The holiday may be over, but the benefits are definitely not. 

How I love the Mornington Peninsula, it’s been part of my life for about four decades now. 

Four days in my favourite place was just heaven

I slept well, ate well, relaxed, wandered the shops, tried new cafes, read books, watched the waves roll in at various beaches, watched the sun sink into the ocean and turn the sky orange… taking these days off to recharge was so restorative. 

I stayed in an AirBNB called Above Board, you should definitely check it out. 

Such a great spot, just a few minutes walk from some great cafes and shops and literally as close to the beach as you can get without camping on the foreshore. 

As soon as I’d lugged my suitcase up the stairs and taken some ‘in pristine condition’ photos, I hot-footed it to my favourite local cafe Pier Street Kitchen. Order the falafel, you won’t be sorry!! 

One of my favourite things about visiting the Peninsula is that there’s not only plenty of natural beauty everywhere you look, but the locals who work in the many hospitality jobs are all super friendly and welcoming, whether it’s high season or not. Happy staff means happy, returning customers. Count me in! 

The service and food at Merchant + Maker in nearby McCrae was definitely up to par, the waitresses were lovely, and their coffee was so good I ordered a second latte – I just go wild when I’m on holidays!! Great breakfast spot and this little place is also directly across the road from the beach. 

It’s not a Peninsula holiday for me without a leisurely lap of Sorrento’s beautiful shops. The only sales assistant who ignored me after I said hello to her didn’t see any of the money I spent that day There’s always one! 

I chatted about Palm Springs photography, collage and modernism with one lady in her home furnishings store, and the girls in Seed were friendly and up for a chat too. 

The weather got sunnier each day I was there, so I sat on the deck of a bathing box, coffee in hand, and watched the water sparkle like Elizabeth Taylor’s bejewelled décolletage. 

On my last day beside the seaside I ventured around to St Andrews Beach, on the open ocean side of the Peninsula. 

To get across to St Andrews, I passed groups of sheep sitting in fields, horses grazing lazily under trees, farms with row after row of vegetables, and of course, there are vineyards. It’s not just about the beaches in this beautiful part of Victoria. 

Watching the waves roll in — it’s so grounding. There’s just something about looking out to sea, knowing there are such vast expanses of water all around us that puts me in my place, in the best possible way. I am part of this incredible creation. We all are. 

I am so incredibly grateful that I was able to enjoy a holiday like this, and that the sun came out and made it feel like Spring is just around the corner. 

Forget your passport the next time you’re thinking about a getaway, on an island as beautiful as ours, there’s a beach just right for you out there. I’ve found mine. 

 

Annette x 

 

PS I stumbled across another fab little cafe called Hunter after I’d been to St Andrews Beach, and guess what? More  awesome falafe! A delicious end to my beachside getaway.