Melbourne Freewheeling Trip Day 6 | Mornington Peninsula Day Tour: Rainbow Beach Boxes, Cable Car, Winery, and Hot Springs Experience

On April 30th, it was the second-to-last day of our self-guided trip to Australia, and our itinerary brought us to the Mornington Peninsula—a relatively less common destination, but one with stunning scenery. This tour was quite niche, and our final group ended up with only 7 people, making us a tiny group. The tour guide even mentioned they could pick us up and drop us off directly at our hotel. For us who had been rushing from one activity to another for several days, being able to sleep in a little bit this morning was truly the most relaxing way to start any day of this trip.

A Day Trip to the Mornington Peninsula First Stop: Dromana Rainbow Beach Boxes, the Perfect Match of Beach and Colorful Huts Our first stop was the Bathing Boxes at Dromana Beach, a row of huts facing the sea, painted in all sorts of vibrant colors. Although not as famous as the bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, this spot has fewer crowds of tourists and more of a relaxed, local vibe.

Most of these small huts are used as private storage spaces or resting spots, but no one is allowed to actually live in them. Interestingly, while we were taking a group photo here, a foreign visitor suddenly jumped in and photobombed us — everyone burst out laughing, and it became one of the most joyful little moments of the day.

The beach itself is very clean, and the seawater is crystal clear all the way to the bottom. Quite a few people come here to play in the water and fish—it's a great place to just relax and clear your mind.

Stop 2: Eagle Cable Car — A Short Cable Car Journey Through the Clouds Next, we arrived at the Arthurs Seat Eagle cable car. This was an optional activity at our own expense, costing 22 AUD per person. All seven of us in our group joined in, riding the cable car all the way up from the foot of the mountain to the summit.

However, after riding it, we felt the experience was pretty mediocre. If your budget is limited, this part is actually worth reconsidering. After getting off the cable car, the tour guide let everyone move around freely and grab lunch on their own, but since the restaurants in the tourist area were pricey, we decided to take a walk instead of eating. In the end, we unexpectedly stumbled upon the Matthew Flinders Cairn monument, which is a historical landmark with views overlooking the entire Port Phillip Bay. The scenery turned out to be even more worth seeing than the cable car ride.

Stop 3: Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens — the surroundings are also great for photos The third stop was the Ashcombe Maze Gardens located in Shoreham. This place is known for its lavender fields and hedge maze, with admission costing around AUD 20 per person (varies slightly depending on the season), but the guide said entry was optional. Since we weren't particularly interested in the maze, and felt the ticket price wasn't very appealing, we decided to just wander around the outside instead. We unexpectedly discovered a nearby grove filled with autumn-colored leaves, and with the slightly cool weather, the atmosphere for photos was fantastic, so we went straight into full "Instagram photoshoot" mode (lol).

Nearby there was also a greenhouse-like space, which we also used as a backdrop for photos. Even though we didn't pay to enter the garden, we still had a great time at this stop.

Stop 4: Pt. Leo Estate Winery, where wine tasting dances with art Our tour guide gave a special introduction to this winery — Pt. Leo Estate is one of the very well-known attractions on the Mornington Peninsula. Outside the winery there's a huge modern art sculpture garden, which is said to be super photogenic. However, this place uses a paid admission system — as soon as you walk through the ticket gate, you have to pay — which made us hesitate again and again.

In the end, we gave up on walking through the sculpture garden and instead chose to go into the bar area inside the winery's main building to rest. We happened to see fellow tour members tasting wine, and learned that there was a premium tasting set for 20 AUD, which let you sample five specially selected red wines from the winery. We joined in right away!

The wine had layered complexity and a long finish, especially the 2019 Reserve Pinot Noir, which absolutely amazed me — I immediately bought a bottle to bring back to Taiwan, which came to 77 AUD after the discount. I hope it still tastes just as good when I open it back home! Stop 5: Cape Schanck Lighthouse After leaving the winery, we arrived at today's most spectacular stop — the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. Built in 1859, this lighthouse is one of the few nineteenth-century lighthouses in Australia still in operation today. Perched right by the sea, it offers a view over the magnificent Bass Strait.

Sixth stop: Peninsula Hot Springs — the perfect ending to relax body and mind Here comes the highlight! In the evening we arrived at today's most anticipated spot — Peninsula Hot Springs. This hot spring facility is huge, divided into multiple zones, with hot spring pools of all sizes, a wellness trail, cave springs, and even a stage pool where you can watch performances.

We were originally worried that our phones might get wet, so we didn't plan on taking any photos. But when we saw so many people happily taking photos and checking in, we decided to follow the trend, went back to the car to grab our phones, and started documenting this relaxing time.

The hot spring's average temperature is quite pleasant—not as intense as Taiwan's, where it often exceeds 40 degrees Celsius. The hottest areas here reach around 40-42 degrees. While the water temperature isn't extremely hot, the serene environment and fresh air create a unique magic. As we soaked, all the tiredness from our bodies seemed to simply fade away. We kept relaxing in the water until 7 PM before we finally left, and by then our bodies were completely loose and relaxed (laughs). It was the perfect, most peaceful way to put an end to this trip.

An imperfect tour guide experience, but a perfect day The biggest letdown of this trip was really the guide's performance. He barely offered any explanations all day, wasn't very familiar with the itinerary, and almost skipped one of the sights. In the end, he even came up to us on his own to ask for a tip, which honestly left us a bit stunned — if it weren't for politeness, we really wouldn't have wanted to give one. But setting aside the guide issue, the scenery and diverse experiences of the Mornington Peninsula are absolutely worth a visit.It's just that the attractions aren't that close to each other, so if you want to travel independently, driving might be more convenient — we'd suggest travelers weigh whether to join a tour group or hire a private car. A night back in Melbourne: familiar flavors and a perfect ending We got back to Melbourne in the evening, and to draw a perfect close to the trip, we decided to eat our favorite once again for the third time — Daweila spicy hotpot (mala tang)! This time each of us ordered our own pot, picking our favorite balls and meats, averaging about 20 AUD per person — in our book, the undisputed king of value for money in Melbourne.

On the way back, I unexpectedly came across a bar that was still open, so I quickly rushed in and bought two local beers recommended by fellow travelers online: Victoria Bitter and Melbourne Bitter. One is sweet and the other bitter, quite different in style, but both are well worth trying.

Pair it with potato chips, drinking and chatting about the trip — that's really the most authentic and relaxing way to wrap things up. A little reminder about the tax refund process We flew home on 5/1, arriving at the airport early to handle the tax refund. Here's a simple rundown of the steps: The day before, fill in your information online from your room to get a QR Code. At the airport, go to the basement level to find customs and get it stamped. Once that's done, go to the counter to check in your luggage. Finally, after passing through customs, go to the tax refund counter and scan the QR Code to officially complete the refund.

Remember to do your homework in advance so you can smoothly complete your tax refund! With that, this 10-day self-guided trip to Australia comes to an end — bowing out now, see you next time~