Sunday March 21
We flew into Melbourne (getting away from the big wet in Sydney) arriving at 11:30am, picked up our hire car and drove to the Mornington area. We stopped, as pre-planned, at a winery with a pizzeria arriving around a 1:45pm to find there would be a 1-hour wait for a table. We choose this place as it was ‘simple’; i.e. no full meal required but they did not take reservations. So we just drove on to our resort about 15 minutes away - the RACV Cape Schanck is a Golf resort right on the tip of Mornington - the resort surpassed our expectations - amazing design - our suite was also amazing - lounge, bedroom and huge bathroom with huge spa - all with wrap around windows and balcony overlooking the golf course - with the ocean in the distance.
After checking in - we hit the bar for a snack and a drink then settled into our suite before heading out for a walk around the resort and surrounding area. The weather was mild (22C) and overcast - it started to rain around 5pm so headed back to our suite for showers and to get ready for dinner in the resort restaurant. Dinner was excellent - salad for entree then Waygu steak for Dieter and King salmon for me with delicious veggies as a side.
Monday March 22
We got up in time for brekkie before 7:45am due to a promo from the resort - you received a $30 credit per day if you went for brekkie before 7:45am. Due to Covid, breakfast was a simple a la carte menu - but all fresh and very good - we both over indulged - with juice, fruit, a small yoghurt, pastries and fried eggs and bacon.
We did some touring and walking in the morning . . . first stop was to Portsea and Sorrento - both very picturesque villages then onto Point Nepean National Park - the location of a Quarantine Village and a fortress - both built in the late 1890’s - there are numerous walking tracks with sweeping views of Port Phillip Bay. We did the walk from the Gunners Cottage to the very tip where Fort Napean is located. It was an overcast but mild day - 22C again.
From the park we drove to Arthur’s seat - a high hill overlooking the Bay - we drove up but there is also a gondola. We had plans for a late and light lunch at a restaurant on top with a great view - alas it was closed down completely and in need of some TLC. The gondola station had a cafe with pre-made / pre-packed wraps so we shared one of those and an LLB (Lemon, Limes and Bitters). Just as we finished, around 2pm, the drizzle moved in and looked like it was here to stay so we made our way back to our hotel for a bit of relaxing, a game of scrabble, showers and fives’s (the remainder of our complimentary sparkler). We had dinner at the hotel restaurant again - must have been the chef’s night off - it did not quite hit the 10 out of 10 of the previous evening - Dieter had the salmon (on my recommendation) but it was so under-cooked he sent it back and I had the chicken which was OK just not great and sufficient to feed a nation.
Tuesday March 23
Up to early to enjoy a Nespresso and watch the news - rain and flooding in NSW and QLD was wide-spread. It looked like rain here too in Mornington - but far from torrential.
First up we drove to Cape Schanck lighthouse and did the boardwalk down to beach - lots of stairs - it was cool (17C and overcast) but we quickly warmed up. From the lighthouse we did the bushwalk to Bushranger Bay - it was a lot tougher than we anticipated and unfortunately less scenic - but it was a good workout and the rain held off.
We then dropped to Montaldo winery where we had lunch at their pizzeria restaurant (one of the few winery restaurants which aren’t fine-dining - full meal sort of places) - we didn’t actually have a pizza but shared a main of spatchcock - pretty good far from a 10 out of 10. Montaldo has a sculpture walk through their vineyard - about 1km - it was nice - the drizzle was moving in quickly.
Finally we drove to Pt Leo winery which in addition to having an acclaimed winery and a fine dining restaurant has an amazing sculpture walk - entry $10 ($5 for us oldies) - well worth the entrance fee - better than any gallery - we walked through taking photos in the now steady rain. By the time we finished it was after 4pm so we headed back to our hotel.
Back at the ranch (so to say) we had showers etc then went to the restaurant for our final dinner at Cape Schanck - we shared an entree and shared a main (beetroot salad then slow roasted lamb shoulder) - plenty after a few days of over-indulgence.