DenverDooner

I am staying in Australia Feb. 26-March18 and plan on staying in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Kangaroo Island with Melbourne as our base city (friends house in city centre).

My friend and I were thinking of getting a rental car and doing a day trip to Mornington Peninsula or possibly Philip Island? Is it worth doing just a day trip on a Monday out there or should we really dedicate 2 days/1 night ?

shandy

It all depends on what you want to actually do. The Mornington Peninsula can easily be done as a day trip but there is certainly enough to do that you could spend a night down there as well, especially if you wanted to incorporate say, the Red Hill Market or spend several hours relaxing at the Hot Springs. If it is just a bit of a drive around and pop in at a winery for lunch, yes, a day will do it.

If you are keen on going to Phillip Island as well for the penguins, I certainly would consider making it an overnight and then you could spend one day on the Island and next morning head straight over to the Peninsula before returning (or vice versa).

DownUnder

The Penguins only return from the Ocean at dusk so it is probably advisable to overnight at Phillip Island unless you are OK with travelling the 2 hour return trip to Melbourne at night.
Mornington Peninsula only is perfect for a day trip ex. Melbourne. Lunch at one of the wineries (T'Gallant is excellent), as previous poster mentioned. http://www.tgallant.com.au/

peterSale

Like just about everyhere else you could spend a month there and not see everything.

A swim with the dolphins is well worth it and it is a half day trip.
http://www.polperro.com.au/about.html

Cape Schanck isa good spot as well.
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm

Point Nepean National park is also great with a great coast and old forts that were used to protect the entrance of the Bay. This fort fired the first allied shot of WW1 across the bows of a ship. The shell landed on the other side of the entrance plowing a strip in the Queenscliff cemetery. You can catch the ferry to Queens cliff and the other forts from Portsea or drive around from the Melbourne side. Ask about the glazier who retired to queensland after one job.
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_...y.cfm?park=281

I would take two nights just to save on the driving. It is a couple of hours from the centre of Melbourne. It is a deceptively long way. Then go to Phillip Island and the penguins. It is mostly dual carriageway to and from Melbourne to the Island so the drive is easy. From the peninsula it will beabout 50/50 (I think). Getting off the Island is the problem. Either leave early, or wait till the crowds have gone.

Churchill Island on Phillip Island (across a short bridge) is a lovely historic site.
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm

PS How long are you going to be on Kangaroo Island? This will be the best least light polluted place for you to see stars.
The offer still stands if you want me to copy my star book for you and post it to your friend's house.

Enjoy.

JohnFitz

One issue will be what is open on a Monday in certain towns .

For example Flinders , which is a charming little town on the edge of the wine touring area ,is likely to have most shops / cafes closed and some wineries will be closed as well .Markets tend to only be open on Saturdays .

On the other hand if not wanting to do that then certainly it is a manageable drive .

A big trip , but lovely , would be to drive to Frankston using the freeway / Eastlink toll way ( 1 hour )and straight through it onto the Moorooduc Highway and then turn off ( about 10km on )where it points to Tuerong / Balnarring and through there to Flinders ( about 30 minutes )via allthe little towns of Merricks and Shoreham and then through Flinders after a stop for coffee via Cape Schank to Rosebud , along the Point Nepean Road to Sorrento / Portsea and catch the car ferry to Queenscliff .

Queenscliff is a superb tourist town and very historic .

From there drive to Geelong and back to Melbourne .

It takes 1.5 hours from the city to Flinders , 30 mins to Rosebud , 20 to Sorrento , the ferry about 40 mins from memory . From there to Geelong about 40 minutes and Geelong to Melbourne 1 hour. Wonderful viewing from the ferry .

Depends of course on the ferry services at that time of year .

But it is all a lovely drive once you hit Frankston and quite easy . Good shops and places to stop , view , eat and wander about , especially Sorrento and Queenscliff .