We were fortunate enough to walk this scenic route yesterday on warm spring day. On the Mornington Peninsula past Portsea you will find Point Nepean National Park. Views of the beaches are brilliant and the fort with its tunnels, cannons and other battlements were very interesting for kids and they loved it. There were plenty of visitors exploring the national park on foot, bike or using the bus service. Visitors can park at the Quarantine Station or alternatively park at Gunners Cottage and walk or cycle the 2.6 kilometres to Fort Nepean. The Quarantine Station is very interesting with buildings dating back to the 1850’s. Find out about the diseased ship that brought immigrants in 1852.
Bikes can be hired from the Point Nepean Information Centre. An all-terrain beach wheelchair can be borrowed for free and booked by contacting the Information Centre. A hop on hop off shuttle operates from 10:30am to 4:00pm daily between Quarantine Station and Fort Nepean (tickets can be purchased from the shuttle bus).We would not hesitate to recommend this national park to overseas visitors. Having been there before and looked over the fort, we spent the afternoon exploring the Quarantine Station. The buildings have been maintained to an excellent level, and there are informative boards at each of the different sites along with a map obtainable from the visitor information centre. Plenty of room to have a picnic or bbq and for the kids to run around.
Point Nepean is located 90km from Melbourne. In addition to car access, public transport options include a train service from Melbourne to Frankston followed by a bus to Portsea. From the other side of Port Phillip Bay, the Queenscliff to Sorrento ferry operates on the hour from 7am to 6pm (with extended summer hours). Take the Nepean Highway rather than the freeway to enjoy the bayside villages and the colourful bayside shacks on the way down to Portsea. Return to Melbourne by the freeway or take the ferry over to Queenscliff and explore the western edge of Port Phillip Bay on your return journey.
Point Nepean really is one of Victoria’s beautiful natural landscapes. With so much to see and discover, its rich history has played an important role in shaping the early settlement, quarantine and defence of Victoria.
It was a very interesting insight into past, hospital and the fumigation areas used to disinfect the sick immigrants belonging, the bath house for disinfecting the people and a lot of interesting historical information well signposted and explained.
The park has outstanding coastal scenery and panoramic views of Bass Strait, the Rip and Port Phillip Bay. Kids loved exploring the military fort, tunnels and memorial where Prime Minister Harold Holt went missing and enjoyed the coastal surrounds. The view of the heads is fantastic, especially if you are lucky enough to be there when ships enter or leave the bay.
The information centre at the quarantine station will provide you with all the necessary info and maps. There is no food to buy in the Park but plenty of lovely areas for picnics so come prepared, beautiful views across the bay watching the Queenscliff ferry and walks along the beach. We only spent a couple of hours or so there but as it is free you can come back any time and explore each section at your leisure.
We found it a thoroughly enjoyable visit and will come back.