Melbourne’s weekend playground
23 Oct 2018
The Mornington Peninsula is full of fresh produce and wonderful walks, and now it has a seniors-friendly base from which you can explore.
The RACV Cape Schanck Resort is perched high above its golf course so that nothing can obscure the views of the Mornington Peninsula’s greatest asset: the crashing surf.
One side of the resort looks across Port Phillip Bay to Melbourne, whose lights you can see twinkle on at dusk; the other and you look across the choppy expanse of Bass Strait. This resort is an inclusive affair with a hamman-style communal bath at The One spa, a massive gym and Olympic swimming pool, golfing pro shop, kids games room and outdoor play area for all ages. Inside, the Lighthouse Bar acts as the social meeting space with comfy lounges arranged to take advantage of the view and to have a drink with friends on the lounges.
The Mornington Peninsula is Melbourne’s affluent playground by the sea with wineries, distilleries and farmgate producers huddled along a ruggedly beautiful coastline.
There are beachside towns, iconic coloured beach bathing huts and so much great food. This new resort is situated on southern tip of the peninsula so you can head out and explore, but best of all, the RACV Cape Schanck Resort brings the best of the region to you via local gin tasting flights, a huge range of local wines and food made from the finest Peninsula produce by exec chef Josh Pelham at his playground, the Cape Restaurant.
The whole property takes the name of the nearby Cape Schanck Lighthouse that sits at the tip of the Mornington Peninsula National Park, and a must-do activity is a walk along the Cape boardwalk. Here you can watch the seas lash the black rocks of the peninsula, and also read all the interesting local history on a series of interpretation boards that surround the lighthouse.
And don’t miss the lookout from directly in front of this iconic building, where you will feel like you are standing right out in space. It also gives a great view back to the lighthouse, where you can imagine the harsh life of a keeper back in the day.
Want to explore some of the region’s makers? That gin flight you tried at the resort came from Bass and Flinders, a family-run distillery nearby. They make some classic gins, vodkas and Cognac-inspired grape spirits, but they also have a very quirky, and very Australian, take on distilling.
Take a sip of gin that has been flavoured with secreted pheromones from a native ant (iridomyrmex purpureus, or meat ant) as well as indigenous botanicals. Angry Ant Gin is the pick of the bottles, but you should also try Ochra, an aged grape spirit in the Cognac style made from local chardonnay grapes. They put on gin masterclasses, too.
The cost: doubles from $304 per night for non-members and member rates are from $228 per night. Visit the RACV Cape Schanck Resort website.
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