| Bubble ‘n' Froth |
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Mornington Peninsula is one great escape where visual and gourmet delights are inescapable. A stunning coastline at the foot of lush rolling hills dotted with vineyards and olive groves, bustling waterfront cafes and restaurants, buzzing bars and microbreweries, rustic roadside shacks selling free range strawberries and eggs and, at weekends, lively local markets full of fresh treasures of the soil and sky. Smell the breeze, readers - this is the reason the Peninsula has long been dubbed "Melbourne's Mediterranean". Better yet, as a weekend away it has something for everyone. Just an hour's drive south of the city, a typical day in the Peninusla might pan out thus... A) Drop the kids off for horse riding on the beach and adjourn to some of the 50 cellar doors offering the region's hallmark Pinot Noir and Chardonnays. B) Reconvene for a hearty lunch of cheese, fruits and breads, C) Let the juniors out at Cape Schanck to visit the wildlife park and farmyard while you adults take in rather more sophisticated delights...
By that we refer to the one of the more unique experiences on offer - the extraordinary Black Beer Bath at the Peninsula Hot Springs. Technically, you'll have to banish those Cleopatra of the Cloves fantasies because the bath isn't full of real beer. Still, a tub full of Tasmanian hops, barley and natural mineral water feels good enough to drink... that's if the delights of the Red Hill Brewery weren't just down the road. Although the breweries and brewpubs of Mountain Goat Brewery, Bells Hotel, Emerald Hill, 3 Ravens, James Squire, St Arnou and Fosters CUB in Abbotsford are a only a short drive away, Red Hill is Mornington's only microbrewery. Standing on the only organic hop farm in the region, Karen and David Golding brew award-winning Euro-hued ales and serve them with scrumptious tucker and a brewery tour to boot. The range includes a crisp Golden Ale (5%) with a hoppy tang credited to the Hallertauer & Tettnanger hops grown on the premises, an aromatic Wheat Beer (5%) with banana aromas and a tart citrus finish, and a Scotch Ale (5.8%) whose burnished copper and toffee sweetness took seven years to perfect when paired with the homegrown Goldings and Willamette hops but which won Best In Class at the 2006 AIBAs. Red Hill also offer seasonal releases - a lip-smacking Christmas Ale (7.5%) and in these winter months, a Hop Harvest Ale (6%). You'll also find the Golden Ale on tap at the nearby Flinders Hotel and Bay Hotel. That's if you ever get out of the bath... |
A mere hour out of Melbourne, there's a paradise filled with natural wonders, thriving wineries, gourmet delights, beautiful brews and one very special bath
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