Mornington Peninsula & Arthurs Seat

Having a rental car for the day, leftover from some errands, was all the excuse we needed 

to leave Melbourne for our first adventure to the countryside.

Thirty-five miles (56km) south of Melbourne, we reached the Mornington Peninsula, 

which curls around and calms the waters of Port Phillip Bay. 

It was a treat to be in the water and picnic along the shore.

Just beyond the town of Mornington, Arthurs Seat rises sharply above the water.  

Reaching 1000 feet (300m) it provides views back to the city and across the bay to Geelong.

It's been a while since our hiking days in Colorado, so the elevation and 

steep incline of the path had us complaining all the way to the top.

Named in 1802 by a Scottish explorer, John Murray, 

it takes its name from Arthur’s Seat (with the apostrophe) which rises similarly in Edinburgh.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s description of the Scottish hill “a hill for magnitude, 

a mountain in virtue of its bold design" also applies to the antipodean landmark.

We have yet to identify this tree, but it's subtle purples and green-blues were quite spectacular.