East coast of Port Phillip Bay

Unsure we actually wanted to leave Melbourne, but also itching to get back in the saddle, the coastal road beckoned. Our plan was to spend the next five days cycling from Melbourne’s suburb of St Kilda to Victoria’s largest national park, Wilsons Promontory.

This would take us along the eastern curve of Port Phillip bay as far as Mount Eliza, over the hill to catch the ferry to Phillip Island, and then to hug the coast with camps at Inverloch and Sandy Point, before reaching Tidal River - the NP campground - at the southern tip of the promontory.

Our start in St Kilda was happily rallied by Luna Park’s Mr Moon and his giant grinning mouth. The entrance to the historic amusement park cheered us no end! As did the sight of a smooth flat cycle path beside the sea. Heading south we sailed along breezily - for almost the day’s full 35 miles the cycleway guided us.

Barely 2 miles along and we had already stopped for a coffee at the busy Elwood Beach Shack (seemed rude not to). My cappuccino had a face in it!!!

Another 2.5 miles and we were admiring the colourful Brighton Beach Boxes, turning the beachscape into a work of art. (A beachhut reportedly sold in 2023 for $450,000: bonkers!)

We marvelled at the affluent properties as we cycled past one enormous extravagant house after another all along the bay, getting ever grander in scale and more opulent as we reached Mount Eliza.

Our day ended up on a hill, views glimpsed through trees, and the most warm-coloured beautiful fill-your-heart sunset.Read more