Barragunda Dining, Cape Schanck - the estate set menu right now
Simone Watts’ kitchen at Barragunda runs a seasonal set menu sourced from the property’s market garden, and spring is the moment the garden earns its place on the plate. Broad beans, asparagus, and the first tomatoes are showing up on the estate; the menu turns over as produce does, so what you eat this Saturday is not what was served three weeks ago. The 1,000-acre Cape Schanck setting means the dining room sits at the edge of actual farmland, not a decorative vineyard. Allow two-and-a-half to three hours. The room is small and the format is set, so this is not a drop-in situation.
Book ahead through the Barragunda website; availability this weekend will be tight. Allow time after the meal to walk toward the Cape Schanck Lighthouse Reserve, which is ten minutes from the resort.
Pair it with a morning at Nazaaray Estate just up the road before you head in for lunch.
Breast Foot Forward Walk, Safety Beach to Martha Cove - Saturday 17 October
A coastal fundraising walk that uses a stretch of foreshore most weekenders drive straight past. The 10 km route leaves Safety Beach Sailing Club at 8:30 am and follows the coast to the Village Green finish line; the 5 km option starts at Anthonys Nose. In mid-October the bay is flat and blue in the early morning, the ti-tree is flowering along the low dunes, and the air is cool enough to actually move at pace. This is not a race - the format is community walk with a run option - but it is one of the better excuses to get on this section of foreshore before summer crowds arrive.
Register at events.humanitix.com/breast-foot-forward-annual-community-walk-2026. The event runs until midday. Start time is 8:30 am from Safety Beach Sailing Club.
Martha’s Table at the marina is a logical post-walk stop; it is a short walk from the Village Green finish line.
Orizome Workshop, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery - Saturday 17 October, 1:30–3:30 pm
Orizome is the Japanese practice of folding and dyeing washi paper, and the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery is running a free two-hour session on Saturday afternoon. The process involves folding paper tightly, dipping the folded edges into dye, and opening the sheet to reveal a pattern you cannot fully predict. It is hands-on and accessible regardless of prior experience; no background in paper arts is needed. The gallery’s program is quietly one of the best practical arts offerings on the Peninsula, and free workshops with this level of craft specificity are not common. The Saturday morning Tessellation Folding Workshop with Jacky Cheng runs 9:30 am–12:30 pm at the same venue if you want to make a full day of it.
Book through Eventbrite to secure a place - free events at MPRG fill. The gallery is at Dunns Road, Mornington.
Walk the Mornington town centre afterward; the October street planting is in full flower along Main Street.
This weekend at a glance
| Venue | Address | Key detail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eat | Barragunda Dining | RACV Cape Schanck Resort, Cape Schanck | Seasonal set menu, bookings essential |
| Walk | Breast Foot Forward | Safety Beach Sailing Club → Village Green | Saturday 17 Oct, 8:30 am start, register via Humanitix |
| Discovery | Orizome Workshop, MPRG | Dunns Road, Mornington | Saturday 17 Oct, 1:30–3:30 pm, free, book via Eventbrite |
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Questions readers actually ask
FAQ
How do I book Barragunda Dining at Cape Schanck?
Barragunda Dining operates a seasonal set-menu format at the RACV Cape Schanck Resort. Check the current reservation calendar on the Barragunda website and book directly through the operator. Bookings are essential.
Where does the Breast Foot Forward walk start and finish on Saturday 17 October?
The 10 km walk starts from Safety Beach Sailing Club; the 5 km option starts from Anthonys Nose. Both finish at the Village Green. The event runs 8:30 am–12:00 pm. Register at events.humanitix.com/breast-foot-forward-annual-community-walk-2026.
Is the orizome workshop at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery free?
Yes. The orizome folding and dyeing paper workshop at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery on Saturday 17 October runs 1:30–3:30 pm and is free to attend. Book through Eventbrite to secure your place.
