9 Best Sights in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

There's been a chairlift climbing up to Arthurs Seat since 1960. Now, the modern Eagle's gondolas take 14 minutes to drift slowly above the eucalyptus forests up to Arthurs Seat, at 1,000 feet above sea level. The gondolas are surprisingly quiet, so you'll hear the birdcall among the trees: keep an eye out for the wedge-tailed eagle, after which the Eagle chairlift is named. You can travel one way or return, starting from either the base station, or down from the summit station at Arthurs Seat. It's not a mountain, but the peak affords magnificent views back to Melbourne and across Port Phillip Bay. Take coffee or lunch at the café at the top before your return journey. There is plenty of parking at the base, as well as a small café, but limited parking at the peak, and the entire facility is wheelchair-friendly. From the summit, take the 1.8-km (1.1-mile) circuit walk, which passes several scenic viewing points.

The once-private estate of one of the wealthiest men in Australia, Pt. Leo Estate opened to the public in late 2017 with a fine-dining restaurant and winery experience set against dramatic coastal views and enhanced by an ambitious collection of more than 50 large-scale contemporary international and local works dotted along winding paths. Download the audio walk app from Point Leo's website before you visit and plan to spend an entire afternoon exploring. If all that sculpture gets you thirsty, take a break for a wine tasting at the cellar door (or take a glass on your walk). If you can plan ahead, make a reservation at fine-dining Laura, considered one of Victoria's top restaurants. Otherwise, take a table at the bistro next door, Pt. Leo Restaurant, or outside on the casual Wine Terrace, which often has live music and always has glorious views of the vineyard, sculptures, and the bay. The estate offers experiences combining sculpture tours, lunch, and wine tastings.

Home to the peninsula's first Pinot Grigio vines, this popular Italian-theme cellar door is newly refurbished to include a busy, family-friendly restaurant. T'Gallant produces excellent Pinot Noir, Prosecco, and Pinot Gris. If you're an art lover as well as a wine fan, you'll also admire the beautiful artwork on its bottle labels. The on-site pizza bar is always buzzing and the food is exceptional, with dishes made from local ingredients, including items from the house herb garden. Tuck into their signature Roman-style, wood-fired pizzas, a cheese board, or a chocolate ganache brownie paired with its pink Moscato.

Sweeping views of the surrounding countryside can be seen from this park, taking in Port Phillip Bay, Port Phillip Heads, and—on a clear day—the city skyline, the You Yangs, and Mt. Macedon. The mountain, which gives Arthurs Seat State Park its name, is the highest point on the Mornington Peninsula and named after Arthurs Seat in Edinburgh. A marked scenic drive snakes its way up to the summit, and walking tracks meander through the park's stands of eucalyptus. Seawinds, a public garden established by a local gardener in the 1940s, also forms part of the park and is a 10-minute walk or about 500 yards away. The road from Mornington is open at all times, so you can enjoy the spectacular mountaintop view by day or at night to see the lights.

Check out the world's first circular rose maze, a Cypress-hedge maze, a lavender labyrinth, and a "legendary" Great Gnome Hunt at this attraction, handily located east of T'Gallant Winery. Open 9–5 daily.

Find your way through a traditional hedge maze or test your navigational skills in the indoor 3-D maze at this delightful attraction. The property also has "tree surfing," in which participants make their way through an aboveground obstacle course and a 200-meter (655-foot) zipline.

Taste wines looking over the vineyards where they were grown at Foxeys, a fun, informal cellar door popular with the weekend lunch crowd (walk-ins only). The range includes its sparkling white and sparkling Shiraz, as well as peninsula's first fully certified biodynamic wines, best tasted with the kitchen's share plates that might feature a barbecued quail or tomato, feta, and mint salad. If you're out of luck getting a table, its sister property, Morning Sun in nearby Main Ridge, serves Italian salumi and cheeses.

This family-owned, boutique winery, established in 1989, has moved to a new Red Hill address and celebrates with a new, Tuscan-inspired farmhouse as its cellar door (try the single-vineyard Pinot Noir) and restaurant—all in a super-scenic setting. The menu taps into the Italian heritage of the owners, the Fabrizio family, with elegant pastas, risottos, and pizzas, along with homemade cannoli.The wine list is a showcase of the estate's talents.

Backing onto the suburb of Rosebud, this popular beach has been rated one of the safest in Victoria. The white-sand flats extend a long way offshore and sand bars keep the area protected for swimming, while trees provide natural shade. The beach reserve includes a jetty (from which many locals fish), boat ramp, and camping ground. A picnic and barbecue area and adventure playground make the beach a hit with families, and the nearby Bay Trail walking and cycling track is popular. Accommodation around here tends to be motels and cottages for rent. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.