The township of Mornington is located between the exclusive beachside suburbs of Mount Eliza and Mount Martha on the Port Phillip coast. A cosmopolitan seaside village, Mornington is buzzing with galleries, cafes and restaurants, homeware and designer stores, weekend markets and food and wine events. It even has a popular racecourse.
Follow the heritage walk through the town to discover the town’s rich history from a fishing and logging port in the 1800s to a popular destination for Melbourne day-trippers. The Main Street Wednesday market is Victoria’s longest-running midweek regional market.
With a number of beaches featuring colourful bathing boxes, Mornington is perfect for beach lovers. Swimmers can enjoy Mothers Beach and Scout Beach on the eastern side of Schnapper Point, while Shire Hall Beach and Mills Beach are located further east along the coast. Sailing is also popular and there’s a marina where you can dine overlooking the water or fish off the pier.
Mornington is ideal for:
Families with kids
Retirees
LGBT+
Beach Lovers and outdoor lovers
Boat enthusiasts
Fisherfolk
Foodies
Kindergartens
Schools
Halfway between Frankston and Mornington is the beach-side village of Mount Eliza. The coastline of the suburb features steep cliffs overlooking pretty, secluded beaches that can be accessed by residential streets. The homes here are a mixture of prestigious properties, established family homes and holiday houses. Mount Eliza village centre on Mount Eliza Way has an IGA and Woolworths supermarket, a variety of specialty shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants. There’s a farmers market held in the village centre each month.
Mount Eliza is home to the Ranelagh Estate, a heritage protected garden suburb designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin in 1924. The estate consists of about 800 single and double-storey houses on spacious blocks along curved streets of trees, greenery and open space for children to play.
On the other side of the Nepean Highway, there are green and leafy streets leading to the Mount Eliza lookout and beautiful walking trails through the Moorooduc Quarry Flora and Fauna Reserve.
The suburb is blessed with a variety of state, catholic and private schools and early childhood centres. There’s also several sports clubs and community groups.
Mornington is ideal for:
Professionals
Singles
Families with kids
Retirees
LGBT+
Beach Lovers and outdoor lovers
Kindergartens
Hastings is located on a crescent-shaped bay that opens onto Western Port. Originally a shipping village, Hastings’ extensive waterfront foreshore area consists of large and grassy open spaces, native bush and mangroves along the water’s edge. There are lots of cycling and walking tracks, picnic and BBQ facilities, children’s playgrounds and leash-free areas for dogs. The historic Hastings Jetty is a popular spot for fishing, boating and watching the local colony of pelicans.
The marina and yacht club sits in what is considered as one of the safest harbours on Western Port – easily accessible and protected from prevailing winds. The town has a vibrant cafe and food scene drawing on the local produce and wineries.
Hastings is projected to be one of the fastest-growing urban centres on the Mornington Peninsula in the next 10 years.
Mornington is ideal for:
Families with kids
Dog Lovers
Retirees
Boat enthusiasts
Fisherfolk
Schools
Primary schools
Secondary schools
Red Hill and Main Ridge are small rural communities located in the hinterland of the Mornington Peninsula. If you love your food, wine and the quiet life you’ll be right at home.
Wonderfully situated with hills, wineries, and glimpses of Westernport and Port Phillip bay at either end, this picturesque suburb really brings the charm. Flourishing olive groves, orchards, vineyards, cafes, restaurants, cheese makers, gourmet produce stores, galleries are scattered alongside roadside signs for farm gates and pick-your-own produce farms. Treasure hunters can explore the monthly Red Hill Market (September to May), while adventure seekers can bike through the mountains.
Food and wine lovers can enjoy weekend adventures at their doorstep, with iconic wineries such as Ten Minutes by Tractor, Paringa Estate, Main Ridge Estate, and Polperro Winery boasting excellent wine and fabulous feasts just around the corner. And at the end of the day, you can enjoy watching the sunset as it envelopes your new neighbourhood in a sea of red, orange and yellow.
Red Hill is the most in-demand suburb in Victoria for its quality lifestyle, food culture, and schools.
Mornington is ideal for:
Families with kids
Professionals
Retirees
Country lovers
Foodies
Art and culture
Mount Martha offers the best quality lifestyle living, making it the perfect place to call home. Boasting arguably one of the best peninsula beaches, trendy cafes, great restaurants, schools and a friendly community, Mount Martha is quintessential seaside living.
This small village offers good shopping with designer stores, boutiques, galleries, and a local golf course just up the road with expansive views of the bay. Nature lovers will fall head over heels for Mount Martha Park, with 53 hectares of native bushland and walking trails and the 160 metre point of Mount Martha showcasing panoramic views of west over Port Phillip Bay.
A peaceful neighbourhood, Mount Martha will always be a pleasure to come home to after a day of work.
Mornington is ideal for:
Families with kids
Professionals
Singles
Retirees
Hikers
Golfers
Beach Lovers
Schools
Primary schools
Secondary schools
This bayside beauty is perfect for families looking for beachside living and wholesome charm. With its laid back atmosphere, fantastic beaches and friendly atmosphere, Droman strikes a delightful balance between rural and bayside living. In the summer, the otherwise quiet foreshore comes alive with a vibrant holiday atmosphere as Melbournians open the shutters on their holiday homes.
Dromana has something for everyone here.There’s plenty of walking tracks, picnic areas, cafés and restaurants, many of which dish up scrumptious paddock-to-plate meals that the region is celebrated for. Families can swim in the calm beaches, while the pier is a fantastic fishing spot. Arthurs Seat State Park will keep fitness fanatics and little adventurers entertained. From the top you’ll enjoy sweeping views across the bay back with the towers of the city visible on a clear day.
Though vacant lots are rare, there’s a good stock of older holiday homes on big blocks that present investors and owner-occupiers with prime opportunities for renovation and rebuilds.
Mornington is ideal for:
Families with kids
Retirees
Beach Lovers
Hikers
Fishing fans
Schools
Primary schools
Secondary schools
If you like the beach, recreational activities and a relaxed lifestyle, This is another suburb to add to your shortlist. Nestled next to each other along the Peninsula, these suburbs are perfect for raising a young family with plenty of primary and secondary schools along with a friendly neighbourhood vibe.
Rosebud sits on the Port Phillip coast between the smaller towns of McCrae to the east, and Capel Sound and Tootgarook towards Rye and Sorrento in the west. A classic seaside village, the focal point of this town is the Rosebud Pier which extends about 300 metres into the water and is a prime spot for fishing.
Rosebud is a swimmers paradise too with some of the most beautiful front bay beaches and easy access to the coastal back beaches at the southern end of the Peninsula. A rich variety of local shops and takeaway outlets provide all the necessities for local residents and holiday visitors. Rosebud is bursting at the seams with recreational activities, keeping families and adventure seekers entertained with fantastic walking tracks, bike trails and golf courses.
McCrae is a small coastal village between Dromana and Rosebud at the foot of Arthurs Seat on the shores of Port Phillip. It offers a long picturesque white sandy beach and safe shallow swimming. There’s a supermarket, cafes and restaurants across the road. Gracing the quiet streets are lovely kept homes and gardens. McCrae is ideal for those looking for a safe, quiet neighbourhood with easy access to the beach.
Mornington is ideal for:
Families with kids
Professionals
Singles
Retirees
Downsizers
Kindergartens
Schools
Primary schools
Secondary schools
If you are looking for a seachange within close commutable proximity to Melbourne, Sorrento is the perfect place to call home. Lying to the west of Blairgowrie near the western tip of the Mornington Peninsula, the main street of Sorrento runs from the Sorrento ‘front’ beach beside the calm waters of Port Phillip in the north to the Sorrento Ocean Beach. Follow the Sorrento-Portsea Artists Trail to see the beautiful vistas that have been captured by famous Australian and international artists.
The township has a lot of history and there are still some original homes scattered around that are reminiscent of days gone by. Still, Sorrento brings a stylish and sophisticated atmosphere, with more than 60 retail outlets including boutiques, interior design stores, galleries and antique outlets.
Ideally suited to families and retirees, Sorrento boasts a number of spectacular old limestone hotels such as the Intercontinental which is set to reopen in late 2021 after extensive refurbishment. There’s a golf course, a cricket club, a large public park and of course beautiful beaches. With around 1500 residents, Sorrento makes for an ideal location for those seeking a quiet life.
Mornington is ideal for:
Families with kids
Professionals
Singles
Retirees
Beach lovers
Golfers
Fashion Conscious
Schools
Rye is the ultimate in beach style living. Nestled between Tootgarook and Blairgowrie, this coastal town offers safe sandy, family friendly beaches that are ideal for swimming and boating. Between a surf-lover’s ocean and a blue water bay with a north-facing beach that is as safe as any in the world, Rye has something for every beach fan. Trendy and contemporary cafes and restaurants line the main street and a playground sits in the foreshore with enough space for a family barbeque. While the roads drift back into hills providing locals with incredible views from the comforts of their home.
Those who love to stay active can enjoy walking tracks including magnificent views along the 28 kilometre Bay Trail that extends from Safety beach to Portsea. Rye is also a golfers paradise. Known as ‘The Cups’ golf region, where sand dunes provide naturally contoured challenges and the sandy soils drain quickly for good year round play. And when a little pampering is in order, locals can head to the multi award winning Peninsula Hot Springs just around the corner.
Like the nearby areas of Rosebud and Dromana, the suburb has a large stock of older homes and holiday shacks on good size blocks that offer fantastic potential for redevelopment.
Mornington is ideal for:
Families with kids
Professionals
Singles
Retirees
Beach lovers
Golfers
Boat owners
Kindergartens
Schools
Primary schools
Secondary schools
This picture-perfect suburb is renowned for being one of The Mornington Peninsula’s most iconic and exclusive suburbs. Housed in between a gorgeous back beach with surf breaks pounding in from the southern ocean and a Mediterranean style front bayside beach with a pier, Portsea provides optimal coastal living.
Portsea is adjacent to Point Nepean, right at the tip of the Peninsula, which is the best-known feature of the Mornington Peninsula National Park. Locals are often spoiled with dolphin sightings with approximately 90 bottlenose dolphins living and breeding in Port Phillip Bay. Surfers will be in heaven living here, with the Portsea Surf Beach facing the Bass Strait ocean offering large waves and strong tides. While the beach’s long stretch of sand is perfect for families spending their weekends soaking up the sunshine. For those who enjoy getting out and about in nature, spectacular views along this ocean coast can be had from the walking trails that form part of the longer Coastal Walk. And local golfers enjoy their weekend rounds at Portea Golf Course with its cleverly-created ‘blind’ shots over hills combining turf, sand and natural contours.
The Portsea Hotel is also well worth a visit in the summer months where balmy summer days can be spent relaxing with friends and family on the lawn overlooking the bay as boats, jet skis and water skiers lap it up.
Mornington is ideal for:
Families with kids
Professionals
Singles
Retirees
Beach lovers
Golfers
LGBT+
Schools
Much of The Mornington Peninsula boasts the coast-country lifestyle; however, Flinders is one of the few towns that really pulls it off. Different in culture to its neighbours on the western side; Sorrento and Portsea, Flinders enjoys a stillness; a place where you can live peacefully all year round. In summer locals soak in the warmer atmosphere and winter is equally endearing.
Located on the south western edge of the Mornington Peninsula, Flinders marks the point where Western Port Bay meets Bass Strait. Small and tranquil, Flinders is ideal for retirees and those looking to escape the city rush. The Flinders Golf Club is one of the most picturesque in the state, located on a cliff top overlooking the Bass Strait. The town also has a small yacht club and a long pier, where locals enjoy fishing and sailing.
The Flinders Hotel is perfect for local foodies with a delicious menu on offer, while art lovers can spend their weekends exploring antique stores on Cook Street or looking through the Flinders Fine Art Gallery. Swimmers have two beautiful options: Western Port Bay, with its calm waters and family-friendly conditions, or the southern side of West Head, the ocean breaks over the basalt rocks of Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary at Flinders ocean beach. Golfers can spend their weekends hitting the greens with panoramic cliff top views at the 100 year old Flinders Golf Course.
Mornington is ideal for:
Families with kids
Professionals
Singles
Retirees
Beach lovers
Golfers
Schools
Primary schools
Flinders Christian Community College
Secondary schools
