Canonical: https://peninsulainsider.com.au/journal/insider-picks-2026-09-02/ Publisher: Peninsula Insider Published: 2026-09-02T00:00:00.000Z Modified: 2026-09-02T00:00:00.000Z 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 2 September 2026 4 min read # Insider Picks: 2 September 2026 Foxeys Hangout's sparkling flight as the first outdoor tables reopen, the Bushrangers Bay Track wattle bloom at its September peak, and the Hill & Ridge Market back for its spring restart. Keep this for later - By **The Peninsula Insider** Insider Picks Spring Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula. Regional coastal context photograph, not a depiction of every place or event named in the story. Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria Illustrative image This image shows Cape Schanck lighthouse. It does not depict the place described on this page. **DRINK - Foxeys Hangout, Red Hill** The deck at Foxeys faces north and catches the first real spring warmth before most of the Peninsula knows the season has turned. This weekend is the right moment to be sitting on it. Chris Strickland’s sparkling wines are the thing to start with: order the sparkling flight before you commit to a full bottle. The biodynamic program has been building something coherent across these wines for years, and tasting them side by side on a September morning is the clearest way to see it. The Blanc de Blancs in the current release is particularly taut right now, a good sign for where it goes over the next twelve months. The cellar door is unpretentious, the team pours without theatre, and the wine is worth the drive on its own terms. Allow ninety minutes minimum. Walk-ins are usually fine mid-morning, but book a deck table if you want to guarantee the outside spot - check foxeys.com.au. Pair the visit with a detour to Eldridge Estate on the same road for a single-clone Pinot comparison. **WALK - Bushrangers Bay Track, Cape Schanck** The wattle on the Bushrangers Bay Track is at full bloom in the first two weeks of September. That is the specific reason to go this weekend rather than in a fortnight, when the yellow has already gone green and the coast wind picks up. The track leaves from the Cape Schanck car park and drops through scrub and coastal tea-tree to the bay: 5.4 km return, around two hours. The section between the boardwalk junction and the final descent to the beach is where the wattle is thickest. The Main Creek estuary may require wading when the tide is in, so check conditions. Go early - by ten on a clear Saturday the car park fills. No booking or parking fee is required. Dogs are prohibited throughout Mornington Peninsula National Park. One practical note: the track is uneven in the last 400 metres to the beach; closed-toe shoes, not sandals. **DISCOVERY - Hill & Ridge Community Market Spring Restart, Red Hill** The Hill & Ridge Market at Red Hill Recreation Reserve takes a winter break and the 5 September edition is its spring restart, which matters because the producer lineup is not static. The first market of a new season reliably brings back stallholders who sat out the cold months: small-batch preserves, cut flowers from the ridge farms, and the bread and cheese producers who do not bother with the larger Peninsula markets. The market runs 9 am to 2 pm, entry is free, and it is genuinely local in a way that the more trafficked Mornington and Dromana markets have outgrown. The Recreation Reserve is on Arthurs Seat Road, Red Hill. Arrive before ten if you want the bread before it sells. No booking, no entry fee - just show up. Pair the morning with a post-market stop at Avani Wines, a short drive up the ridge, where the skin-contact white is worth asking about while spring stock is still available. **Quick Reference** | Name | Address | Key Practical Info | **DRINK** | Foxeys Hangout | Red Hill–Shoreham Road, Red Hill | Weekends + public holidays; book a deck table at foxeys.com.au | **WALK** | Bushrangers Bay Track | Cape Schanck car park, Cape Schanck Road | 5.4 km return, about 2 hrs; no booking or parking fee; no dogs | **DISCOVERY** | Hill & Ridge Community Market | Red Hill Recreation Reserve, Arthurs Seat Road, Red Hill | Saturday 5 September, 9 am–2 pm; free entry; no booking | 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 When does Foxeys Hangout cellar door open and do I need to book? Foxeys Hangout on Red Hill–Shoreham Road is open weekends and most public holidays. Walk-ins are often fine mid-morning, but a booking secures a deck table in spring when the first sunny Saturdays bring a crowd. Check foxeys.com.au for current hours and to reserve. Where does the Bushrangers Bay Track start and how long is it? The track starts at the Cape Schanck car park off Cape Schanck Road. The return walk to Bushrangers Bay is 5.4 km and takes about two hours. No booking or parking fee is required. Dogs are prohibited; check Parks Victoria for changed conditions before travelling. What time does the Hill & Ridge Community Market run on 5 September? The Hill & Ridge Market runs 9 am–2 pm at Red Hill Recreation Reserve on Arthurs Seat Road, Red Hill. Entry is free. The September date is the season restart after the winter break. Or let PI plan your day ## Where in the Peninsula is PI? An illustrated Peninsula, three witnesses a stop, and the sun for a clock. 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