Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia 2013

This is the continuation of my Australia series. During my stay in Melbourne, I took time to drive out to Mornington Peninsula twice. Mornington is a very beautiful place and is about 1 to 1.5 hour's drive from Melbourne. It's suitable for a day-trip and for those who are looking for a trip that is easier than the Great Ocean Road (which would typically require 2 days). 

Map

You can get to Mornington via train from Melbourne to Frankston but the limited public transport options in Mornington makes it more sensible to just rent a car and drive yourself down.

View AU-Mornington Peninsula in a larger map

The Garmin Mapsource gdb file can be found here.

Arthurs Seat

The first place we stopped was at Arthurs Seat. It is a small hill from which you can get a good view of the peninsula and the bay. There are BBQ facilities around the park here so you can just pack an icebox with some burgers or hotdogs and make a picnic out of the trip. Do remember to bring coins as the BBQ grill is coin-operated.

The current Arthurs Seat is the 3rd version, with the previous 2 having been moved. You can take a seat and have a view other peninsula. Nearby, you'll find the Arthurs Seat Enchanted Maze which is good for some family fun with hedgerow maze, tube slides and other rides.

Johnny Ripe

284 Main Creek Road  Main Ridge, VIC  03928 Note: has moved from Main Ridge to Red Hill.

Shop 1/1016 Mornington-Flinders Road, Red Hill 3937
Tel: +61-3-5989 6515  website: http://www.johnnyripe.com.au 

Johnny Ripe (S38 23.179 E144 58.452) is located in Red Hill just at the base of Arthurs Seat hill. It is mainly a bakery but also does small dinner appointments on weekends. You will need to book in advance if you wish to attend dinner there as they are a small operation and are frequently fully booked.

We always stop by Johnny Ripe on trips to Mornington to pack some food to eat at either in the gardens or at the lookout points or at Fort Nepean. It was recommended to me by a foodie friend and I absolutely agree with his praise. It is definitely the best bakery I have tasted in the whole of Melbourne.

Johnny Ripe is famous for their Apple Pies which come in small or large family-sized versions. I have also tried their Meat Pies and they are absolutely superb as well with a crispy, flaky crust and a meaty filling. The other item that was extremely good here is their crème brûlée which I found to be very rich but not overpowering and not too sweet.

Main Ridge Dairy

You really can't visit wine country and not sample the cheeses that go with it. That being said, Main Ridge Dairy (S38 23.248 E144 58.427) is different from most of the other dairy shops in that their cheeses are made from goat's milk. They have a wide selection of hard and soft cheeses, but with the added distinction of being made from goat's milk.

Angie and I took a tasting platter and we were pleasantly surprised by how good the cheeses taste.

In addition to the cheeses, they also sell a wide variety of home-made jams and chutneys. This place is definitely worth a stop along the way.


Red Hill Bakery

On one of our other trips to Mornington in 2015, Angie and I also stopped by Red Hill Bakery (S38 22.924 E145 01.429) for lunch. This is a small little bakery that serves bread, pies and cakes and is open every day from 7am to 6pm. This is useful as not ever vineyard's restaurants are open on weekdays.

Red Hill Bakery has a very enticing range of cakes and I'll admit I was tempted, but we had already had a light meal earlier. Instead Angie had some chocolate gelato which she enjoyed while I ordered a black peppercorn beef pie. 

The black peppercorn beef pie is served with a side of tomato chutney. Overall, I found the pie to be good but not exceptionally so - the filling was decent and I enjoyed the taste of the peppercorns. However, the crust was thin, soft and not very tasteful. It still tastes better than a Four-Twenty pie. :p


Red Hill Cheese

81 William Rd, Red Hill, VIC

In 2016, I revisited Mornington and took the opportunity to visit Red Hill Cheese. The dairy farm is located much further in from the main road and you have to drive on a stretch of unpaved / gravel road to get there but the building and ambience is superb and worth the drive.

Red Hill Cheese serves 2 types of tasting platters, a $5 one and a $10 one. We took the $10 one which had 8 types of cheeses. I found their 2 types of Blue Cheese to be quite good but not over-powering. The dining area was very clean with beautiful wood furniture which made us want to take our time in enjoying the cheese.


Fish Fetish
27 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento, VIC 3943

Fish Fetish was recommended to me by a friend and I finally got to try it out in 2016. It's a small fish & chip shop located in Sorrento but judging by the crowds, it certainly lives up to its reputation. It's located along the main road in Sorrento with lots of parking so it shouldn't be difficult to find.

We ordered some friend snappers with calamari, some scallops and fries. Overall, the meal was superb. the fish and scallops were fried to perfection but still juicy on the inside... and the chips are top-notch with a nice crispy outer shell and soft on the inside.

The only downside is that the store does not have a lot of sitting room. It only has 2 dining tables inside although the decor is very nice and shaped like a fisherman's hut.

Other Good Places To Eat 

Another good place to grab a bite is Red Hill Cheese (S38 22.188 E144 59.202) which is famous for their cheese platter. Coincidentally, Red Hill Cheese is located right next to Main Ridge Estate (S38 22.191 E144 59.199) where you can find a nice selection of wine to complement your cheese platter.

Another famous place to have lunch or dinner is:

10 Minutes By Tractor (S38 23.554 E144 59.590)

1333 Mornington-Flinders Rd, Main Ridge VIC 3928, Australia
Tel: +61 3 5989 6455   website: http://www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au

Reviews: TripAdvisor 

While not strictly a place to eat, you can also shop for some very good honey at Pure Peninsula Honey (S38 14.221 E145 06.46).

Fort Nepean

Typically, on all my trips to Mornington, I will always drop by Fort Nepean. It is a former military base as well as a former quarantine centre that is situated in one of the most beautiful and scenic locations in Victoria.

Fort Nepean is situated at the most southern tip of the peninsula and guards the entrance into Philip Bay. It is located on a thin strip of land where if you look on the northern-side, you will see the calm clear waters of the bay but if you turn around to the southern-side, you will see the raging waves of the open ocean.

This location is also where the then-Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming in the ocean. We have to admire the Australians in how their view their Heads of State in that they thought it fitting to dedicate a memorial to their missing Prime Minister, and the memorial they chose is a swimming pool - perhaps a tribute to the folly of facing the rough seas armed with nothing but swimming trunks. 

You normally have to park your car near the visitor centre and then either take a bus or walk or cycle up to the Fort Nepean lookout. The walk out is about 3km and can take about 40mins to walk. The bus ride is about AUD10 for 2 ways. It is recommended to pack some bottles of water with you as it can be quite dry and hot out there (especially in summer).

The lookout point here has a very good view and we would frequently sit on the bench and enjoy our pies (that we bought from Johnny Ripe).

As you walk down the slope to the further point in Fort Nepean, you can see across the bay to Queens Cliff and Geelong. The sea is very beautiful but there are signs everywhere warning that swimming is not allowed. Spaced out in between, you'll be able to see small concrete pillboxes for soldiers to keep an eye out for Japanese during WWII.

You'll also be able to see several artillery guns used to defend the fort during WWII. There is also a retractable gun turret that can raise an artillery gun from its hidden position in the fort. The mechanism and turret can still be viewed although the gun has been removed.

Fort Nepean is situated at the most southern tip of the peninsula and guards the entrance into Philip Bay. It is located on a thin strip of land where if you look on the northern-side, you will see the calm clear waters of the bay but if you turn around to the southern-side, you will see the raging waves of the open ocean.

At the fort, you can also see left-over artillery shells on display. There's also a series of tunnels running through the forts allowing soldiers to move from one place to another without being exposed. You can spend some time looking through the tunnels or you could choose to walk back to the parking lot (instead of taking the bus). If you walk back, you'll be able to stop by and visit some of the many other forts along the way, including the Quarantine Centre.

Another good option is to bring your own bicycle and could have a nice ride from one fort to another.

On my first trip there, we missed the last bus at 4pm and had to walk back. On the walk back, we saw this sign beside the road that sent a chill down our spine.... :p






London Bridge Lookout

Incidentally, there are 2 rock formations called London Bridge in Victoria. The bigger one is along the Great Ocean Road. The smaller one is near Point Nepean (picture on left). The GPS coordinates are S38 19.753 E144 41.695. It is a beautiful rock formation and you can actually walk out to it at low tide.

At the London Bridge Lookout, the waves are very rough but there are people who will still go surfing here. There is also a lookout point where people can go hangliding here. The winds are very strong which makes it a suitable spot. 

Cape Schanck Lighthouse

Cape Schanck Lighthouse & Museum (S38 29.548 E144 53.209) is located further to the south for a great view. You can actually arrange to book a room to stay overnight at the lighthouse but the facilities are pretty basic. It's more for the novelty of experiencing the conditions the lighthouse workers used to stay in.

While the lighthouse tour costs money and bookings must be arranged in advance, there is a great walking trail and viewing deck beside the lighthouse which is spectacular and way more interesting. The boardwalk leads all the way down to the rocky beach, allowing you to walk up to the waters edge and experience the power of the rough waves.

Other Spots To Visit
Some other spots which are good to visit include the Peninsula Hot Springs (S38 24.345 E144 50.594) which has a hotel that you can stay over night.  

It's important to plan your journey and what you want to see as you will normally have limited time and the places to visit are far apart and close by 5pm.



London, May 2014

I had an opportunity to visit London for a few days so I planned out a few places to visit while I was there. This was my 2nd visit to London. I had previously visited London on a day-trip when Angie and I were on holiday in Paris in 2006. It was a very rushed visit back then and I was hoping to see more of London this time around.

Map

View UK-London-MFM in a larger map

The Garmin Mapsource gdb file can be obtained here.

 

I was staying around Westminster this round so largely my trips were based around this area.

Westminster Bridge

Westminster bridge spans the Thames river and it's a good place to get a view of Big Ben and Parliament Hall. However, beware of the flower ladies here. They will come up to you and try to place a flower on your shirt or jacket and 'welcome you to London'. However, after you accept the flower, they will ask for compensation. If you take your wallet out, they are not shy about grabbing a 10-pound or even a 50-pound note from your wallet. Be warned.

Big Ben and Palace of Westminster

The iconic Big Ben clock tower and the Parliament, the seat of the British Empire, can be seen on the left.

It is also the site of the famous 1605 Gunpowder Plot by Guy Fawkes to blow up Parliament and since then that day has been designated a public holiday.

The tower is often incorrectly referred to as Big Ben. However, Big Ben really is the name of the bell located inside while the tower is known as Elizabeth Tower. The nickname for the bell is believe to be attributed to Sir Benjamin Hall who oversaw the installation of the bell.

From here, I walked over to Westminster Abbey but you can also take a walk down to the river pier and take a cruise on the Thames River.

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is located next to the Parliament and is the site where all monarchs are crowned when they ascend to the throne. It is also the traditional burial site for departed monarchs. It is open most days but on Sunday, it is open only for worshippers / services.

The abbey charges admission for tourists but you can enter for free on Sunday for services. The admission charges are about £12.

From here I took a walk up Whitehall St towards Trafalgar Square. On the way, I stopped by 10 Downing Street.

10 Downing Street

This is the official residence of the British Prime Minister. The street used to be open to the public but security gates were installed to block access after a terrorist attack.

You can still walk by and you might get lucky and catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister if you're lucky.

Horse Guards

Further up the road from Downing Street, you'll find the Horseguards Parade. You'll be able to take some photos with the mounted guards here.

However, beware... the horses can bite or kick.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a public square near Charing Cross station dedicated to Britain's greatest naval hero; Admiral Horatio Nelson, and his Battle of Trafalgar. The square is bordered by 4 plinths bearing statues but the 4th plinth (which was original meant for William IV) was left empty as they ran out of funds. It currently adorned with a blue rooster statue called HahnCock.

Nelson's Column located at Trafalgar Square and his statue adorns the top of the column. The column used to be a favourite haunt of pigeons with many of the birds leaving their 'offerings' (droppings) for the British hero. However, the authorities were not amused and outlawed the feeding of pigeons here and brought in birds-of-prey to hunt the pigeons down or drive them away.

Now, Trafalgar Square is very clean (much cleaner than when I last visited it in 2006.

The base of the column are ringed by 4 bronze lions which represent the 4 greatest victories of Admiral Nelson. The lions were made from French and Spanish bronze cannons captured at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Admiralty Arch

The Admiralty Arch is right next to Trafalgar Square. It used to house the Cabinet Office but was sold in 2012 for redevelopment into a hotel. The road under the arch leads right up to Buckingham Palace.

Cleopatra's Needle

Cleopatra's Needle is an Egyptian Obelisk that stands on the embankment of the Thames. I walked past it on my way back to the hotel from Trafalgar Square. It was originally presented to England in 1819 by the ruler of Egypt but was only transported to the UK in 1877.

At the base is a plaque dedicated to the sailors who died in the storm trying to ship the obelisk to UK.

 

 

On walking back to the hotel, I stopped by 'Enough To Feed An Elephant' restaurant at Waterloo station to have the traditional English fare of fish & chips.

The fish was fried to a very crispy golden crust and was good but not exceptional and the peas were really hard.

 

 

Her Majesty's Theatre

On the next night, I had booked tickets to watch the Phantom of The Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre (N51 30.505 W0 07.902) which is just a short walk from Trafalgar Square. While you're in London, you definitely should catch a theatre show while you're here.

 

You can get discounted tickets from TKTS (www.tkts.co.uk) or at their booth on Leicester Square. TKTS offers heavily discounted tickets for shows on the same day as they try to fill up the unsold seats.

At first I wasn't too keen to spend my free time watching a play but Angie had convinced me to take the time. I chose Phantom as I loved its songs and it was the play that shot Sarah Brightman to fame.

 

I thoroughly loved the play and bought some souvenirs in the theatre gift shop after that. After the play, I walked back to the hotel across the pedestrian bridge. Along the way, I passed by the London Eye.

 

London Eye



The London Eye is a Ferris wheel on the banks of the Thames. I saw it while walking back to the hotel but that night was my chance to snap a photo with it lighted up.

 

A typical round on the Eye will take around 30min and you can get a great view of London.

 

 

Sherlock Holmes' Pub

Next to Trafalgar Square, is the Sherlock Holmes Pub
(N51 30.425 W0 07.521). It's themed after the famous detective but is also known for good food and drinks. While in London, you really should visit a pub for pint of ale just to live the experience once (just like you should attend a play at least once while in London). I dropped by the pub with my colleagues for dinner after work on Fri night.

They have a wide selection of drinks and ales. We naturally had to try out the Sherlock Holmes Ale. I'm not really a beer lover but I do enjoy ale more as it is smoother. The ale here was smooth but again not very exceptional. Also, I would have preferred it a much colder but it seems to be the norm here in UK to serve beer warm or only slightly chilled.

The pub walls are decorated with Sherlock Holmes memorabilia and really sets the theme. Many of the items on display have a link to one of the many cases in the books.

 

However, if you are looking for the real Sherlock Holmes experience, you should visit the museum on Baker St.

For dinner, I ordered their beef pie which was a beef stew covered with a fluffy pastry top. The crust was very fluffy and crispy yet light. It was a very nice pie and it came with a side of boiled broccoli and carrots.

 

My other colleague had a fish finger sandwich which looked quite large.

 

My 2nd colleague had the English staple of bangers & mash which is sausages with mashed potatoes in sauce.

 

Sherlock Holmes Museum

The official Sherlock Holmes museum is located at 221 Baker St (the flat that Sherlock lives in in the books). It's located at N51 31.398 W0 09.486. If you have time or are a Sherlock Holmes fan, it might be worth a visit. It's also very near Madame Tussaud's wax museum.

Piccadilly Circus

After dinner, my colleagues and I walked out to Piccadilly Circus (N51 30.592 W0 08.088) which is a huge meeting open area with the largest electronic display boards in Europe and a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum. It is said that you cannot stand for longer than 32 minutes at Piccadilly without bumping into someone you know... however, we did not stay long enough to find out. :p

Waterloo Station

The next day was my last day in London. I checked out and left my suitcase with the hotel concierge and then walked to Waterloo Station to catch the Underground to the British Museum. Waterloo station looks very grand and you can also catch trains to the other areas of UK. I caught the Underground to Tottenham Court Rd station and walked to the museum from there.

British Museum

Angie had persuaded me to visit the British Museum (N51 31.118 W0 07.514) due to their extensive collection of ancient Greek and Egyption artifacts.

 

The museum is free although they do suggest you donate £5 towards the upkeep of the museum but this is discretionary.

Their collection was very extensive and I spent almost 2 hours in the museum. They even have an entire tomb (The Nereid Monuments, left) on display there thus assuring the Brits' position amongst the world's greatest looters.... he-he-he... :p

 

Below, you'll be able to see the Parthenon Frieze, the collection of stone carvings from the Greek Parthenon temple that they extracted and brought to London. The collection is huge and takes up a whole section of the wing by itself.

Outside the museum, I bought a ticket for the hop-on-hop-off bus intending to visit several sites but unfortunately, there was a bicycle race that day through Trafalgar Square and the road closures caused massive jams. I ended up only able to visit St. Paul's and the Tower of London.

 

St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral (N51 30.806 W0 05.984) is a massive church and is definitely worth a visit but they do charge admissions. Like Westminster, they are open only for services on Sun.

 

Due to the huge traffic jams, I took an opportunity to grab a quick bite here.

Tower Bridge and London Bridge

I passed by both London Bridge and Tower Bridge (left) my way to the Tower of London. London Bridge is quite plain but the original London Bridge is actually in Arizona. Originally, a group of American businessmen offered to buy London Bridge but they thought they were buying Tower Bridge. The Brits happily sold them London Bridge and are still laughing over it to this day... :p

 

Tower of London

The Tower Of London (N51 30.585 W0 04.506) is where the Crown Jewels are stored. You are allowed to view the jewels but photography is strictly prohibited.

 

Along the grounds, you may see black crows hoping along. It is said that if the crows ever left the Tower, the British empire would fall. Hence, the Beefeaters clip the wings of the crows here.

On the grounds, they also had a show demonstrating the use of medieval weapons such as the spear, sword, and buckler. It was a very interesting and funny show with the actors all in character for the period. Definitely fun for the whole family.

 

I didn't get much time to walk around the Tower due to the traffic delays and the need to head back to the hotel to pick up my luggage before my flight so I had to leave without seeing more of the grounds than I would have liked. Luckily, the hop-on-hop-off bus ticket included a free cruise on the Thames back to Westminster so I wouldn't have to fight the traffic again.

Thames Cruise

The Thames Cruise starts just beside the Tower of London and you can see many of the riverside sights along the way. It's definitely worthwhile and you avoid most of the traffic-jams in the city. In the picture below, you'll be able to see the Tower of London including the Traitor's Gate where Guy Fawkes was brought in through to be tortured then executed.

 

Buckingham Palace

After picking up my luggage from my hotel, I caught a taxi to the airport. Along the way, I passed by Buckingham Palace (N51 30.095 W0 08.469). Angie and I had previously visited it in 2006. During May to July, the Changing Of The Guards ceremony happens daily at 11.30am but you should arrive 30min early to secure a place near the fence to view the procession.

 

Overall, I had a great time seeing the sights in London although there were so many more sights I missed out. It is definitely a city steeped in history and you need to do proper planning in order to maximise your visit if you ever are headed here.