A day out down the Peninsula

It's school holidays so with 2 weeks off work (mostly) it would be criminal not to get out and about a bit. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't been great but as my wife is a photographer, that means good conditions. We decided to head down the Morning ton Peninsula, with the idea of checking out some places on the ocean side of the Peninsula. First we went for lunch in Sorrento, at Buckley's Chance, a great cafe/restaurant that does pretty good coffee, and a mean savoury pancake.

After that, we were ready for the elements. We started with a small trip round to the Sorrento Back Beach. The surf was amazing, the spray from the sea invigorating, and the sights of the cliffs, and sea stacks along with the sound of the surf and the smells of the sea were fantastic. We walked on the beach, and I took a trek to a lookout on the cliffs, while Caroline took on the role of professional photographer on the beach (hopefully she will put up some silky water, long exposure shots on her blog soon).

 Around the corner is Portsea Beach, and further is Point Nepean

 Sorrento Back Beach had great swell today.

Even Arthur's Seat and Port Phillip Bay can be seen from the cliffs.

From Sorrento we took a short drive back towards Melbourne before turning off. We weren't sure where we were going, but found ourselves on a track which led to Bridgewater Bay. This was a fantastic experience. The tide was in and was crashing high up the beach. We were able to just get down to the beach, but had to be careful to not get drenched or stranded.

 Bridgewater Bay, with the sea right in your face!

The real photographer in the family dodges the waves for her art!

You can see by the photo's that the weather was grim. We were wet, cold and getting tired, but we did manage a couple of other small stops at Gunammatta Beach (where it was literally 'blowing a gale'), and at Flinders, where unfortunately the views were marred by works machinery on the pier. And then it was home, in about an hour!

When I moved to Melbourne from England a bit over 6 years ago, it was an exciting experience, and with day trips like today, things remain as exciting as ever. And for the first time in my life, I am living this close to the sea, and it is something that I will not take for granted.