chris
| October 24, 2019
| Hop To It Tours blog, Uncategorized
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| Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula itinerary, Mornington Peninsula National Park, Mornington Peninsula things to do, Point Nepean National Park, Portsea, tours from Melbourne, visit australia, visit Melbourne, visit victoria

Mornington Peninsula National Parks

by Chris Burns, Hop To It Tours

Most people know the Mornington Peninsula as the Melbourne summer getaway and come here for the beaches or the wineries. What isn’t well known is how beautiful it is and that there are two national parks to explore with great day hiking options.

Here’s a brief rundown of some of the best half day hikes you can do here.

Point Nepean National Park

Point Nepean National Park sits on a spit of land at the bottom of Port Phillip Bay. Being at the entrance to the bay it has been used as both a fort during the World Wars as well as a quarantine station for early immigrants. As such there are still relics from this bygone era to explore. Ignoring that, it is also one of the best places to spot echidnas and also a beautiful place unto itself being the spot where the ocean meets the bay.

The Point Nepean National Park’s main hike is from the quarantine station to Fort Nepean and is around 11km return. You can also hire bikes or take the shuttle that goes every half an hour to shorten your stay.

An echidna at Point Nepean National Park — An echidna at the quarantine station

A barracks at Fort Nepean Mornington Peninsula — Part of the barracks at Fort Nepean

Looking over the spit at Point Nepean National Park — The spit where Fort Nepean sits

Mornington Peninsula National Park

The Mornington Peninsula National Park main area sits on the ocean side of the Mornington Peninsula between Port Phillip Bay (Portsea area) and Western Port Bay (Flinders area). There are many walks to do here and can all be combined to make a long day hike of over 30km. We are just going to look at a few of the shorter options.

London Bridge

London Bridge is an area in Portsea that you can drive or walk in from Point Nepean. Just down from the Portsea Life Saving Club it is a beautiful place to visit in low tide as the rock pools glisten and make for some beautiful photos. It is recommended to include here as part of a beach trip to Portsea or an add on when visiting Point Nepean.

Looking back at Portsea in amongst all the seaweed around the rock pools — Waves crash at rock pools as we look back at Portsea

Looking through the arch at London Bridge, Mornington Peninsula National Park — Looking through the archway

Beautiful reflections at London Bridge, Mornington Peninsula — Beautiful reflections

Water cascades from the rock pools at London Bridge, Mornington Peninsula — Water cascades from the rock pools

The Artists Trail – Portsea to Sorrento

If you continue walking along the back beach from Portsea to Sorrento a path will lead up from the beach to a track known affectionately as ‘The Artists Trail’. About a 5km walk, it is known as this as there are many beautiful coves to look down on, giving the artist many a spot to stop and pick up their paintbrush (or camera as it is these days).

Looking down at Portsea Back Beach — Portsea Back Beach

London Bridge viewpoint, Mornington Peninsula — Viewpoint at London Bridge

Jubilee Point looking back towards Portsea — View at Jubilee Point

Alternate view at Jubilee Point Mornington Peninsula — Alternate view at Jubilee Point

Cape Schanck Boardwalk

Cape Schanck is 30km from Portsea so either requires strong legs to walk to or a car to get there if including it in with the other walks above. It is a beautiful spot where the lighthouse sits protecting ships planning on entering either Port Phillip or Western Port bays. The boardwalk here will take you down to the sea to explore the rock beaches below.

Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula — Looking down the boardwalk at Cape Schanck

Cape Schanck at sea level — Down at sea level, looking over the rock beach

Cape Schanck to Bushrangers Bay

Another great place to visit in the Mornington Peninsula National Park is Bushrangers Bay. There are two tracks to it, both about 2km long. The first leaves from the Cape Schanck lighthouse. The second leaves from a car park on Boneo Rd. Both tracks are fairly easy walking but Cape Schanck dies provide the better car park.

Bushrangers Bay is a beautiful beach that has a spectacular section of rock pools that you can swim in at low tide. Go at the right time and you’ll be rewarded with the views below!