Canonical: https://peninsulainsider.com.au/journal/insider-picks-2026-10-09/ Publisher: Peninsula Insider Published: 2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z Modified: 2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z 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 9 October 2026 4 min read # Jackalope in spring, Cape Woolamai from the ridge, and live wrestling for a good cause Doot Doot Doot's vineyard dining in Merricks North, the Cape Woolamai ridge walk at peak wattle, and Dominion Wrestling's charity bout at Commonfolk on Friday night. 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. **Doot Doot Doot at Jackalope Hotel, Merricks North** Spring is when the Jackalope vineyard earns its setting. The vines are breaking bud, the surrounding Merricks North hills are green, and Doot Doot Doot’s kitchen is running a menu that fits the season - lighter preparations, sharper acid, produce that finally has weather on its side. The dining room itself is genuinely distinctive: all dark geometry and sculptural lighting in the middle of a working pinot vineyard. It does not feel like anywhere else on the Peninsula. The tasting menu format works better here than it does at most places of this type, because the wine pairings draw from the estate and its neighbours with a specific point of view rather than a generic list. Book the tasting menu and let the kitchen drive. Reserve the room if you want the full stay - Doot Doot Doot is better without a drive home. Jackalope Hotel is at 166 Balnarring Road, Merricks North. Bookings essential via the hotel website. Pair with a late-afternoon walk through the Merricks Creek reserve before dinner. **Cape Woolamai Ridge Walk, Phillip Island** The pink granite Pinnacles at Cape Woolamai are at their most photogenic in October, when the coastal heath is flowering and the grass trees are sending up fresh spikes. The ridge walk from Woolamai Beach climbs fast to exposed granite outcrops with a long view north over Westernport and south to Bass Strait. The track itself is well-maintained but uneven in places - wear footwear with grip. On a clear October morning the light is direct by 9am and the wind off Bass Strait is still cool enough to make the climb comfortable. Start from the Cape Woolamai Surf Life Saving Club car park on Woolamai Beach Road. Follow signs to the Pinnacles track; the full ridge circuit to the blowhole and back runs around two to three hours. Go before midday to have the light at your back on the return leg. Pair with a coffee at the Churchill Island café before or after, or continue west to the Nobbies boardwalk if the afternoon holds. **Dominion Wrestling × Big Group Hug at Commonfolk, Mornington - Friday 9 October** Live pro wrestling inside a specialty coffee roastery, staged as a charity fundraiser by Big Group Hug: that is the Friday night premise at Commonfolk in Mornington this week. Dominion Wrestling runs genuine theatrical bouts - ringwork, characters, crowd interaction - and the Commonfolk warehouse space is compact enough that there is no bad seat. This format works because the venue has an actual atmosphere rather than a hired-out function room, and the charitable angle means the crowd leans generous and loud from the start. Doors and bar open before 7pm; bouts run 7pm–9pm. Book through Humanitix - link below in the footer - before the session sells out. Commonfolk is at 7 Breen Street, Mornington. Allow the full two hours; the card runs to schedule. Pair with a post-bout drink at the bar, which stays open while stock lasts. ### This weekend at a glance **Doot Doot Doot at Jackalope Hotel** 166 Balnarring Road, Merricks North Dinner nightly (check current service days). Bookings essential - reserve via jackalope.com.au. **Cape Woolamai Ridge Walk** Start: Cape Woolamai Surf Life Saving Club car park, Woolamai Beach Road, Phillip Island 2–3 hours return. No booking required. Go before midday. **Dominion Wrestling × Big Group Hug at Commonfolk** 7 Breen Street, Mornington Friday 9 October, 7pm–9pm. Tickets via Humanitix: events.humanitix.com/dominion-wrestling-x-big-group-hug-live-pro-wrestling-for-charity 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 How do I book dinner at Doot Doot Doot at Jackalope Hotel? Reserve directly through the Jackalope Hotel website. Doot Doot Doot books out on spring weekends - book well ahead. The hotel is at 166 Balnarring Road, Merricks North. Where does the Cape Woolamai ridge walk start? Park at the Cape Woolamai Surf Life Saving Club car park on Woolamai Beach Road, Phillip Island. The signed trail climbs to the pink granite ridge via the Pinnacles track. Allow two to three hours return. How do I get tickets for Dominion Wrestling at Commonfolk on Friday 9 October? Book through Humanitix at events.humanitix.com/dominion-wrestling-x-big-group-hug-live-pro-wrestling-for-charity. The event runs 7pm–9pm at Commonfolk, 7 Breen Street, Mornington. 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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You need a glass in your hand for both versions, and these are the seven places that understand the assignment. ## The Insider Note The Peninsula worth knowing. An occasional email. What's on, where we'd go and what's worth knowing next. Independent editorial. Sent when there is something worth knowing. Unsubscribe any time [Privacy]()