Melbourne - Australia 2004 - page 570

K Rd., Werribee. & 03/9731 9600. www.zoo.org.au. Admission A$16 (US$10) adults, A$7.80 (US$5.05)
children, A$43 (US$28) families. Daily 9am-5pm (the entrance gate closes at 3:30pm). Safari tours hourly
10am-3pm.
THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA
The Mornington Peninsula, a scenic 40km (25 miles) stretch of windswept
coastline and hinterland 80km (50 miles) south of Melbourne, is one of Mel-
bourne's favorite day-trip and weekend-getaway destinations. The coast is lined
with good beaches and thick bush consisting almost entirely of tea trees. (Early
colonists used it as a tea substitute.) The Cape Shanck Coastal Park stretches
along the peninsula's Bass Strait foreshore from Portsea to Cape Shanck. It's
home to gray kangaroos, southern brown bandicoots, echidnas, native rats,
mice, reptiles, bats, and many forest and ocean birds. The park has many inter-
connecting walking tracks providing access to some remote beaches.
The Mornington Peninsula has become a very popular wine-producing
region. The Peninsula's fertile soil, temperate climate, and rolling hills produce
excellent wine, particularly pinot noir, shiraz, and chardonnay. Many wineries
offer cellar door tastings, others have excellent restaurants located among the
wineries.
Along the route to the south you could stop off at the Morning Peninsula
Regional Gallery, 4 Vancouver St., Mornington ( & 03/5975 4395 ), to check
out the work of famous Australian artists (open Tues-Sun 10am-5pm), or visit
Arthurs Seat State Park to take a short hike or ride a chair lift to a 300m (984-
ft.) summit offering glorious views over the surrounding bush. At Sorrento, take
time out to spot pelicans on the jetty, or visit the town's many galleries.
Also on the Mornington Peninsula is Australia's oldest and most famous
maze, Ashcombe Maze & Water Gardens, Red Hill Road, Shoreham ( & 03/
5989 8387 ), which also has extensive water and woodland gardens. There is
even a rose maze made out of 1,300 rose bushes, which is spectacular when in
full bloom over the spring and summer months. There's also a pleasant cafe with
indoor and outdoor dining. The park is open daily from 10am to 5pm; admis-
sion is A$7 (US$4.35) for adults, and A$4 (US$2.50) for children.
GETTING THERE From Melbourne, take the Mornington Peninsula Free-
way to Rosebud, and then the Point Nepean Road. If you want to cross Port
Phillip Bay from Sorrento to Queenscliff, take the Queenscliff Sea Road Ferry
( & 03/5258 3255; fax [phone]), which operates daily departing every
hour on the hour between 8am and 6pm (there's an 8pm ferry Fri-Sat from
mid-Sept to mid-Dec and daily from mid-Dec until Easter Thurs). Ferries from
Queenscliff operate from 7am to 5pm (plus a 7pm ferry on days listed above).
The fare is A$32 to A$34 (US$21-US$22) for cars depending on season, plus
A$3 (US$1.95) for adults, A$2 (US$1.30) for children 5 to 15, and A$1
(US65¢) for children 4 and under. Passenger-only fares are A$7 (US$4.50) for
adults, A$5 (US$3.25) for children 5 to 15, and A$1 (US65¢) for children
under 4. The crossing takes 35 to 40 minutes.
VISITOR INFORMATION The Peninsula Visitor Information Centre,
Point Nepean Road, Dromana ( & 1800/804 009 in Australia, or 03/5987
3078), has plenty of maps and information on the area and can also help book
accommodations. It's open daily from 9am to 5pm. You can get more informa-
tion on this and all the other Victorian National Parks by calling & 13 19 63,
or via the Internet on www.parks.vic.gov.au.