MELBOURNE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN (KINDA)
Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula really does have something for everyone. There’s beachside hamlets ranging in style from boho Rosebud to glam Sorrento, a vibrant hinterland food scene (head to Red Hill for olive farms, wineries and pick-your-own strawberries) and artful inclusions, such as the world-class sculpture park at Pt. Leo Estate in Merricks (pictured below right) and Jackalope’s behemoth black rabbit/antelope hybrid sculpture at Merricks North. It’s all very Mediterranean really (well, in summer at least). Take the M1 and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway from Melbourne to get there – watching out for giant roadside sculptures along the way including a quizzical bird and huge silver garden gnome. Then just pootle around from Main Ridge (another foodie hotspot for wine at Main Ridge Estate and goats’ cheese at Main Ridge Dairy) to Mount Martha (cameras ready for the sorbet-hued bathing sheds) to well-heeled Portsea to take it all in. 110 kilometres (to DISTANCE: Portsea). If you fancy hanging out a STAY: little longer, Mornington Peninsula has lots of choice when it comes to stylish stays.
INTERCONTINENTAL SORRENTO MORNINGTON PENINSULA
Part of the sophisticated new offering at landmark redevelopment The Continental, which includes restaurants, bars and a chic bathhouse, the InterContinental Sorrento Mornington Peninsula has been lovingly and lavishly reimagined complete with a glamorous Mediterranean aesthetic. thecontinentalsorrento.com.au
LANCEMORE LINDENDERRY RED HILL
Situated within nearly 14 hectares of gardens and grape vines in the heart of Red Hill, this boutique hotel of 40 rooms (pictured above left) has benefited from the signature sophisticated aesthetic of award-winning design studio Hecker Guthrie. It boasts a convivial cellar door and a destination dining experience at the one-hatted (in the 2022 Australian Good Food Guide) Dining Room, with its considered farm-to-plate menu. lancemore.com.au/lindenderry-red-hill
HART’S FARM
Located in Shoreham, this rural retreat, blissfully situated within a working olive farm, offers two chic accommodation options – The Retreat and The Studio – both of which are perfect for a relaxed couple’s weekend away. hartsfarm.com.au
PORT PHILLIP ESTATE
A dramatic modernist concrete facade gives way to a collection of six luxury suites that boast expansive vineyard and coastal views (as well as luxury touches such as Missoni bathrobes and Aesop amenities). portphillipestate.com.au
PEPPERS MOONAH LINKS RESORT MORNINGTON PENINSULA
Adjacent to two championship golf courses, Peppers Moonah Links’ Open Rooms overlook the 1st Fairway from their expansive terraces and present like funky crash pads complete with retro modernist furniture and shots of orange and brown. peppers.com.au/moonah