and numerous wineries and restaurant choices.

With a temperate to warm climate in the spring and summer months, and colder weather throughout autumn and winter, Mornington Peninsula experiences its peak period within summer school holiday weeks. While water sports and beaches are popular in the warmer weather, many guests are not deterred by the cold, visiting the many local wineries and hot springs from June through to August.

Guests travel to the area not only for its beaches and wineries, but also to enjoy spa retreats, walking tracks of varying difficulty, local museums and galleries, as well as local sights such as Arthurs Seat, Cape Schanck Lighthouse, Dragon’s Head Rock, and Fort Nepean. With its clean beaches and protected national park land, the Mornington Peninsula is full of wildlife, offering visitors to the area fantastic opportunities for snorkelling, diving or swimming with dolphins and seals as part of a tour, or getting up close with kangaroos, koalas, ringtail possums, and other native wildlife.

The region’s fresh foods are some of its finest products, providing visitors the chance to experience organic local fruits such as berries and cherries, as well as products from small local manufacturers such as chocolate, jams, and oils. Visitors can access these delicacies from farmers markets, or direct from local boutique stores in Mornington.

While accommodation options are widely varied in the region, it is home to a large number of luxury resorts and hotels, as well as budget and family friendly options such as holiday parks, serviced apartments, and motels. With thousands of domestic and international visitors making their way to the Mornington Peninsula each year, the region is home to 539 accommodation options and food services, employing 6.5 percent of the area’s 155,000 residents.

Both international and interstate guests can easily access the Mornington Peninsula by flying into Melbourne Tullamarine Airport which is a short one hour drive by car, and only slightly longer if visitors choose to travel to the peninsula by train.