Travelblog Victoria, Australia · Mornington Peninsula · by Crackly

Cheers. I thought it was about time that I actually wrote a blog about Australia. After all, thats where I'm from. So, in this blog I'm going to talk about my favourite Australian holiday spot - the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. It's only about 1 hours drive from Melbourne (the capital city of Victoria). You can also take the train from Melbourne to Frankston. There are many beautiful places on the peninsula and you can get around to most within less than an hours drive. **** My highlights are Portsea and Sorrento. In these spots you can see the clear still ocean in Port Philip bay,walk along the golden beaches, go out sailing, visit botique shops and try out many of the local cafes or restaurants. My favourite is Green Olive Gourmet in Sorrento. I always get the EBC (egg & bacon ciabatta) and a double shot latte for about $13. They have a little shop where inside where you can buy coffee beans, condiments, kitchen utinsels and great gourmet food and beverages from around Australia. If time allows, just watch a Sunday morning cruise by at the Green Olive in Sorrento....it's awesome. **** Make sure you head to Dromana to see the famous coloured beach shelters. Row after row, all different colours. People own them but by law, cannot reside or sleep overnight in them. They are used for by families for their day at the beach. People store surfboards, barbeques, towels and other gear in them. 10 years ago you could buy one cheaply but now they are almost a status symbol, quite trendy, and you are lucky to get one for under $70,000 - and you cant even sleep in them. But they look nice and are a Mornington 'trademark'. Another highlight is the view from Arthurs Seat. From about 500 metres above sea level, you get, unquestionably, one of the best views in Australia. You can see all of the Mornington peninsula, right out over Port Philip bay. And on a clear day, you can even make out the Melbourne skyline way out in the distance!! The incredible thing is, most people who live in Melbourne have never ever seen this view!! I asked my friends in Victoria, and they'd never heard about it. I told them to check it out and the next time they had guests they took them. They called me up and said "Fancy an Adelaide boy telling us about our own state" (Adelaide is 8 hours drive from Melbourne in a different state of Australia). I guess it just shows that people who live somewhere tend not to be a tourist in their own state!! But definitely, take the time to visit Arthurs Seat. Sidepoint : in my opinion the best view is from Chapmans point, one stop before the top carpark! **** Another really interesting place to visit is the brand spanking new Mount Martha marina. The sea water is diverted about 2 kilometres in land to minimise coastal impact. The water is diverted via a channel that actually runs over a bridge. Yes, believe it or not, cars drive under this channel. Its really incredible to see!! Cars driving under the sea water....the mind boggles. If you Google "Mount Martha marina", you get a fair idea of the impressive scale and upmarket feel of this amazing place. I wish I had $1,000,000 so I could buy a piece of prime real estate.**** The thing is, on one side of this peneinsula is the calm sheltered waters of Port Philip bay but on the other side is the rough ocean beaches where often the water is straight from Antarctica. These beaches are called the "back beaches". This is where the surfers play and hang gliders are often seen also. I love these beaches. You know, its the rugged, untamed Australia at it's best. My highlights around here would be London bridge (a rocky outcrop where you see incredible sunsets), Gunnamatta beach and Flinders. All these beaches give you amazing coastal views of limestone cliffs and jagged coastline, surely some of the most mind-blowing scenery you could find in Australia. But what really what Mornington peninsula a place I go back to over and over, is the people. The locals are friendly, unpretentious, and only to happy to have a chat with you. They are very helpful too. In the next few days, more text and phots will be added to this blog. Til next time, Crackly.

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