Explore the rolling rural estates and fragrant eucalyptus forests of Red Hill South, a small community nestled within the hills and valleys of the Mornington Peninsula’s hinterland. Treat yourself to a weekend of sampling excellent regional cool-climate wines, locally brewed craft beers and cuisine featuring delicious seasonal produce in this cosy rural community.
Red Hill South’s main commercial area lies at the intersection of Shoreham Road and Arthur’s Seat Road. Here, you’ll find a strip of gourmet providores, artisanal bakeries and charming cafés serving dishes made with seasonal local produce. Many farms and vineyards offer tours and have on-site restaurants and cellar doors, so you can experience the produce as its makers intended. Take home a few bottles of Red Hill South’s famous cool-climate wines, such as pinot noir, pinot gris and chardonnay.
Enjoy a selection of tasty brews in a gorgeous setting of hop vines and native bushland at the Red Hill Brewery. Chat with local brewers as you sample the microbrewery’s seasonal European-style ales and barbecue lunch items.
Bushland Reserve features some of Red Hill South’s most picturesque native forests. Walk, cycle or ride on horseback along the Red Hill Rail Trail, a 6.5-kilometre (4-mile) trail that begins in the Bushland Reserve at Shoreham Road and ends in the neighbouring town of Merricks.
You can reach Red Hill South within a 90-minute drive from Melbourne CBD via the Mornington Peninsula Freeway or the coastal Nepean Highway. Public transport access is possible via a 1-hour train journey from Flinders Street to Frankston, followed by local bus connections. Head 6.3 kilometres (3.9 miles) southeast to visit ocean-fronting Point Leo, a scenic coastal community with a surf beach. In neighbouring Shoreham, you’ll find the picturesque Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens, located 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) south of Red Hill South.
