EAT - The Sorrento Hotel, Sorrento
The parma at the Sorrento Hotel is the dish Ocean Beach Road has been ordering since before anyone thought to write about it. In winter, the front bar earns its keep. The fireplace runs, the room fills with people who actually live here, and the menu does exactly what a village pub menu should. Order the chicken parma - it arrives at the size pubs used to make them, before portion anxiety set in. The schnitzel base is properly thin, the sauce doesn’t overwhelm it, and the cheese is browned rather than just melted. That distinction matters. Pair it with a local tap beer and you have the most uncomplicated Friday night the Peninsula offers. The Sorrento Hotel is the pub you go to when you want dinner without a project. Arrive before noon for lunch or by 6pm on weeknights or you’ll queue.
The Sorrento Hotel, Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento. Open daily for lunch and dinner. No booking for bar meals, but arrive early on weekends. Pair with a walk down to Sullivan Bay afterward - ten minutes and completely empty after dark.
EXPERIENCE - Gunnamatta Back-Beach Trail, Rye
The Gunnamatta back-beach trail is a different place in July than it is in January. In January it carries 400 people past the dunes. This weekend it will carry maybe twelve. The Southern Ocean doesn’t change - same grey swell, same rip warnings on the signs, same roar from three hundred metres back. But the emptiness around it does. The walk south from the Gunnamatta Ocean Beach car park along the dune ridge toward St Andrews Beach takes around 45 minutes one way. The track stays above the beach proper, so it’s walkable even after rain. Winter light on this stretch of coast is flat and direct in a way that summer’s glare isn’t. You see the cliff profiles and the kelp lines clearly. Go mid-morning before the front that usually arrives by 2pm in July. Wear layers and don’t stop walking once you’re on the exposed ridge.
Gunnamatta Ocean Beach car park, Truemans Road, Rye. Free, no booking. Allow 90 minutes return for the southern leg. Pair with a coffee at St Andrews Beach Brewery on the way back through.
DISCOVERY - Southern Peninsula Sleepout at The Ranch Adventure Park, Boneo
The Southern Peninsula Sleepout at The Ranch Adventure Park in Boneo runs tonight - Friday 31 July from 4pm through to Saturday morning. It’s a community fundraiser for local homelessness services, which means it draws local families, school groups, and people who actually know each other. The Ranch is a working adventure park on Boneo Road, and the overnight setup uses the property’s open paddocks. In winter that means cold ground, visible stars if the cloud breaks, and the particular sound of a property this far south of everything. It’s not a glamping event. You sleep out, you raise money, you remember what cold feels like. If you have kids who’ve been asking what a fundraiser night actually involves, this is the most concrete version of the answer. Registration is still open today but places are limited.
The Ranch Adventure Park, Boneo Road, Boneo. Starts 4pm Friday 31 July, runs to Saturday 1 August. Bookings essential - book via visitmorningtonpeninsula.org. Pair it with breakfast at Boneo’s local store on Saturday morning before the drive home.
This Weekend at a Glance
| Pick | Where | When | Book? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sorrento Hotel - chicken parma | Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento | Lunch & dinner daily | No booking, arrive early |
| Gunnamatta back-beach trail | Truemans Road car park, Rye | Dawn–dusk, 90 min return | No booking |
| Southern Peninsula Sleepout | The Ranch Adventure Park, Boneo Road, Boneo | Fri 31 Jul from 4pm | Bookings essential - visitmorningtonpeninsula.org |
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Questions readers actually ask
FAQ
Where is The Sorrento Hotel and when does it serve lunch?
The Sorrento Hotel is on Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento. It serves lunch daily. No booking required for bar meals, but arrive early on weekends - the front bar fills up by 12:30pm.
How do I get to the Gunnamatta back-beach trail in winter?
Park at the Gunnamatta Ocean Beach car park off Truemans Road, Rye. The trail runs south along the dunes toward St Andrews Beach. No booking needed. Allow 90 minutes return for the southern leg.
How do I book the Southern Peninsula Sleepout at The Ranch Adventure Park?
The sleepout runs Friday 31 July from 4pm to Saturday 1 August at The Ranch Adventure Park, Boneo Road, Boneo. Book via the Visit Mornington Peninsula listing at visitmorningtonpeninsula.org - bookings essential.
