Phillip Island

Phillip Island is a 2 hour drive out of Melbourne. My family used to go there during summer for Woolamai beach, and the funny thing about this spot is that by the time you drive there, in true Melbourne style, the day's weather could have done a complete 180 turn.

In good weather though, this beach definitely must be one of the best in Victoria, especially when it comes to surfing. Positioned outside of the the bay that most of Melbourne lies within, the beaches on Phillip Island boasts some pretty massive waves - from what I've seen waves usually range from 1 to 3 metres high on a windy day. It also features (generally speaking) a lot of strong winds and colder than anticipated water temperatures - even in summer, you could very well need a wetsuit to surf here.

Myself, I have a rational fear of giant friggin' waves, and I hate the cold, so I don't generally swim in this beach but many people do - swimming is definitely only a viable option in summer. The beach features soft yellow sand, the kind that makes the squeaky noise when you run on it.

The most popular attraction in Phillip Island is the fairy penguins. The penguin parade begins around sundown, but you'll want to get there early to secure yourself a front row seat. Bring a warm coat - we even used a sleeping bag for extra warmth while waiting one night in January! Crowds seat themselves on a grand-stand style bench facing the beach, and we wait for the little penguins to waddle in out of the sea. They don't let you take photos of the event so no pictures of these guys - sorry! The penguins walk past the stands onlookers are seated on, and you can follow the penguins as they waddle towards their nests, by walking on the boardwalks alongside them.

The moral of the story is - you've got the car anyway, so trust me: bring a coat, for just in case.

Mornington Peninsula

Melbourne has access to several winery regions, the most popular being the Yarra Valley in the North East, and the Mornington Peninsula in the South East. Here I'm going to focus on the Mornington Peninsula as far as you can throw it for a day or weekend trip.

What I love about the Mornington Peninsula, is that no matter the level of drought in Victoria, this coastal area is always surprisingly green. On the way out, I'm usually in a hurry to leave the city, so I take the M11 south and follow signs towards Red Hill. Once you exit the highway, you'll start to see wineries. Stop in at any one of them and they can provide you with a map of the area.

Most wineries provide inexpensive (and sometimes free) wine tastings, and most will comp the tastings if you decide to buy a glass or bottle of wine. I've only ever had good experiences at the wineries I've tried so far. So far I've enjoyed a delicious charcuterie board at Hickinbotham of Dromana (shared easily between 4-5 people. They also had a chocolate tasting plate that I'll have to go back for). We also shared a selection of tasteful desserts at Darling Park Winery - these guys were fantastic, still serving us food when we arrived at 4pm (their kitchen was closing), and they even gave us some complimentary limoncello shots.

On our way through the winery district, we found a cherry and berry farm that was selling fresh produce. He offered us to try the fruit and it was so good that we brought two buckets each of cherries and blueberries back home with us (most of which didn't make it to Melbourne before getting eaten).









From here, on one occasion we also visited a Hedge Maze, and that took the better half of the afternoon. It's best to get lunch elsewhere beforehand, or bring a picnic for this one, although they do have a cafe available on site to purchase food too.
What I liked about this place was that not only did it have two hedge mazes to navigate, but the gardens that the mazes lead to were enchanting. This is definitely a great experience for kids, but my friends and I in our early twenties still enjoyed it too.

Garden at Ashcombe Maze

A more mature alternative, would be to visit the Hot Springs. This is probably best done early in the morning (when the water feels a bit cleaner from the overnight maintenance), but can be done in the evening for a spectacular sunset view from the top pool. We went in the late afternoon when the ambient temperature had cooled down, and most of the pools were still fairly busy at that time.

On the return drive to Melbourne, I like to drive along Purves Road through Arthur's Seat State Park on the way home, for a stunning view of Port Phillip Bay. From here you can follow signs back to the M11, or head to the beach for a while and take the Nepean Road along the coast for as long as you like.