A Weekend Guide to Cape Schanck for Your Next Coastal Road Trip

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It may get passed over for some of its more glamorous neighbouring towns on the Mornington Peninsula, but Cape Schanck is a great spot to check out for your next road trip.

The charming seaside region is located at the southernmost point of the Peninsula and is home to great food, excellent wine, idyllic coastal scenery and even a cool old-timey lighthouse, making it a perfect base from which to access all the wonders of the region.

We've teamed up with our Victorian road trip partner RACV to bring you a selection of incredible ways to experience Cape Schanck and its surrounds.

And don't forget: if you're planning on having a drink, make sure there's a designated driver to keep you safe on your travels.

Peter Tarasiuk, Visit Victoria

VISIT THE CAPE SCHANCK LIGHTHOUSE RESERVE

That old-timey lighthouse we mentioned? Well, it's one of the main landmarks of this part of the Peninsula, so if you're visiting make it an essential stop. While you might not find RPatz and Willem Dafoe in a brain-bending psychological thriller inside, there's plenty of rich history to be discovered. The dressed limestone and sandstone structure that was built in 1859 still has its original mechanisms in place so it's a bone fide architectural relic.

Learn more about its significance and history at the on-site museum, then stick around for a stroll of the grounds — the lighthouse is situated at the edge of a stunning national park full of walking tracks, breathtaking coastal views and endemic plants.

Visit Victoria

WALK THE BUSHRANGERS BAY TRACK

Bushrangers Bay is a quiet, secluded beach that offers a contrasting beauty to the brooding, craggy headlands, thick banksia groves that envelope it and the wild crashing waves that break on the shores. Due to the latter, swimming is strongly discouraged here, but the stunning walk and bewitching scenery more than make up for that.

There are two walking tracks that you can take to access the wild beauty of the bay, either from the Cape Schanck car park, or the Boneo car park along Main Creek, both of which are less than three kilometres long.

Visit Victoria

RECHARGE AT THE PENINSULA HOT SPRINGS

All that walking got you feeling the need to relax? Then make a beeline to the award-winning, naturally forming Peninsula Hot Springs. With its series of pools and private baths filled with natural geothermal mineral waters, this renowned wellness centre has everything you need to relax and recharge, right down to the idyllic background of gently rolling green gardens.

Dining and accommodation options are also available if you find yourself wanting to extend your stay — and you might just want to, thanks to the retreat's excellent range of spa and wellness treatments.

Fred Laures

SAMPLE LOCAL PINOT AT NAZAARAY ESTATE

The Mornington Peninsula happens to be home to one of Victoria's best wine regions, with the cooler climate offering and especially perfect conditions to nurture pinot noir varietals.

The picturesque Nazaaray Estate, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Param and Nirmal Ghumman since 1991, is the place for cracking drop of pinot, with a number of vintages and varieties to sample (with lovingly prepared Indian tasting plates to match) at the charming cellar door. Honourable mention must also be given to the estate's chardonnay which blends bright fruit notes with subtle but complex oakiness.

Derek Ross, Visit Victoria

PLAY A PICTURESQUE ROUND OF GOLF AT THE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

Golfer? Be sure to check out The National Golf Club, with scenery so heavenly you might just forget how bad your short game is. The grounds here encompass four world-class courses (including one designed by Greg Norman), with the sprawling greens and fairways punctuated with thickets of local foliage which give way to awe-inspiring coastal views.

There's only one catch: unless you're a member, Victorian visitors need to be invited by a current member if they wish to play (interstate and overseas members of other clubs can book via the website). After a turn around the course, though, you'll more than likely be looking to apply for your own membership.

EXPLORE THE PENINSULA'S STELLAR DINING SCENE

It's not just wine that the Peninsula does well — the food in this part of Victoria is some of the best in the state. Start your day at bona fide McCrae institution Merchant & Maker, an award-winning cafe that features an in-house roaster to prepare ethically sourced, sustainable beans from sibling store Commonfolk Coffee. Pair your brew with a selection from the stellar brunch menu, which includes dishes like the Porky Pork Benny with bacon coffee jam, seeded mustard hollandaise, green apple and pickled fennel, a vegetarian okonomiyaki or a dark chocolate and coconut panna cotta.

The Peninsula is also home to a number of terrific fine diners. In Flinders, Moke is all about super-fresh, local and seasonal produce creatively served up in a relaxed setting. The menu changes weekly, sometimes even daily, depending on the spark of inspiration that might seize head chef Michael Cole when scouting for the freshest produce. You can pair your tasting menu with a drop from the impressive wine program curated by Redhill Wine Collective, or a sturdy selection of local beers and spirits.

The nearby Donna Maria, as the name might suggest, serves up cleverly contemporary Italian in a stylishly laidback setting. Dishes here — which include beef carpaccio with black garlic aioli and charred eggplant with a raisin and oregano braise, pine nuts and ricotta — are complemented by a foolproof wine list, divided into sections with names like 'chardonnay would go well with what we're eating' and 'I love medium bodied reds like valpolicella'.

Peter Tarasiuk, Visit Victoria

CHECK OUT SOME LESSER-KNOWN BEACHES

As the annual summer influx of city-dwellers attests to vividly, the Mornington Peninsula is home to some of the best (and most easily accessible) beaches in Victoria. Our tip: make a pitstop at one of the more expansive (and far less crowded) beaches in the region.

With its nearly four-kilometre stretch of idyllic white sand and calm, crystal-clear waters, Capel Sound, set between Rosebud and Rye, is perfect for a relaxing dip against the backdrop of colourful beach boxes. Ocean beach Gunnamatta, meanwhile, is far more exposed and boasts deep blue cascading waves (with an average height of nearly two metres) perfect for surfing. Still ocean-side, Rye Ocean Beach is another favourite for experienced wave riders, and features natural sand dunes, walking tracks and opportunities to encounter native wildlife.

Mattyv.au (Flickr)

SEE THE NATURAL WORLD AT ITS FINEST AT THE DRAGON'S HEAD AND FLINDERS BLOWHOLE

While The Dragon's Head sounds like a brilliant name for a pub, the natural phenomenon is arguably more impressive. The seaside formation is named for what it resembles: a jagged pile of rocks rearing out of the sea atop a shelf that has been mostly worn away, in the shape of, you guessed it, a dragon's head. Completely naturally formed, this spot is just one of many fascinating formations that call Number 16 Beach home — though this one looks particularly impressive as the white waves crash around it. So if you're after a great photo op — or if you've always fancied yourself a Daenerys Targaryen type — then this is a must-visit.

Similarly impressive is Flinders Blowhole (which, we admit, would also make quite a good pub name). This geyser, located at the end of a winding wooden boardwalk, puts on a show when the sea shoots up through it as the waves strike the headland. The area also home to some amazing birdlife — on certain days, you may be able to catch glimpses of mighty sea eagles soaring majestically through the skies.

UNWIND IN STYLE AT RACV CAPE SCHANCK RESORT

With its easy access to and from the city, the Mornington Peninsula is a day-trip favourite for many a Melburnian. But with so much to do, it's well worth a full weekend. Rest up in style at RACV Cape Schanck Resort, a luxurious retreat that's home to a spa, golf course and a number of top quality restaurants and bars championing regional produce. It's right in the heart of Cape Schanck, too, making it the ideal location from which to set off on your adventures.

Planning a road trip? Get RACV Emergency Roadside Assistance before you head off.

Top images: Visit Victoria