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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Red Hill & the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Red Hill Lavender opens Thursday to Sunday from September 17, 2026, a short drive from Cape Schanck's 1859 lighthouse and the Arthurs Seat summit.
8 places · updated October 17, 2026
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Updated October 17
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Red Hill Lavender · Rocky Creek Strawberry Farm
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Red Hill and Main Ridge sit on the high spine of the Mornington Peninsula, about 90 minutes south of Melbourne. Vineyards, orchards and berry farms cover the hills here, which drop to Western Port on one side and Bass Strait on the other. Within 20 minutes you can reach the Cape Schanck lighthouse (built from 1859), the fishing pier at Flinders and the 314 m summit of Arthurs Seat. This is the Southern Hemisphere, so summer runs December to February.
Red Hill Lavender on Main Creek Road is the lavender stop. It is a working farm with a café, bakehouse and farm gate, open Thursday to Sunday, 10 to 4, from September 17, 2026. Entry to the summer fields is free, and extra harvest days are announced each summer. It closes from May to August. Main Ridge Dairy's goat cheeses, Green Olive's farm lunches and several cellar doors are all a few minutes away, so a morning at the lavender farm fits easily around a walk on the coast.
The lavender farms
- Red Hill LavenderLavender farm · Main Ridge
summer, with rows still in color through February
Open spring to early autumn: café and fields Thursday-Sunday, daily harvest days in summer, bookable scented workshops and picnics.
Best time to visit
Red Hill Lavender reopens on September 17, 2026 and stays open Thursday to Sunday into early autumn. The rows are in color through summer and still worth photographing in February, and the farm closes May to August. Strawberry picking at Rocky Creek opens October 30, 2026 and runs to about late April, with blueberries and blackberries from late December. In spring (September to November), shrubs flower at Seawinds Garden from late August and coastal wildflowers line the Two Bays Walking Trail. Autumn (March to May) is mild for walking, with colorful trees at Seawinds and fungi along the Red Hill Rail Trail; Red Hill Brewery picks its hops in early March. Summer weekends and the January school holidays are the busiest times on peninsula roads. Winter (June to August) is quiet: Kings Falls runs after rain, but the rail trail turns muddy.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Arthurs Seat State Park summit🌳 State park · Arthurs Seat · about 6 mi, 12 min drive
The 314 m summit looks across Port Phillip Bay, and on clear days to the Melbourne skyline, the You Yangs and Mount Macedon. There are picnic areas and lookouts such as Murray's Lookout, and a gondola runs up to the top. Only assistance dogs are allowed.
- Seawinds Garden🌷 Garden · Arthurs Seat · about 5 mi, 11 min drive
Indigenous and exotic gardens with walking trails, a William Ricketts sculpture set in the bush and a natural playscape for kids. Shrubs start flowering in late August, and the trees color in autumn. No dogs.
6 a.m.–9 p.m. during daylight saving; 6 a.m.–6 p.m. in winter
- Kings Falls Circuit Walk🥾 Trail · Arthurs Seat · about 4 mi, 10 min drive
A Grade 3 circuit through a fern gully and grassy woodland, with views over Kings Falls and Waterfall Gully Creek. The falls run best after wet weather, and a side track joins the Two Bays Walking Trail. No dogs.
- Greens Bush (Mornington Peninsula National Park)🏞️ Park · Main Ridge · about 4 mi, 10 min drive
The largest remaining patch of native bushland on the peninsula, reached from Greens Road. The Baldrys short and long circuits and the Long Point Circuit loop through it, and the 26 km Two Bays Walking Trail passes through. No dogs, bikes or fires.
- Cape Schanck Lighthouse🗼 Lighthouse · Cape Schanck · about 10 mi, 18 min drive
The lighthouse, built from 1859, stands beside a museum and the former keeper's residence. A wooden staircase and boardwalk lead down to the rock platform, with lookouts over Pulpit Rock. Lighthouse tours must be booked ahead. There are toilets but no drinking water, and no dogs.
- Bushrangers Bay Walk🥾 Trail · Cape Schanck · about 10 mi, 18 min drive
A 5.4 km return walk (about 2 hours) from the eastern car park at Cape Schanck, through coastal scrub to a sandy beach under basalt cliffs at the mouth of Main Creek. The bay is unpatrolled and dangerous for swimming, and at high tide your feet may get wet crossing the creek.
- Flinders🏘️ Town · Flinders · about 7 mi, 13 min drive
A village on Western Port, first settled in 1854. It has a 250 m fishing pier and memorials to Bass and Flinders that look across the water to Phillip Island. The Blowhole tracks cross basalt boulders just west of town, off Boneo Road.
- Red Hill Rail Trail🥾 Trail · Red Hill · about 4 mi, 8 min drive
A 6 km ride or walk on the old railway line between Merricks and Red Hill. It climbs steadily for about 2 km from Merricks, with views over Western Port, and passes a plaque at the former Red Hill station. Walkers and horse riders share the trail, and it gets muddy in winter.
- Point Nepean National Park🏞️ Park · Portsea · about 24 mi, 40 min drive
At the peninsula's tip, the Quarantine Station has 50 heritage-listed buildings, and selected buildings open 9 to 4:30 daily. From there a hop-on shuttle, or Coles Track on foot or by bike, leads to the tunnels and gun emplacements of Fort Nepean. There is no drinking water past the Quarantine Station.
Vehicle entry 6 a.m.–6 p.m. (to 8 p.m. during daylight saving)
- Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery🏛️ Museum · Mornington · about 16 mi, 25 min drive
A regional gallery of Australian art at Civic Reserve on Dunns Road. National Works On Paper 2026 runs September 5 to November 22, 2026.
Tuesday–Sunday 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed Mondays and December 25, 26, 30, 31 and January 1
free
- The Briars🏛️ Historic site · Mount Martha · about 13 mi, 22 min drive
A 230-hectare shire conservation park with one of the oldest surviving homes on the peninsula, plus historic outbuildings and heritage gardens. Trails through the 90-hectare wildlife sanctuary lead to a lookout and bird hides, where you may see wallabies, emus or koalas. No dogs.
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Main Ridge DairyIce cream or creamery · Main Ridge
The peninsula's only goat dairy has made cheese on the farm since 2001, with a cheese counter and café Thursday to Sunday.
- Green Olive at Red HillU-pick farm · Main Ridge
A 27-acre farm growing olives and grapes, serving grazing plates daily from 9 to 5; dogs are welcome on the farm.
- Rocky Creek Strawberry FarmStrawberry farm · Main Ridge
Walk-in strawberry picking from October 30, 2026, plus a café known for strawberry scones.
- Ten Minutes by TractorWinery or vineyard (21+) · Main Ridge
Main Ridge pinot noir and chardonnay estate with daily cellar door tastings from A$15 (2026).
- Mock Red HillCidery (21+) · Red Hill
Family orchard with a cider lounge in a 1945 cool store, open Thursday to Monday and daily in December and January.
- MontaltoWinery or vineyard (21+) · Red Hill South
Wine estate with a free 1 km sculpture trail through the vines and wetlands, open daily 11 to 5.
- Red Hill BreweryBrewery or taproom (21+) · Red Hill South
The peninsula's first craft brewery, founded in 2005, with its own hop garden and a bar and kitchen Thursday to Sunday.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMRed Hill Lavender
Walk the lavender rows and pick up something from the bakehouse; about 1 hour.
- 11:10 AMMain Ridge Dairy · about 5 min drive
Taste goat cheeses at the counter and see the goats; about 40 minutes.
- 12:00 PMGreen Olive at Red Hill · about 5 min drive
Lunch from the farm's grazing menu (book ahead for two or more); about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- 1:35 PMCape Schanck Lighthouse · about 20 min drive
Take the boardwalk down to the Pulpit Rock lookouts and look around the lighthouse precinct; about 1 hour.
- 2:55 PMFlinders · about 20 min drive
Walk out on the 250 m pier and along the foreshore memorials; about 45 minutes.
- 4:00 PMMontalto · about 20 min drive
Walk the 1 km sculpture trail before the 5 p.m. close; about 45 minutes.
- 5:05 PMArthurs Seat State Park summit · about 20 min drive
End the day with the view over Port Phillip Bay from the 314 m summit.
Tips
- Plan a Thursday to Sunday: Red Hill Lavender, Main Ridge Dairy and Red Hill Brewery are all closed early in the week.
- Dogs aren't allowed anywhere in Mornington Peninsula National Park (Cape Schanck, Bushrangers Bay, Greens Bush), Seawinds Garden or The Briars. Green Olive welcomes dogs on the farm, and Rocky Creek allows them in its outdoor café area only.
- Carry water: there is none at Cape Schanck or along the Two Bays Walking Trail.
- The ocean beaches have rips and big swells. Swim only at patrolled beaches, between the flags, and not at Bushrangers Bay.
- Green Olive adds a 10% surcharge on weekends and 15% on public holidays. If you're tasting at the cellar doors, plan a designated driver.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
When is Red Hill Lavender open?
Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from September 17, 2026 into early autumn, plus summer harvest days that the farm announces. It closes from May to August.
When does the lavender bloom on the Mornington Peninsula?
In summer, December to February. Red Hill Lavender says the color fades toward late summer, but there are still rows to photograph through February.
Can I bring my dog?
Not into Mornington Peninsula National Park, Arthurs Seat State Park, Seawinds Garden or The Briars. Green Olive at Red Hill welcomes dogs on the farm.
How far is Point Nepean from Red Hill?
About 24 miles, roughly 40 minutes by car. Vehicles can enter from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., or until 8 p.m. during daylight saving.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
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