Often overlooked in favour of its more glamorous neighbour (i.e. the Mornington Peninsula), the Bellarine Peninsula is a neglected gem amongst Victoria’s tourist locations. After almost 25 years of living in Victoria, I finally made it out here for a day trip and am kicking myself for not visiting earlier. Thanks to Mr K for the recommendation.
As I’m a fan of seafood I decided to head for the mussel capital of Victoria, Port Arlington, which is a sleepy little fishing village on the Bellarine Peninsula. At the pier you can buy fresh mussels for $5/kg, which I have to say is pretty much the same price as Queen Vic Market so there’s no bargains to be had here. Presumably it is fresher though.
This is the view from Port Arlington pier, with the You Yangs in the background. It’s definitely worth a stroll along this pier, as out of frame and to the right, it is actually possible to see the city skyline.
Moving on from the pier, it’s also worth checking out Advanced Mussel Supply at 230 Port Arlington-Queenscliff Road, Bellarine. There you can purchase uncooked or cooked mussels straight from the farmer. I have to say they were the sweetest and juiciest mussels I’ve had in recent memory. Also, they grow native Angasi oysters which you can try. For the uninitiated, these are the kinds of oysters you can only find in the top-tier restaurants in Melbourne and have a very different (read: stronger) flavour to Pacific and Sydney Rock Oysters. I wasn’t a fan as I found them slightly muddy in flavour.
It was then time to explore the peninsula further. As we were there in Spring, the countryside was ablaze with yellow canola fields.
We managed to catch this field at its peak, almost next door to Scotchman’s Hill Winery.
Same field, but a slightly different perspective.
Beautiful scene with the rolling green of the vines dropping down to meet the sea. I believe this is part of the Scotchman’s Hill Winery.
This one was taken next to Jack Rabbit Winery. It’s a great stop for lunch, with sweeping views over the bay including the You Yangs and the city skyline. We managed to while away a couple of hours here with a crisp bottle of their Pinot Grigio ($30) and a couple of their local tasting platters.
We then drove down to Point Lonsdale to enjoy the sunset over the lovely wooden pier and lighthouse they have down there.
Looking up to the Point Lonsdale lighthouse from the beach
Point Lonsdale lighthouse from below, bathed in the sunset light.