A Perfect Day Further Down on the Mornington Peninsula
Further Down the Peninsula: A Winter Day Around Sorrento & Red Hill
Looking for things to do further down the Mornington Peninsula in winter? Come with me.
Last time I took you around Mornington, Mt Martha and Moorooduc. Now we're heading further down - towards Red Hill, McCrae and Sorrento - and doing it the winter way.
Because here's the thing: winter is quietly the best time down here. Fewer crowds, misty mornings, cosy lunches by the fire. You just have to know where to point yourself.
No rushing. No ticking boxes. Just the good stuff, done well - and warm.
The cosiest winter stop - Red Hill's producers
This is where winter down here really comes into its own.
Red Hill is dotted with small, family-run producers, and there's no better season to visit them — everything's cosy, warm and unhurried.
Start at Mock Red Hill, a fifth-generation family orchard with a cider lounge tucked inside a converted 1945 cool store. In winter you settle in by the woodfire with a house-made spiced cider and a slice of apple pie. Honestly, it doesn't get more perfect on a cold day.
From there, Red Hill Cheese is a small artisan cheesery with a cellar door — handmade cheeses you can taste and take home. And keep an eye out for local honey too; the Peninsula's producers make the real, raw stuff, and it makes a lovely little something to bring back.
It's the kind of slow, delicious afternoon that's actually better in winter.
Lunch with a view - Montalto, Red Hill
If there's one place I'd build a winter day around, it'sMontalto.
We love the view — out over all the vines - and the pizzeria, which is genuinely delicious. You can do it formal or casual depending on your mood, and in winter there's nothing better than settling in with a good lunch while the weather does its thing outside.
A walk to blow the cobwebs out - McCrae Beach
Winter beaches are underrated.
McCrae Beach, near the lighthouse, is stunning any time of year - but in winter it's quiet, wild and completely yours. Rug up, bring good shoes, and go for a walk that resets everything.
You don't swim. You just breathe it in.
A browse in Sorrento
Sorrento's shopping strip is heaps of fun for a slow browse, and exactly the kind of shopping I love.
My pick is Saltwater— beautiful homewares and fashion, the sort of place you go in for nothing in particular and come out delighted.
The strip is full of good spots to duck into when the weather turns, so take your time.
A pub lunch by the water
When you're ready to warm up, Sorrento does a proper pub lunch beautifully.
The InterContinental Sorrento and the Sorrento Hotel are both lovely, each with different eating options - so whether you're after something relaxed or a little more special, you're covered. Water views, a fire, a long lunch. Winter sorted.
The whole point
You don't need to do all of this in a day.
Pick a lunch, a walk, a browse - leave room to linger. Winter down here isn't about pushing through a list. It's about slowing right down and enjoying the quiet version of a place everyone else only sees in summer.
Which, the older I get, is exactly how I like it.
Missed part one? ReadA Relaxed Day in Mornington, Mt Martha & Moorooducfor the northern end of the Peninsula.
And come find me over on Instagram @starkliving.c0 or sign up to my newsletter for more of the good stuff.