SAFETY BEACH DROMANA McCRAE MARTHA COVE

If some fresh sea air and panoramic views across Port Phillip are on your agenda, put the dog on a lead and set off on a 7km two-hour walk at Safety Beach that passes both the pier and the marina.

A few kilometres away is the holiday resort of Dromana, where campers set up during the most popular holiday times on the foreshore reserve with grassy picnic areas, shelters, walking tracks, and retail shops and cafes aplenty. There’s plenty to do and see including places of historic interest such as the Dromana Hotel, Jetty Store, Dromana Pier,

Pioneer Pathway and Heronswood property, which is home to the Diggers Club.

The relatively new waterfront residential estate of Martha Cove – situated at the base of Mount Martha – has 17ha of sheltered harbour waterways leading directly into the bay, making it the perfect prestigious location for mariners. If you love the water there’s plenty of fun to be found, but landlubbers can also admire the view with walks around the marina and Mediterranean-style meals at Martha’s Table.

McCrae – a small coastal village at the foot of Arthurs Seat – was named after 19th century artist and diarist Georgiana McCrae. The homestead belonging to her and her husband is the preeminent historical structure in the area and is still furnished with their possessions and memorabilia. The foreshore at McCrae forms part of the 28km Bay Trail for walkers and cyclists that ends at Portsea, and there’s also the lighthouse to check out and appreciate the beautiful coastal views.

Revel in the golden sand of gently curving beaches and accessible waterways of this slower-paced part of the Mornington Peninsula that delivers the unexpected and exceeds expectations at every turn.