The kitchen at Quealy is running its winter menu through August - and the mushroom tart with truffle cream is worth the drive to Balnarring alone.
Quealy Winemakers
Winemakers Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy have been farming this site for three decades, and the food program reflects the same unhurried rigour. The winter menu leans hard into preserved, earthy, slow-cooked. The braised short rib comes from the paddock next door.
Red Hill Road, Balnarring. Bookings essential on weekends. Open Thu–Sun for lunch, Fri–Sat for dinner. Cellar door open daily for tastings without booking.
Pair lunch with a cellar door tasting - the Turbul Meunier is the current standout.
The walk for this weather
The boardwalk at Cape Schanck is at its most theatrical right now - Bass Strait in full winter swell, the lighthouse tracking through grey sky, the headland emptied of the summer crowd.
The 4-kilometre return track to Pulpit Rock is one of the most dramatic short walks in Victoria, and mid-winter is when it earns that. The boardwalk extends out over sheer rock with water on both sides. In the right conditions - high swell, overcast - it feels genuinely wild.
Cape Schanck Road, Cape Schanck. 90 minutes return. Easy difficulty. Wear layers. Check wind conditions before the boardwalk. Lighthouse tours run selected days.
Finish with lunch at the Flinders Hotel - 10 minutes’ drive, warm room, long menu.
Worth making time for
The Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery has a new winter show running through mid-August - and the Thursday evening openings are when the rooms are worth being in.
MPRG is consistently underestimated. The main gallery runs contemporary Australian works alongside Peninsula-focused shows in the side rooms. The winter program tends toward darker, more interior work that suits the season. Entry is free, which makes it the most overlooked cultural proposition on the Peninsula.
2/350 Dunns Road, Mornington. Free entry. Open most days - check mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au for current hours. 5 minutes from Main Street.
Walk down to Mornington Pier afterwards if the rain holds off - coffee at any of the Main Street cafes on the way back.
Quealy Winemakers
Tasting, lunch, dinner. Book at quealy.com.au.
Cape Schanck Lighthouse Walk
Cape Schanck Road, Cape Schanck. 90 minutes return.
Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery
2/350 Dunns Road, Mornington. Free entry. mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au
Confirm current hours and availability directly with each venue before visiting.
Something wrong on this page, or is this your business? Tell us what to fix and you get a case reference back. corrections@peninsulainsider.com.au reaches the same desk.
Questions readers actually ask
FAQ
Where is Quealy Winemakers and do you need to book?
Red Hill Road, Balnarring. Bookings essential on weekends. Open Thu–Sun for lunch, Fri–Sat for dinner. Cellar door open daily for tastings without booking.
How long is the Cape Schanck Lighthouse Walk?
The Cape Schanck Lighthouse walk is a 4-kilometre return track to Pulpit Rock, taking approximately 90 minutes. It is rated easy difficulty but the boardwalk section is exposed. Check wind conditions before you go. Lighthouse tours run on selected days - see parksvictoria.vic.gov.au for details.
