Mornington
Jan 11th, 2008 by Nick
I had a fun day trip today out to the Mornington Peninsula southeast of Melbourne. I had thought about doing a guided tour there today, but a) it wasn’t going to guarantee getting me back in time for my dinner engagement, b) they had a couple of very silly shopping side diversions, and c) they wanted $148.
So instead, I did the layman’s version for less than $20. I paid $10.10 for a Zone 1&2 day pass, and took the train from Flinders Street to the end of the line at Frankston, about 45 minutes. The train ride wasn’t particularly scenic, but I enjoyed passing through the small towns along the way. I got misled about the buses, and that turned what should have been 20 minutes in Frankston into 60, but that was ok. [If you do this, ignore anything anybody tells you at the station, and take the 781 or 785 bus and don’t wait for the 788. The 788 is only if you plan on going further south beyond the main strip of Mornington.] Frankston is just a typical little bay-side town with a small central business district, but I was able to get some water and some great small 15 cent nectarines. I passed the time listening to Anthony Hamilton and Al Green on my ipod, and eventually the 788 bus came for the half-hour ride to Mornington.
Mornington was a great seaside but not beachy town, but without tremendous crowds. Just a lot of Australian families enjoying their weekend, I’m pretty sure I was the only American in the entire area. I walked the mile from where the 788 bus sets you down along the main street and out to the water side, and somewhere along the way picked up a take-out chicken curry pasty for lunch. There were a lot of real estate agencies on this little main street, maybe seven. Residences ranged from a “beach box” - literally a corrogated shed similar to a mobile home and maybe even smaller - for A$55k, to mansions well over A$1M. A few places were advertising renting townhomes for A$700/week. Once I’d seen everything, the 781 bus was heading back, so I got on and rode back to Frankston, then caught the train back to Melbourne.
On the way back, I got off at the train stop closest to the Queen Victoria Market, which was starting to wind down for the day. I got the basic idea of it, and most of food that they’re selling is for home/grocery. But to have truly splurged, I would have gone to the QVM first and picked up a picnic, and then taken the train/bus to Frankston.
I’m sure I’d have enjoyed the winery tour or the Aschcombe Maze, and I’m sure I didn’t have the best view since I didn’t to Arthurs Seat. The tourism board compares the entire penisula (not just the little part I saw) to Monterrey, I was thinking more along the lines of the towns from La Jolla north in San Diego. But if I come back to Victoria, I think setting up base in the SE for a week with a car and a townhouse, and doing the Peninsula and Phillip Island, would be a marvelous idea.
Tonight I’m heading to dinner with additional relatives, then tomorrow I have to be in the lobby at 7:30am for a 12-hour minibus tour of the Great Ocean Road.
