Mornington Peninsula, Phillip & French Islands Walk
A guided Pack-Free 6 day walk
Immerse yourself on a trip of a lifetime. This coastal itinerary takes a journey around the wider region of Westernport Bay starting with some well-selected highlights of the Mornington Peninsula, an hour south of Melbourne…and concluding with walks on Phillip and French Islands as well as the splendid Bunurong coast at Kilcunda. This shoreline of more than 300km provides a wide variety of scenery including the prominent cliffs of Cape Schanck and Cape Woolamai to the quiet bay waters within Westernport Bay. You’ll experience the quiet solitude of French Island while contrasting this with the buzz of life around Sorrento and Portsea on Mornington Peninsula and lively Cowes on Phillip Island. This is an area where traces of thousands of years of aboriginal occupation by the Boon Wurrung people can be found. You will also hear stories of British explorers like George Bass and Mathew Flinders as well as little-known early French navigators such as Emanuel Hamelin. It’s a region renowned for its wildlife and we’ll keep our eyes peeled for birds, seals and koalas where environmental protection measures have allowed these and others to flourish. From sandy shores to mangroves and saltmarsh expect to enjoy all of what this ribbon of coast has to offer. Life’s An Adventure has teamed up with a range of excellent food and accommodation providers across this magnificent region, so leave the heavy packs and equipment at home and let Life’s An Adventure’s friendly guides take care of everything so you can focus on enjoying this spectacular trek. Each day’s walk can be customized to suit each and everyone’s walking abilities. We also cater to families and specialized groups. We are here to make sure you enjoy your journey and get as much out of the adventure as possible.
A Pack Free Walking Tour
Walk with just a day pack
Pack Free walk is our speciality. All across Australia, our walking tours are specially designed so you can walk with as little as your water bottle, camera and lunch, whilst we take care of your clothes and overnight luggage. Gone are the days of carrying the burden of a heavy pack, when you walk with us you can truly spend your time appreciating the beauty of the landscapes you are walking through.
Wine Tasting
Stonier's Winery day 1
Travelling in the Mornington Peninsula is all about experiencing the local food and wine that make this region famous. Guests will indulge in an after walk wine tasting stop at beautiful Stonier’s Winery, where you can sample their superb range of wines on day 1.
The Flinders Hotel
With a touch of luxury
Our guests will indulge in two nights at the superb Flinders Hotel. Inspired by the Mornington’s natural coastal surroundings this boutique hotel offers luxurious accommodation. From the carefully selected artworks to the superb decor. Guests will stay in Bass King rooms with ensuites with the choice of King or King single twin beds.
Glen Isla House, Cowes, Phillip Island
Multi-award winning boutique heritage listed country house
Glen Isla House on Phillip Island is a multi-award winning boutique heritage listed country house nestled in authentic secluded gardens and has direct beach access. Guests will stay in Classic Deluxe rooms with ensuite bathrooms and have their own separate entrance which opens out onto a decked veranda.
Celebratory Lunch Day 3
at the iconic Baths Resturant
Day 3 we finish our walk with a celebration beachside lunch at the iconic Baths Restaurant in Sorrento, offering spectacular water views. With so much sensational food and wine on offer your tastebuds will be having a holiday of their own.
Local Produce
served with local wines
Each evening at the Flinders Hotel enjoy dinner in the fantastic Deck Restaurant . Guests will enjoy a modern menu drawing on seasonal offerings from the best Mornington Peninsula producers. Dinners whilst staying on Phillip Island will be showcase local produce and be served with local wines.
Personalised Tours
Maximum of 12 guests
Our group sizes are small and intimate with a maximum of 12 people, we find this delivers a more personal service, a greater social environment and has less impact on the environment.
Our CEO Guides
Chief Experience Officers
Our guides are proudly 100% Victorian. We call them our CEOs – Chief Experience Officers and it’s their job to ensure your tour exceeds your expectations. Our guides have grown up walking the trails of Victoria, their wealth of knowledge and wonderful personalities, as well as expertise, ensure your tour is relaxing, fun and informative.
21 Tourism Awards of Excellence
including Australia's best Adventure Tourism Company
Life’s an Adventure have won 21 Tourism Awards of Excellence including the Qantas Australian Tourism Award for Australia’s Best Adventure Company. Awards are great, but our biggest accolade which we value even more, is that our clients come back and travel with us time and time again.
Genuinely all-inclusive
You won't even pay for credit card fees
You can have peace of mind that our walking tours are genuinely all-inclusive. From your evening meals perfectly matched with regional wines to your superb accommodation and transfers from Melbourne, you will be delighted by the quality and inclusions of your tour. We won’t even ask you to pay credit card fees when you book with us, the price listed is the final tour price.
To find out more click on any of the below links:
Why Choose Us
Tour Itinerary
Your 6 day walking holiday includes:
- A Pack Free fully supported walk – with no overnight packs to carry
- 2 nights at the superb Quarters at Flinders Hotel
- 3 nights in the award-winning Glen Isla House in Classic Deluxe Rooms on Phillip Island
- All transfers
- Wine tasting at Stoniers Winery, Merricks
- Two experienced local guides that carry safety equipment including sat phone,
PLB and first aid. Our Guides are passionate, well trained & enthusiastic. - 5 x breakfasts
- 4 x walkers lunch including fresh fruit and trail mix plus 2 x café lunches
- 5 x dinners served with local wines
- Tea, coffee and hot chocolate on the trail
- National Parks admission
- Return ferry service to French Island with Westernport Ferries
- Entry to Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife and Conservation Park, Pearcedale
- Transfers to and from Melbourne CBD
- NO Credit Card Fees
SUGGESTED PRE NIGHT ACCOMMODATION: The Grand Chancellor Hotel, Melbourne
DEPARTURE TIME: 7.30am
TRAIL NOTES: 13km. 5-6 hours with breaks. Easy/Medium grade.
TERRAIN: This is a shared trail for walkers, mountain bike riders and horse riders so it has a good, firm surface and is quite wide. The trail is relatively flat at first, then descends gently from Red Hill, with one short steep ascent before a steady two kilometre descent to the end.
WALK ITINERARY: After meeting your guide at 7.30am at The Grand Chancellor Hotel Melbourne you’ll enjoy a quick transfer to the Mornington Peninsula. Today our walking commences from the highest point on the peninsula at Arthurs Seat. This is a gentle bushland walk on well-made paths with glimpses of the broader peninsula on our way through to the quaint Kings Falls and a tea stop. Our bus will be nearby and shortly our second walk then starts from the picturesque inland village of Red Hill and meanders past undulating countryside, pretty vineyards and tall pine forests dotted with bright red toadstools. Stunning views over Western Port to Phillip Island can be seen along the way as well as pretty rural views. This walk has a distinct local feel and you can often see horses along the track. After our walk it’s time to sample some of the regional wines this area is famous for. We head to charming Stonier Winery, home to some of Australia’s finest cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines to enjoy a wine tasting. It’s then on to our accommodation for the next two nights, the superb Flinders Hotel. Time to relax before enjoying dinner at the charming Deck Restaurant accompanied with local Mornington Peninsula wines.
TRAIL NOTES: 13kms in total. 5 hours. Grade: 3. Medium.
TERRAIN: Coastal clifftop walk. Sandy track. Steps in places. Steep path down to Bushrangers Bay.
WALK ITINERARY: After a hearty breakfast, we depart our hotel for our walk. Today’s walk takes us from Bushrangers Bay to Pulpit Rock and the basalt cliffs of Cape Schanck. During the walk, you will be able to enjoy stunning views over the sea and rocky bays. You can admire the sea sculpturing effect of the salty wind, which trims the cliff face vegetation, and the landscape created by a lava flow about 60 million years ago. Walk through the Banksia forest and try out your bird calls to mimic the local birds. You may even be lucky enough to spot wallabies or kangaroos along the way. After lunch at Cape Schanck Lighthouse, you will be transported to Koonya Ocean Beach, which is the beginning of the afternoon walk. Take in spectacular coastal scenery as you meander along the beach before ascending to the cliff tops before making our way to Sorrento Ocean Beach. Tonight, enjoy a superb dinner at Deck Restaurant. The restaurant’s chef creates modern dishes utilising excellent regional produce, perfectly matched with local wines.
TRAIL NOTES: 15kms 5 hours walking with breaks. Grade: Easy to Medium.
TERRAIN: Relatively flat walking, slightly undulating. A combination of footpaths, sandy coastal tracks and some beach walking.
WALK ITINERARY: Enjoy breakfast in the restaurant before farewelling our hotel. On our last day on the Mornington Peninsula, we explore Point Nepean National Park. Discover gorgeous natural scenery as well as the rich history of the area as you meander past the almost forgotten Police Point; Quarantine Station, the shipwreck site of ‘The Cheviot’, memorial to Prime Minister Harold Holt and a range of military establishments protecting the bay entrance at Port Phillip Heads. After Point Nepean, we will be transported to our next walk from Portsea to Sorrento along the Artists trail. During this walk, you will experience breathtaking views along the beaches and coastline expanding across the water to the Bellarine Peninsula, a contrast to the rugged splendour of the Bass Strait and the ocean beach side we have already encountered on the peninsula. As we continue along the trail see reproductions of paintings created by many famous artists of the past, who have come here to paint the spectacular landscapes before you. Meander past colourful boatsheds and impressive beachfront mansions before arriving for a celebratory lunch at The Baths, an iconic beachside restaurant in Sorrento with spectacular views After lunch we travel onwards towards Phillip Island with a break to meet more than 70 species of Australian birds and animals at Moonlit Sanctuary near Pearcedale. Our accommodation for the next 3 nights is at Glen Isla House – elegantly furnished purpose-built accommodation offering both privacy and warm hospitality.
TRAIL NOTES: 15kms. 6 hours walking with breaks. Grade: Medium.
TERRAIN: Coastal clifftop walk. Sandy track. Steps in places.
WALK ITINERARY: After a relaxing breakfast we offer two walks today. The Cape Woolamai Circuit trail [8km (3.5hrs) return] offers outstanding ocean and island views in a windswept landscape of rugged heathland fringed by steep granite cliffs, beaches and pounding surf. The sandy track winding along the sheer cliff tops on Phillip Island’s southerly point culminates in a superb panorama of the island. After a short transfer and a packed lunch at sheltered picnic tables we walk on through the Oswin Roberts Reserve to Rhyll. [7km (2.5hrs) one-way] This walk takes you from the Koala Conservation Centre to Rhyll and combines the Oswin Roberts Reserve walking tracks and the Conservation Hill and Rhyll Inlet tracks. This walk offers bush and coastal views and wildlife, with the seaside village of Rhyll being the final destination.
TRAIL NOTES: 9.6kms. 3.5 hours walking with breaks. Grade: Easy.
TERRAIN: The topography is mainly flat and gently undulating and at 60m above sea level.
WALK ITINERARY: After a hearty breakfast we find our way to the nearby Cowes Jetty and board the Westernport Ferries boat heading for French Island. Here we’ll commence the West Coast Wetlands Walk. Starting at Fairhaven Campsite, we’ll head east along Pinnacles Track. Points of interest include The Pinnacles Lookout, wildflowers including orchids, birdlife and seasonal Deuchers, Heifer, Little Heifer, Pobblebonk and Punt Swamps. The Pinnacles offers expansive views of Phillip Island, Western Port and the west coast wetlands of the park. Keep an eye out for koalas here!
TRAIL NOTES: 7km. 3hrs walking plus breaks. Grade: Medium
TERRAIN: Some short steep sections, ground is mostly even with some rough surface and steps.
WALK ITINERARY: After breakfast we’ll head off today for our final day walking. Following a scenic half-hour transfer we’ll immediately enjoy panoramic views from a cliff top path high above the Bass Strait surf. Beyond are beautiful secluded beaches and majestic headlands. The long views down the Kilcunda coast towards Cape Paterson reveal the route of George Bass’s coastal discovery voyage over 200 years ago. The blue tongue lizard and over 300 bird species are just some of the creatures you’ll see on your walk. From trails end another brief transfer brings us to Corinella on Westernport Bay where we will enjoy a final celebratory lunch in a converted heritage property now called ‘The Fig and The Bay Restaurant’. This is also our pick up location for a transfer back to Melbourne. A perfect day to top off an even more incredible journey.
Tour Availability
We run this tour a few times per year from September to April. Dates are listed below however availability changes by the hour – to see real-time availability click on the monthly calendar at the bottom of the page and select the month you require. We will also consider opening up a new departure date if we have enough demand. Email us at walks@lifesanadventure.com.au
SPECIALS
Check below to see if your preferred departure has a specials saving. Conditions apply see pricing page.
Note: Spot Special save $150 per person & Super Earlybirds save $300 per person off “Normal Prices”.
PRIVATE GROUPS:
Date of your choice is available for groups of 10 -12 people. Subject to availability.
Please contact us for more details on (02) 9975 4553 or email: groups@lifesanadventure.com.au
| Departure | Availibility | Special Notes/Savings |
|---|---|---|
| 2021: | ||
| 17 Sept 2021 | Available | Super Earlybird Saving |
| 31 Oct 2021 | Available | Super Earlybird Saving |
| 2022: | ||
| 15 Jan 2022 | Available | Super Earlybird Saving |
| 3 Apr 2022 | Available | Super Earlybird Saving |
| 24 Apr 2022 | Available | Super Earlybird Saving |
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Tour Prices
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DEPARTURES Super Earlybird Price*…..$0 _______________________ Super Earlybird prices available when you book and pay in full at time of booking. Normal Price requires deposit then final payment due 8 weeks prior to departure. |
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PAST PASSENGER SUPER EARLYBIRD
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DEPARTURES Super Earlybird Price*…..$0 _______________________ Super Earlybird prices available when you book and pay in full at time of booking. Normal Price requires deposit then final payment due 8 weeks prior to departure. These prices are for clients that have travelled with us before. To book these prices online please emails us for your special code. |
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Private Group Super Earlybird Price
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PRIVATE GROUPS DEPARTURES Super Earlybird Price*…..$0 _______________________ Super Earlybird prices available when you book and pay in full at time of booking. Normal Price requires deposit then final payment due 8 weeks prior to departure. Additional Past Passenger discount not available for groups. |
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The following extras can be purchased with your tour: SOLO TRAVELLERS Those wanting their own room will need to pay a single supplement cost. Only one room available per tour.
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Our COVID Booking Guarantee
For terms and conditions on our special COVID-19 Booking Guarantee click here.
FlexiWalk Option – Cancel for any Reason
Click here for full conditions on our FlexiWalk Option
Discount Information:
PAST PASSENGER DISCOUNT: Those who have travelled with Life’s An Adventure previously, receive a past passenger discount of $100. In order to receive this discount please email us for your special “promo code” to use when booking. In your email, you should outline what Life’s An Adventure tour you have done with us in the past so we can cross-check.
EARLYBIRD & SPOT SPECIAL CANCELLATIONS: Refunds or cancellations are not permitted for Earlybird Deals or Spot Specials, however, transfers to another date are permitted 8 weeks or more prior to departure. We advise taking out travel insurance, in case unexpected circumstances prior to the trip, prevent you from joining this tour. Early bird or Spot Special discounts cannot be used in conjunction with another offer. To receive these special discounts, full payment must be made at the time of initial booking. Flexiwalk Add-On option not available on these tickets.
Travel Insurance
We strongly advise our clients travelling within Australia to take out Travel Insurance. We have partnered with Cover-More to provide travel insurance to our guests. To get a quote or purchase travel insurance directly with them CLICK HERE .
Additional Information
- Prices are per person in Australian dollars and include GST.
- A deposit of $300 per person is required to secure your booking. (unless taking advantage of Earlybird or Spot Specials in which full payment is required at time of booking).
- Note: If you are booking within 90 days of your departure date – we will require full payment at the time of booking
- Prices are based on twin share of rooms. If you are travelling solo you may be required to share with someone of the same gender. If this is not suitable you can request to pay a single supplement, however, limited single rooms are available per trip so are on a request basis.
- Payments must be made online via our NAB (National Australia Bank) secure payment page via credit card (Visa or Mastercard) or over the phone.
- NO Credit Card fee applies.
- We advise taking our Travel Insurance to cover items such as cancellation of tour due to minimum numbers not met, or adverse weather conditions, injury, evacuation, delayed flights, illness, etc.
Booking Terms and Conditions
Before you book please read our Booking Terms and Conditions. Click here.
To find out more click on any of the below links:
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