Top 5 winter walks on the Mornington Peninsula

People flock to the Mornington Peninsula for the beaches in summer, but its scenic charms extend to winter too. Put on your comfiest walking shoes and explore these stunning tracks.

It would be all too easy to escape the cold at one of the Mornington Peninsula’s exceptional cellar doors, cideries, breweries or restaurants.

But why not look beyond the culinary experiences?

There is a winter wonderland waiting to be discovered.

These top walks will have you embracing Mother Nature and experiencing the peninsula’s stunning vistas.

MILLIONAIRE’S WALK

1hr, 1km

If you have ever tried to sticky beak beyond the high gates of Point Nepean Rd’s most exclusive cliff-top mansions, head around the back for an unobstructed look into how the other half lives.

The public track stretches along the coast from Lentell Ave to Sorrento’s Point King Rd, with spectacular views across Port Phillip Bay towards the Bellarine Peninsula and Melbourne.

It also forms part of the Sorrento Portsea Artists’ Trail, featuring paintings by Sir Arthur Streeton, Arthur Boyd and Ray Hodgkinson.

Millionaire’s walk in Portsea

ENDEAVOUR FERN GULLY

1hr, 2km

Billed as the peninsula’s original rainforest, Endeavour Fern Gully is one of the area’s last remaining sections of indigenous bushland south of Red Hill.

Owned and maintained by the National Trust, the 27ha property stretches south of Arthurs Seat Rd and includes an unspoilt fern gully, Stony Creek headwaters and a variety of natural habitats rich in local wildlife and rare plant species.

Bushrangers Bay on the Mornington Peninsula.

BUSHRANGERS BAY

4hr, 6km (return)

Amazing coastal scenery makes this walk a must.

Start at Boneo Rd carpark and picnic area and pass along Main Creek, through shady banksia groves for views over the surrounding farmland and into the creek valley below.

Watch out for kangaroos in the grassy clearings.

Continue on for some stunning coastal views this close to the CBD, taking in the basalt cliffs and white sandy beaches at Bushrangers Bay before ending at Cape Schanck.

Cape Schank boardwalk.

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TWO BAYS TRAIL

10hr, 26km

The trail runs from Dromana to Cape Schanck, so walkers experience the best of the bush and bay.

Marked by signage bearing a circular symbol with a blue wren, the trail can be walked in a day or broken up into 6-8km sections.

Starting in McCrae, follow the steep rise up to Arthurs Seat for panoramic views across Port Phillip Bay to Melbourne before winding through the back streets of Rosebud South to Greens Bush in the Mornington Peninsula National Park.

Point Nepean National Park.

POINT NEPEAN NATIONAL PARK TRAILS

4hr, 10km

Discover the area’s rich history and stunning views by walking the trails that zigzag around the national park.

There are seven walks taking in everything from historic Gunners Cottage to the Monash Light Tower and its sweeping views of the park and beyond to Melbourne’s CBD.

Take the Cheviot Hill Walking Trail to visit the park’s highest point, which overlooks the site where former prime minister Harold Holt disappeared without a trace on December 17, 1967.