We left Melbourne in rain which, we thought, would spoil our plans for sightseeing around the Mornington Peninsula. We were lucky! As we went further south, the weather improved - as did the traffic! It was very heavy getting out of the city which, coupled with the rain, made for a difficult drive at first.  
 
We drove through Frankston to Mornington and then left the main road (Nepean Highway) to drive down the Port Phillip Bay coast road as far as Rosebud. It was billed as a 'scenic drive' but the vegetation obscured the coastline in many places.  
 
From Rosebud, we followed another scenic drive which took us across the Mornington Peninsula, through mainly agricultural land, to the Bass Strait coastline. We stopped at Cape Schanck from where we had great views of the ocean. There is a lighthouse at Cape Schanck with the original keeper's cottages - similar to Cape Leeuwin but not as exposed or rugged. One of the cottages is now a museum but it was closed until 1st April, the start of the Victorian school holidays.   

 
 
We went on to Flinders and were startled to hear what sounded like gunfire! It was gunfire!! - coming from an Australian Navy firing range on a headland. Flinders, named after Matthew Flinders, was the mainland terminal of the submarine cable laid in 1869 connecting Tasmania to the mainland telegraph network.  
 
 
We continued the scenic drive which took us through vineyards and on to Arthur's Seat which is 314 metres above sea level and offers great views over the Port Phillip Bay coastline. We could also see Melbourne in the distance! There is a cable car running from the summit to the town below, Dromana. There is also a memorial to Matthew Flinders who climbed up the hill to the summit.
 
 
We carried on through Sorrento, a very attractive seaside town, to Portsea where we had booked a room at the Golf Club Resort. We were very impressed with our room with its balcony overlooking the golf course - a pity we had only one night there! For dinner, we went to the Portsea Hotel which overlooks Port Phillip Bay. It's a fabulous location and we enjoyed sitting outside watching various ships go by. We could happily have stayed longer in the Mornington Peninsula!