Eco Platypus Tours

From Melbourne, take a scenic drive southeast. You will reach one of Victoria’s popular tourist destinations, the Mornington Peninsula.
 
Mornington Peninsula is home to several vineyards and wineries. It is Victoria’s top wine-producing region next only to Yarra Valley. Its cellar doors are open to tourists. You can enjoy the picturesque views of the shorelines, gardens and mazes. You can also experience Main Street Mornington as well as the soothing hot springs.
 
Here are the top places to visit in Mornington Peninsula:
 
Mornington’s Top wineries
Mornington Peninsula is well-known for pioneering the production of Pino Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio in Australia. Missing the wineries would make your visit to the region incomplete.
 
Visit the cellar door of T’Gallant on Mornington-Flinders Road in Main Ridge. You can swirl a glass or two of their best wines paired with Roman-style pizza. There are several cellar doors you can visit for samples of their wines — Red Hill Estate, Peninsula Galleries, Polperro Winery, Mont Rouge Estate, Montalto, and Main Ridge Estate.
 
Arthur’s Seat and Oliver’s Hill Lookout
Mornington Peninsula is a quaint region with amazing views. Arthur’s Seat is the best place to see the spectacular views of the region; it is the peninsula’s highest viewing point. You can see from on top ocean vistas, gardens and mazes, Bellarine Peninsula, and the glass towers of Melbourne.
 
Another viewing point on the peninsula is Oliver’s Hill Lookout. It is the best viewing platform to see the city of Frankston and the bay. Also, you can walk or run around the area with a calming, quaint, and relaxing natural scenery in the backdrop.
 
Gardens and mazes
Mornington Peninsula is home to gardens, mazes, and theme parks and galleries. Visit McClelland Sculpture Park & Gallery, a 16-hectare estate of landscaped gardens and a gallery showcasing artworks by Australian artists.
 
You could also enjoy the fun at Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens, Australia’s oldest hedge maze in Australiaand the most popular too. Try getting lost in the Lavender Labyrinth, a hedge maze planted to lavenders. Enjoy the delightful scent of lavender as you find your way out of the labyrinth.
 
Seaside bathing boxes
Stroll down the beaches of Mornington Peninsula, colourful bathing boxes adorn the shores. These picturesque boxes have become popular tourist attractions and they can be traced back to the Victorian morality of the past. The boxes have also become iconic, symbolizing Mornington Peninsula’s summertime by the beach.
 
Cape Schanck Lighthouse and Fort Nepean
You can also check out the lighthouse at Cape Schanck that was built in 1859. Standing 21 meters tall, Cape Schanck Lighthouse is located on the southern tip of the peninsula. You can have a guided tour of the lighthouse built from limestone and enjoy the views of the coastlines and the Bass Strait.
 
Fort Nepean was built in 1882 and it served as a defence facility until the end of World War II. It used to protect the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay preventing the enemy ships from coming to Melbourne. You can explore the facility, its tunnels and the historic cemetery.
 
Main Street Mornington
If you want a unique shopping or bar hopping experience, then Main Street Mornington lets you peek at what life is like in the peninsula. You can visit the shops and boutiques or try out the great food and drinks at cafes and restaurants, there are plenty of them. At night you can hop from one bar to the next and enjoy the best brew and the best wines.
 
Peninsula Hotsprings
For a calming atmosphere, then check out Peninsula Hot Springs and have yourself a traditional massage or have a dip in the hot flowing mineral water. The hot pools and baths can calm your senses and help normalize the blood flow in your veins. Relax your body and mind and get rejuvenated.

Travel to Lorne via the Great Ocean Road. This beautiful seaside town sits by the Erskine River on Louttit Bay in Victoria.
 
With a population of a little over a thousand, Lorne is a popular holiday destination. Visitors from all over the world come to the town for its many scenic attractions.
 
Lorne’s white beaches and pristine waters welcome families for regular beach activities. The consistent waves in its surfs are friends to surfers from the beginner to advanced levels. Then there’s the town’s lively arts scene which brings you closer to nature. The natural scenery of the Otways provides a unique natural feel to the town.
 
Here’s the list of the must-sees when you are in the poetic and quaint town of Lorne:
 
Lorne’s surf beaches
Stroll down the white beaches of Lorne for your regular swims and beachside picnics. Or you may also explore the rock pools on Shelly Beach. Take a surfing lesson or if you’re an advanced surfer brave the waves of the rough surf. You may also take the Surf Coast Walk until you reach Bells Beach with towering cliffs at the backdrop.
 
The town’s bustling arts scenes
The town hosts the Lorne Festival of the Performing Arts and Falls Music and Arts Festival. These events define Lorne’s lively arts community.
 
Qdos Arts
Check out the exhibits at Qdos Arts and hang around the outdoor sculpture park. In March, catch the Lorne Sculpture Biennale. The event showcased sculptures by local artists displayed outdoors on the foreshore.
 
Qdos Arts pioneers and leads the town’s arts scene. It has a gallery exhibiting some fine works of visual arts. There’s a cafe where you can sit and relax while having a cup of espresso. And a sculpture park lets you reflect on deeper themes of life and nature through visual arts.
 
Will Dielenberg Galleries
The Australian photographer Will Dielenberg established Will Dielenberg Galleries where he displayed his Fine Art Landscape Photography. Dielenberg is an award-winning Australian photographer. He’s a recipient of many international and Australian awards and recognition for his works. A winner of the 2015 AIPP Victorian Landscape Photographer of the year, he’s also a finalist for the Hasselblad Masters 2018.
 
Learn about the southern coasts of Victoria through Dielenberg’s lenses.
 
Phantom Falls
Visit the scenic 15-metre high Phantom Falls on the Lorne part of the Otways. Enjoy the misty surroundings of the waterfalls created by the cascades as the waters plunge into the bottom pool.
 
Lower and Upper Kalimna Falls
Picnic by the Lower Kalimna Falls while watching the water plunge into a tranquil pool over a rock ledge. Beside the pool are lush ferns and giant trees towering around. From Lower Kalimna, climb up through a trail to the 15-meter high Upper Kalimna Falls. Feel a refreshing natural scenery.
 
Won Wondah Falls and Henderson Falls
Trek a trail to Won Wondah Falls from Sheoak picnic area. Or you may choose to walk a little further to reach the base of the 10-meter high Henderson Falls. The waterfalls draw you closer to mother nature’s loving embrace — refreshing and rejuvenating.
 
Erskine Falls
The 30-meter high Erskine Falls is the most popular waterfalls of Lorne. It is located 9 kilometres from the town. Relax and be refreshed as you spend some time watching the waters drop into the Erskine River. The mists from the cascades enliven the verdant tree-ferns and mosses of the gully. Appreciate the beauty of nature at Erskine Falls with its spectacular views.
 
Cumberland Falls
Follow a trail by the Cumberland River to reach the Cumberland Falls. The views of the river valley, the cliffs, and the tranquil pools are simply amazing. Then the reward as you reach the destination is the beautiful Cumberland Falls.
 
Teddy’s Lookout
Drive to Teddy’s Lookout on the top end of George Street. Hangout by the viewing platform to see the scenic Great Ocean Road. Follow the view of the coastlines to the mouth of Saint George River.
 
Let’s go!

When you’re in Melbourne, take 140-kilometer drive toward the southeast to reach Phillip Island, one of Victoria’s most famous islands.
 
With the little penguins usually the highlight of the island’s tourism, equally important and spectacular are the fur seals on Seal Rocks a few kilometres from the Nobbies.
 
Phillip Island is Victoria’s largest colony of Australian fur seals.
 
The fur seal’s broad head, pointy snout, two large eyes, two external ears, and a furry face with whiskers differentiate it from other seal species or from real seals. Two layers of brown fur covered the fur seal’s body. Its sharp set of teeth helps in catching their prey.
 
With its set of flippers, a fur seal can move on four limbs — it can raise its body and move on land. They can roll and wrestle. Fur seals are agile swimmers and skilful fishers with octopus, squid, and fish as their catch. They can dive deep into the ocean up to 200 meters in depth.
 
A male fur seal measures around 135 to 227 centimetres long and can weigh from 218 to 360 kilograms. The female fur seal can weigh around 41 to 113 kilograms, which is smaller than the male. When the male seal matures it sports a dark mane of coarse fur. A fur seal can live up to 20 years.
 
Of Australia’s around 13 seal colonies most of them are located on the rocky islands and shores around the Bass Strait. Australian fur seals have made Seal Rocks of Phillip Island a colony of which their population is 30,000 and still growing. The island is one of the largest Australian fur seal colony.
 
In the 19th century, fur seals were overly harvested. They’re almost extinct that it took a long time for its population to recover. Australia passed a law that protected the fur seals from seal hunters.
 
Between October and December is the fur seals’ breeding season. This is the best time of year to see them on the rocks with the young playfully wrestling each other, the mothers nurse their young, and some of them relaxing and bathing under the sun.
 
Phillip Island’s fur seals have increasingly become a favourite tourist attraction next to the Little Penguins. They can entertain tourists too with their playfulness.
 
Travel with Eco Platypus to have a unique and memorable Phillip Island tour experience. Book our One-Day Phillip Island Tour which highlights a visit to a wildlife park to get up close with some of Australia’s native wildlife, learning more about the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic at the Nobbies Centre, viewing the Australian fur seals playfully tanning on the rocks of Seal Rocks, and watching the famous penguin parade at the Summerland beach.
 
The tour is guaranteed to be one of its kind and full of fun. There’s also a twist of sweetness in this tour because we visit a chocolate factory and try some samples. Of course, the main highlights must be the fur seals and the little penguins.

The Great Ocean Road is home to many of Victoria’s surf destinations. In fact, Torquay is Australia’s iconic surfing town. It is renowned for Rip Curl Pro, an annual surfing event that attracts surfers from the world over.
 
Surfing sites dot the shores from Torquay in the east stretching to Warrnambool in the west. From end to end there’s Bells Beach in Torquay, Point Richie in Warrnambool, and the Black Nose Point in Portland.
 
The popular surfing beaches along this coastal stretch are Bells Beach, Fairhaven Beach, and Johanna Beach. Other well-known beaches are Wye River, Jac Juc, Point Addis, Castle Cove, Discovery Bay, Lorne, and Portsea.
 
Torquay’s Bells beach stands out as the best and the most popular surfing spot. It is a cultural icon that symbolises Australia as the world’s surfing centre. The yearly Rip Curl Pro event is a testament to that — inviting the big names in the surfing world.
 
Rip Curl Pro is Australia oldest professional surfing competition. Both Aussie and international pro surfers join the competition every Easter. Bells Beach’s point breaks are consistent especially during autumn (and winter). The swelling of the Southern Ocean creates powerful waves over 5 metres high.
 
Johanna Beach near Cape Otway was the site for the 1970 World Surfing Championship. Surfers around the world gathered here to brave the beach’s fast and powerful waves. Johanna Beach is known for the balanced left and right breaks with consistent waves of over 1.5 metres high.
 
Fairhaven Beach’s rugged surf and rough waves have made it a heaven for pro surfers. Plus, with the Otways serving as a backdrop to this 6 km long strip of surf beach.
 
Another surfing spot with a picturesque backdrop is the rough surf of Gibson Steps. The 300-metre long and 2.5-metre high waves will test your mettle in the surf. And of course, with the iconic 12 Apostles at the backdrop, it is the most beautiful surfing spot in the world.
 
For beginner and less experienced surfers, better stay safe in the milder surfs of Lorne or Anglesea. You may also like to visit the Warrnambool Surf Club and try some tricks on the surf.
 
Surfing sure is a big thing on the Great Ocean Road. Should you wish to travel to this Australian surfing capital booking a tour with us could be a good start.
 
Check out our Great Ocean Road Tour which brings you to the scenic spots along the route. One of the stops is the 12 Apostles where you can experience the raw beauty of southern Australia. You also get to visit some rugged surf beaches.
 
Our Reverse Great Ocean Road Day Tour begins the journey with our first stop at Colac, and it ends at Torquay. This tour lets you explore the Otways and the limestone coasts of Port Campbell. You get to have the chance to visit the surfs of Apollo Bay, Anglesea, and Lorne.
 
Experience the changing colours of a southern Australian sunset with our Great Ocean Road Sunset Tour. The tour brings you to the surfing towns of the Great Ocean Road with a final stop at the 12 Apostles on Port Campbell at dusk.

Behold the sun, sky, clouds, sea, and land.
 
Behind a collection of limestone stacks called the 12 Apostles, the sun conceals itself as it sinks into the seemingly calm seas of the Southern Ocean. The picture is that of a union of heaven and earth. On the horizon, the sea meets the sky, and on the land, I stand to watch the phenomenon from not so far a distance.
 
There is peace at the surface creating a serene atmosphere, drowning out the chaos of the rough surfs of Port Campbell.
 
The changing colours of orangey light, pinkish clouds, on a golden horizon overwhelm the sky that’s blue and the turquoise ocean hue. Off the shores are the 12 Apostles standing firm, they are the towering pillars, cliffs, and gorges made of limestone carved throughout time by the bashing of the ocean and the wind. Below lies the rugged bubbly surf rolling onto sandy beaches.
 
Three, four, five pillars of stone glitter golden as the rays of the sun crash on the surface, reflecting back the light with enchanting colours.
 
Sun and sea, they are one like an eye divine flecked with gold.
 
A few moments later dark shapes are formed outlining the towering pillars. The silhouettes of the apostles appear like some dark spots in a colourful painting of which the canvass is nature.
 
The image is enchanting and the experience magical. Impressive, glorious, picturesque, no adjective can describe and exhaust the depth of nature’s work of art.
 
Sunset at the 12 Apostles is a spectacular conclusion to a day tour of the Great Ocean Road tourist route.
 
After exploring the ancient rainforest of the Otways, getting up close to Australia’s native animals and the lovely birds of Kennett River and Lorne, learning the tragic story of Loch Ard Gorge and dipping in its pristine shallows, or marvelling at the naturally formed towers of the fallen London Bridge, sunset remains to be the perfect time to reflect about life’s deeper meaning.
 
As the salty ocean breeze caresses my skin, I bask in the dying sun and breathe in the minty and invigorating air that gives life to a weary soul. When the spirit is tired no more, such experience cannot be captured by the camera. It can only be stored in memory, adding to the wealth of one’s experience.
 
Soaking in the magic and the spectacle, getting lost in the work of art that only gods can paint with materials heavenly — such is the sunset at the 12 Apostles.
 
Getting to Port Campbell is easy through the help of Eco Platypus. Such well-organized trip ensures a time well-spent. More time to yourself and more time for reflection.
 
Check out our Great Ocean Road Sunset Tour which highlights the big-ticket scenic attractions on the Great Ocean Road. The tour concludes with the spectacular sunset at the 12 Apostles. Included in this tour are a visit to a chocolate factory, viewing the breathtaking coastal lookouts, listening to tales about Loch Ard Gorge, and much more.