Long, curved sandy beaches, ocean-facing cafes, bay walks and soft hills cloaked in vines – the Mornington Peninsula is a bite-sized paradise only an hour's drive from Australia's second-biggest city. The fan club for this coastal playground is a big one, and justifiably so.
Just a tiny splinter of land 50 kilometres long, the peninsula packs out over summer for the iconic Aussie beach holiday – with sites booked well in advance as Australians down tools for the Christmas break. So, November is the time for a sneaky getaway before the rush, when you can soak up the glorious beaches, views, walks and food, without the crowds.
This is not a geared-up, off-road adventure; the Mornington Peninsula is just 110 kilometres from Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall. Our run is made even easier by the toll roads that feed onto the Mornington Peninsula freeway (M11), which finishes at land's end and Portsea, one of the state's most exclusive postcodes.
