In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Melbourne via Sorrento, Point Nepean and Cape Schanck to Red Hill, through the wader haunts of Western Port to penguins and fur seals on Phillip Island, and on via Wonthaggi to Inverloch: around 650 kilometres of coast that you can drive at an easy pace in a week.
The spirit of the route
South-east of Melbourne, Victoria runs out into two coastlines that have nothing in common. On one side the Mornington Peninsula has the calm Port Phillip Bay with bathing boxes and foreshore campgrounds; on the other, Bass Strait, which pounds against black basalt cliffs at Cape Schanck. In between lie vineyards of Pinot Noir, eucalyptus forest and villages where half the city goes on holiday in summer. Further east, Western Port opens up: tidal flats, mangroves, pelicans. Then comes the bridge to Phillip Island, where little penguins come out of the surf at sunset, fur seals bark on the rocks and koalas doze in the gum trees. The Bass Coast ends with a coal town, fossil beaches and the Bunurong Coastal Drive. From your sliding door you will mostly see water, wind and low light. Pack a windproof jacket, even in midsummer.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Melbourne to Sorrento (approx. 95 km)
- The drive
- From Melbourne take the freeways south-east (EastLink or the Monash Freeway), then at Frankston join the toll-free Peninsula Link and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway (M11) and carry on through Rosebud and Rye to Sorrento. Mostly freeway; from Rosebud it is a country road with plenty of holiday traffic. Allow about 1.5 hours of driving, noticeably longer on sunny weekends and in school holidays.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Sorrento: sandstone buildings from the gold rush era on Ocean Beach Road, plus the beach on the bay side with its bathing boxes.
- Sorrento Back Beach on the Bass Strait side: surf, rock platforms and wide views – swim only at patrolled sections.
- Sorrento harbour and pier: ferry to Queenscliff, pelicans and fish and chips on the jetty.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Sorrento, Rye and Rosebud (with McCrae) Foreshore Camping belong to the Mornington Peninsula Shire. The sites sit right behind the beach and are open only in season (roughly the end of October to the end of April). For peak season there is a ballot for stays of two to five weeks, and some waiting lists are closed; shorter stays are booked online. Dogs are not allowed on the foreshore campgrounds (assistance dogs excepted, register beforehand), petrol generators are banned, and not every site has a tap. The terrain is hilly, and some sites are hard to reach for inexperienced caravan drivers – if in doubt, phone the shire's camping office before you book. If you arrive at short notice in summer, ask early about private holiday parks on the peninsula.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Freedom camping is not an option anywhere on the peninsula: sleeping in your vehicle outside designated sites (roads, car parks, foreshore areas) is not allowed, and it is enforced. Expect a fine. So plan a proper site for every night, and in holiday periods book weeks ahead.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up with fuel and water in Frankston or Rosebud before the road gets narrow. If you are coming from the Great Ocean Road, you can skip the detour through Melbourne: the car ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento takes about 40 minutes and runs daily. Give the height and length of your camper when you book; check the limits and prices for motorhomes with the ferry operator, arrive at the pier in good time and book online in advance. The approach from the west is covered in the CampingSpirit guide “Surf breaks, limestone stacks and sandstone ridges – by camper along the Great Ocean Road to the Grampians”.
2Stage 2: Sorrento to Rosebud (via Point Nepean, Cape Schanck and Flinders) (approx. 90 km)
- The drive
- From Sorrento take the Point Nepean Road via Portsea to the entrance of Point Nepean National Park at the very tip of the peninsula. Then head back to Sorrento, east along the Back Beach Road, through eucalyptus forest and pasture to Cape Schanck and Flinders, and on via the Dromana hinterland or the coast road to Rosebud. Winding country roads, slow going in the holidays. A good 2 hours of pure driving time, a full day once you add the walks.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Point Nepean National Park: Fort Nepean with its bunkers and gun emplacements, a view of “the Heads”, the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay, and Cheviot Beach, where Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming in 1967.
- Cape Schanck: lighthouse from 1859, boardwalks down to Pulpit Rock and the basalt columns of the cliff, with waves that are especially impressive in winter.
- Bushrangers Bay: coastal path through banksia heath to a small bay with a marine sanctuary, a good hour each way.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Rosebud Foreshore Camping of the Mornington Peninsula Shire (with McCrae), easy to reach from the centre, with access to the bay-side beach; book through the shire as in stage 1, by ballot in peak season. Alternatively Rye Foreshore Camping, halfway. Ask the shire beforehand about the facilities on the sites (power, water) rather than taking them for granted.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Point Nepean National Park and Mornington Peninsula National Park (Cape Schanck, Bushrangers Bay) sleeping in your vehicle is not permitted; the car parks are for day visits. The only accommodation in Point Nepean National Park is pre-erected tents (Discovery Tents). No camping behaviour (chairs, awning) in car parks.
- Insider tip for campers
- The park is open to vehicles during the day only. At Point Nepean leave the camper in the visitor area; you get to the fort on foot, by bike or on the hop-on hop-off shuttle – whether you may drive further in with a motorhome is something to clarify beforehand with Parks Victoria (phone 13 1963), as is the shuttle timetable. Swimming at Cheviot Beach is off limits because of the current. The Cape Schanck lighthouse is reached via steps and boardwalks; car parking is limited, so with long vehicles arrive early in the day. If you like a spot of wellness, book the Peninsula Hot Springs near Fingal – booking is required there.
3Stage 3: Rosebud to Stony Point (via Arthurs Seat, Red Hill and Hastings) (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- From Rosebud go to Dromana and up Arthurs Seat (about 314 m), a wooded ridge with a steep, winding ascent; then through the wine country of Red Hill and Main Ridge, down to Balnarring and Somers and along the western side of Western Port to Crib Point, Hastings and Stony Point. Narrow and hilly on the peninsula, flat and open on the Westernport coast. About 1.5 hours of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Arthurs Seat: lookouts over Port Phillip Bay and gardens; on clear days the view reaches as far as the Melbourne skyline.
- Red Hill: wineries and cideries, farm shops, markets on selected Saturdays; Pinot Noir is the peninsula’s leading grape.
- Western Port near Hastings: mudflats, mangroves and wading birds, a natural area of international importance for migratory birds; Hastings Foreshore and the marina invite a stroll.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Stony Point Caravan Park at the Stony Point ferry terminal (Stony Point Road): a simple site with powered and tent sites, cabins and showers, close to the beach and the railway station, ideal as a base for French Island or for an early start towards Phillip Island. Check the operator and current facilities before you arrive; book early in the holidays. Other foreshore campgrounds on Western Port (Crib Point/Stony Point, Dromana, Capel Sound) are run by local committees and booked separately.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On Western Port too: no freedom camping on foreshores, in car parks or on ferry piers; the shire and rangers patrol. Camping is generally not allowed in the nature reserves of the Westernport coast.
- Insider tip for campers
- The ascent of Arthurs Seat is steep; trailers and long motorhomes are best driven in low gears and should avoid the weekend peaks. Optional: from Stony Point, Western Port Ferries runs all year to French Island and to Cowes on Phillip Island. Check with the operator before booking whether your camper can come along; for French Island, better leave it on the mainland. On the nearly car-free island you explore koalas, tidal coast and sand tracks by bike; check camping on the island with Parks Victoria beforehand.
4Stage 4: Stony Point to Cowes (Phillip Island) (approx. 90 km)
- The drive
- Inland via Hastings and Tooradin to Lang Lang, then on the Bass Highway through pasture to Grantville and San Remo, over the bridge to Newhaven on Phillip Island and on to Cowes. Easy country roads with few hills; heavy traffic on the way to the island in the holidays and on race weekends. About 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- San Remo: the harbour on the channel and the fishermen’s co-operative, where pelicans usually wait for food at the pier.
- Churchill Island: a small island reached by a causeway, with a heritage-listed homestead and gardens and a walking track around the island; admission is handled by Phillip Island Nature Parks.
- Koala Conservation Reserve: boardwalks at treetop height from which you see koalas in the gum trees at eye level.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Several holiday parks in Cowes, such as the Anchor Belle Holiday Park (Church Street), about 2 km from the town centre and about 100 m from the beach, with sanitary facilities, camp kitchen and dump point. In summer and on race weekends the island is quickly booked out, so reserve early.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Freedom camping is not possible on Phillip Island: sleeping in your vehicle outside campgrounds is not allowed (Bass Coast Shire requires a permit for camping outside campgrounds, which travellers practically never get), and the nature reserves of Phillip Island Nature Parks are strictly patrolled. Do not sleep in the penguin car park either.
- Insider tip for campers
- On the San Remo bridge, take care with high vehicles in strong wind. Fill up before Cowes or in the town itself; there are hardly any petrol stations on the west side of the island. Wallabies and penguins cross the roads at night: drive slowly after sunset, especially on the approaches to the Penguin Parade.
5Stage 5: Cowes to Cowes (loop via the Nobbies, Penguin Parade and Cape Woolamai) (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- From Cowes west on the main road to the Summerland Peninsula at the tip of the island, where you find the Penguin Parade and The Nobbies; back, then east towards Cape Woolamai on small coastal roads. Short distances, but car parks and sights are often crowded. Expect a long day and a drive back in the dark.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Nobbies: boardwalks above the cliffs, a blowhole and a view of Seal Rocks, offshore from which lies one of Australia’s largest fur seal colonies.
- Penguin Parade at Summerland Beach: little penguins come out of the water at sunset and waddle to their burrows; entry by ticket only, photography and filming are forbidden.
- Cape Woolamai: the island’s longest beach with surf, plus the circuit walk to the Pinnacles, red granite cliffs with colonies of short-tailed shearwaters in the breeding season.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Second night in the holiday park in Cowes (stage 4). There are other holiday parks on the island, for example near Newhaven; whether and where motorhomes fit, ask the park beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around the nature reserves no freedom camping and no camping at all: Cape Woolamai and the Nobbies are part of Phillip Island Nature Parks, and the breeding areas of penguins and shearwaters are strictly protected.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Penguin Parade needs a booking, and you should have your ticket before you travel. Arrive in good time before the time shown on the ticket. A cold wind often blows in the evening, so bring a hat and windproof jacket. The car park is free; for long vehicles and motorhomes ask the Nature Parks beforehand. At Cape Woolamai walk the trails only in dry weather and calm seas, and check the condition of the tracks beforehand.
6Stage 6: Cowes to Inverloch (via Kilcunda and Wonthaggi) (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- Back over the bridge at San Remo, then on the Bass Highway through Kilcunda on the coast and via Wonthaggi to Inverloch on Anderson Inlet. A well-built, mostly flat country road with coastal views near Kilcunda. About 1.25 hours of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Kilcunda: surf beach beneath the old steel railway viaduct; this is where the Bass Coast Rail Trail runs, following the old railway line towards Anderson and Wonthaggi.
- Wonthaggi State Coal Mine: open-air museum of the coal-mining era with tunnel tours, accessible through Parks Victoria; check tour times beforehand.
- Inverloch: the tidal bay of Anderson Inlet, a beach with dunes; the coast is known for fossil finds.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Inverloch Foreshore Camping Reserve in the dunes above Anderson Inlet; book early in the holidays. Alternatives: the caravan area at RACV Inverloch Resort with only about 32 sites between bushes, and Cape Paterson Caravan Park on the foreshore reserve in Cape Paterson. Summer reservations are the norm.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Bass Coast Shire has no official freedom camping for motorhomes; camping outside campgrounds needs a permit from the shire, and sleeping in your vehicle is not allowed on the beaches at Kilcunda, Wonthaggi and Inverloch. Please do not take up overnight spots in the car parks of the fossil beaches either.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up and shop in Wonthaggi, the biggest town on the route. The Rail Trail is half a day on foot or by bike: bikes belong on this stage without question. At low tide you can explore the rock platforms on the beach at Inverloch; check the tide table beforehand.
7Stage 7: Inverloch to Melbourne (via Cape Paterson and Koo Wee Rup) (approx. 150 km)
- The drive
- From Inverloch take the 14 km Bunurong Coastal Drive along the coast via Cape Paterson, then back to Wonthaggi, along the Bass Highway and the South Gippsland Highway to Lang Lang, through the swampland of Koo Wee Rup and over the Princes Freeway to Melbourne. About 2 hours of driving, but slow going in the Sunday return traffic.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Bunurong Coastal Drive: a narrow coast road, comparable to a small Great Ocean Road, with turn-offs to bays and rock pools.
- Eagles Nest: rock formation in Bunurong Marine National Park; near Cape Paterson and Inverloch the first dinosaur bone in Australia (the “Cape Paterson Claw”) was found in 1903.
- Twin Reefs, Shack Bay and The Caves: rock pools and caves that are accessible only at low tide – check the tides beforehand.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: For the last night, Cape Paterson Caravan Park (Surf Beach Road) or Inverloch Foreshore Camping Reserve is worth another visit. If you have to be in Melbourne early on your return day, stay in a holiday park on the south-eastern edge of the city; book sites in advance and ask whether they suit motorhomes.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): No freedom camping on the way back either; in Bunurong Marine and Coastal Park a nature conservation status applies as well. If you continue the tour to Wilsons Promontory, you will find the rules for Tidal River in the CampingSpirit guide “Granite bays, gold-rush valleys and lake country – by camper through Gippsland from Wilsons Promontory to Cape Conran”.
- Insider tip for campers
- In Melbourne, CityLink, EastLink and the West Gate Tunnel are toll roads; the Peninsula Link, the West Gate Bridge and the Princes Freeway are not. Bills go via the operator or the rental contract, and if needed you buy a pass afterwards within a short window. If you want to head further east from Inverloch, you reach Wilsons Promontory in a good two hours.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Victoria does not allow freedom camping generously: on the Mornington Peninsula, on Phillip Island and on the Bass Coast you effectively have to use a designated site. Sleeping in your vehicle on roads, in car parks and on foreshore areas outside designated sites is not allowed; Mornington Peninsula Shire, Bass Coast Shire and Phillip Island Nature Parks patrol. Plan every night on a campground.
- The foreshore campgrounds of the Mornington Peninsula (Rosebud/McCrae, Rye, Sorrento) belong to the shire; for peak season there is a ballot, and shorter stays can be booked online. Dogs are not allowed there, petrol generators are banned.
- In Parks Victoria areas (Point Nepean, Mornington Peninsula National Park, Wonthaggi State Coal Mine, French Island) camping is limited to the designated sites; campgrounds must be booked, so check fees online beforehand. Fires and dogs are banned in many places.
- Apps: WikiCamps and CamperMate show campgrounds, dump points and drinking water – compare any information on freedom camping spots with the signs on site.
Waste disposal & supplies
- You will find dump points (for disposing of chemical toilet waste and grey water) via WikiCamps or CamperMate and at larger holiday parks (such as Anchor Belle in Cowes); check locations and opening hours beforehand.
- Tap water in towns in Victoria is reliably drinkable; at walking car parks and foreshores there is often only tap water with no guarantee that it is drinking water. Fill your tank in places like Rosebud, Cowes or Wonthaggi.
- Gas: Australian cylinders today mostly have the LCC27 valve, older cylinders still POL. Exchange cylinders are available at petrol stations and hardware stores; German cylinders are not exchanged. Arrive with full cylinders and sort out an adapter for your vehicle in advance.
- Fuel: the distances are short, with petrol stations in Rosebud, Hastings, Cowes, Wonthaggi and Inverloch. There is no petrol station on the west side of Phillip Island or at Cape Schanck.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Left-hand traffic: you drive on the left, and the driver sits on the right. Roundabouts are driven clockwise, and the vehicle already in the roundabout (coming from the right) has priority. When turning across oncoming traffic, take care not to end up in the right-hand lane. In central Melbourne there are “hook turns” (turning right from the left lane) and trams.
- Speed limits: built-up areas mostly 50 km/h, often 40 km/h near schools; outside built-up areas 100 km/h unless signposted otherwise; on freeways 110 km/h, main roads through towns sometimes 80 km/h. Signs always override rules of thumb, and speed and red-light cameras are common.
- Alcohol limit: 0.05 BAC (0.5 per mille); breath tests are common in Victoria and take place even without suspicion. Mobile phones may be used at the wheel only hands-free.
- Animals on the road: kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and penguins are active from dusk. Drive slowly at night, especially on Phillip Island and in the hinterland. After a collision, stop and report injured animals to the wildlife rescue.
- Tolls: CityLink and the West Gate Tunnel (Linkt) and EastLink (ConnectEast) are billed electronically; without an account you buy a pass afterwards, and the deadline is short. The West Gate Bridge and Peninsula Link are toll-free. Check your rental contract to see how tolls are billed.
- Rental campervans: note the height and length of the vehicle at the driver’s seat so that you do not get into difficulties with the Sorrento–Queenscliff ferry ticket and at multi-storey car parks. Unsealed roads are almost always excluded or uninsured in the rental contract – on this route you do not need them anyway. Clarify insurance and excess before pick-up.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Windproof jacket, hat and gloves: at the Penguin Parade you sit outdoors for a long time after sunset, and the wind from Bass Strait is cool even in summer.
- Binoculars for wading birds and pelicans in Western Port, short-tailed shearwaters at Cape Woolamai and koalas in the treetops.
- Tide calendar or tide app: the rock platforms at Eagles Nest, Shack Bay and The Caves are accessible only at low tide.
- Bikes or hire bikes: for the nearly car-free French Island and the Bass Coast Rail Trail from Kilcunda.
- Printed or saved ticket for the Penguin Parade and ferry booking Sorrento–Queenscliff (if used): penguin tickets get scarce in summer.
- Sun protection and a hat: even under cloudy skies UV radiation in Victoria can be high.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
