Canonical: https://peninsulainsider.com.au/journal/insider-picks-2026-08-17/ Publisher: Peninsula Insider Published: 2026-08-17T00:00:00.000Z Modified: 2026-08-17T00:00:00.000Z Format: public main text, generated from the canonical page; imagery and interactive controls omitted. Dates and caveats below retain their page meaning; this format is not a new fact check. Insider Edit 17 August 2026 4 min read # Insider Picks - 17 August 2026 Sunday lunch at Ten Minutes by Tractor, the Arthurs Seat Eagle open for morning rides in clear winter light, and a closing-weekend chance to see ceramics from Tuck Studio at MPRG. Keep this for later - By **The Peninsula Insider** Insider Picks Winter **EAT - Ten Minutes by Tractor, Main Ridge** The name is a historical joke: the three vineyards that supply the fruit were once connected by tractor track, but the restaurant at 1333 Mornington–Flinders Road takes itself seriously enough to matter. The Sunday lunch menu leans into what winter does well on the Peninsula: slow-cooked proteins, aged cheeses from the on-site cave, and a wine list built almost entirely from estate and neighbour blocks. The dining room faces north across the vines and catches the best of the winter light from about midday onward. Go for the degustation if you have the afternoon; the à la carte is excellent but the full menu sequence is the reason to make the drive to Main Ridge. Service is warm without being performative, which is harder to achieve than it sounds in a room at this level. The wine pairings lean toward the estate Pinot Noir as the anchor course, and it earns that placement. Book online. Sunday lunch fills two to three weeks out in winter. If the Sunday sitting is gone, Friday dinner runs the same kitchen. Ten Minutes by Tractor, 1333 Mornington–Flinders Road, Main Ridge. Open Friday dinner and Saturday–Sunday lunch. **EXPERIENCE - Arthurs Seat Eagle, Dromana** The gondola from Dromana to the summit of Arthurs Seat takes about fifteen minutes and gains about 300 metres. On a clear winter morning, the kind of cold, still Sunday that August occasionally delivers, the view from the upper terminal across Port Phillip Bay to Melbourne is as clear as it gets all year. The long sight-line to the Rialto and the Arts Centre spire is genuinely striking when the haze is gone. The gondola runs daily, weather permitting. Go early: the morning light from the summit is better than the afternoon and the car parks are emptier before eleven. The café at the upper terminal is modest but functional, and the short walk along the summit ridge to the lookout adds ten minutes and is worth it. Children enjoy it; it is also fine for adults without children and does not require framing as a family activity. The ride itself is quiet and smooth. Arthurs Seat Eagle, Dromana. Book online at asgondola.com.au if you want guaranteed timing; walk-up tickets are available but weekend sessions can fill by late morning. **DISCOVERY - Ceramics from Tuck Studio, MPRG** The current ceramics display from Tuck Studio at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery brings together a focused body of functional and sculptural work from a studio practice that has been running on the Peninsula for more than a decade. The pieces are modest in scale and precise in their restraint, the kind of work that rewards ten minutes of looking over a glance. The gallery also has its permanent collection of contemporary Australian art on the ground floor, which is worth the walk through on the way out. MPRG is free entry and does not require booking. If you are making a Sunday of the Peninsula, the gallery is a natural stop between morning activities and lunch: it is in central Mornington, open from eleven, and takes about forty-five minutes to walk properly. Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Civic Reserve, Dunns Road, Mornington. Open 11am–4pm Wednesday to Sunday. Free entry. Combine it with coffee at a café on Main Street before the gallery opens, or head south for lunch after. **Quick Reference** Pick | Where | Key Detail | Ten Minutes by Tractor | 1333 Mornington–Flinders Rd, Main Ridge | Sun lunch - book ahead at tenminutesbytractor.com.au | Arthurs Seat Eagle | Dromana | Daily, weather permitting - asgondola.com.au | Tuck Studio Ceramics at MPRG | Dunns Road, Mornington | 11am–4pm Wed–Sun, free entry | 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 Do I need to book Sunday lunch at Ten Minutes by Tractor? Yes. Ten Minutes by Tractor at 1333 Mornington–Flinders Road, Main Ridge, takes bookings online. Sunday lunch is one of the most popular sittings on the Peninsula in winter. Book at least a week ahead. Is Arthurs Seat Eagle running in winter? Yes, the gondola runs daily in winter weather permitting. Check conditions at asgondola.com.au before you go. The morning session gives the clearest views across Port Phillip Bay on cool, clear days. Where is the Tuck Studio ceramics show at MPRG? The exhibition is at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Civic Reserve, Dunns Road, Mornington. Open 11am–4pm Wednesday to Sunday. Free entry. Confirm closing date with the gallery directly. Or let PI plan your day ## Where in the Peninsula is PI? A painted Peninsula, three witnesses a stop, and the sun for a clock. Find PI before sunset and her route becomes a day you can drive. Find her and go in the draw for $250 to dine at Doot Doot Doot, Jackalope.[Draw terms and prize details]() [Play Case 02]() Six to ten minutes. Free, no account. 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