The Mornington Peninsula is about an hour’s drive from Melbourne city. In our last trip to Melbourne, we decided to explore this peninsula. We started our trip from the city heading to the Yarra Valley where we stayed a night in Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort & Spa. The following morning we checked out and drove on to visit Rayner Stone Fruit Orchard.
After lunch at Rayner Stone Fruit Orchard, we piled back into our nifty A3 and with the help of our trusty iPhones’ Maps, we headed to the Mornington Peninsula. It’s a breeze driving to the Peninsula. The key is to trust your GPS. There were several times when we were led into dubious looking roads and we were a bit hesitant to follow the routes. Trust me, the maps are all very updated and you will definitely get to your destination! After a while, we relaxed and enjoyed the drive through the picturesque valleys and long winding country roads. We passed countless vineyards, olive groves and farms with cattle grazing the slopes.
Our first destination in the Peninsula was the Somerset View in Red Hill.
Somerset View is located on Harrisons Road. As we were driving along this narrow rugged country road, we kept looking out for some kind of signage. The road seemed to stretch forever and there were thick growths of trees along it, so we were really craning our necks to look out for the signboard. Finally, we saw it – a small wooden board erected on a low stone-clad curb.
We drove straight into the property and there are actually 3 buildings in this private homestead. Liz Chipperfield, the owner came out to welcome us and showed us into The House. The other 2 buildings are The Grand and The Barn. These 3 unique accommodation units are very different from each other.
Driving up the The House
The House is a newly renovated 2-storey building with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. We love the place the minute we walked through the front door.
The House is beautifully fitted out in a country contemporary style and equipped with modern facilities. The owners have thought of everything – noteworthy items are washing machine with detergents, dryer, iron and ironing board, towels and linen, a fully-equipped kitchen complete with beautiful crockery sets and wine glasses. Inside the fridge we found fresh milk, butter, free-range eggs from their own chickens, bacon and bread. We had fun preparing our own breakfast!
Love the rustic wooden dining table!
Fully-equipped modern kitchen
Vintage piano
Stone fireplace – so cosy and warm!
Have your own BBQ party
Herbs and vegetables are grown on the property
We had eggs from these chickens… delicious!
The master bedroom has a spacious en-suite bathroom with a spa bath and double basins with quality toiletries. I absolutely love the super-comfortable queen-sized bed and thick warm snug comforters to boot. The second bedroom also has a queen-sized bed while the third room has a double and single bunk. The House accommodates 6 people comfortably in the cosy rooms.
Master bedroom
2nd Bedroom
3rd Bedroom
The weather wasn’t too cold when we were there, else we would have lit up the stone fireplace. The guys had great fun in the outdoor heated spa pool which overlooks the grazing ground for their horses and cows!
There’s a table tennis table in the garage, too… a great place to burn some calories and work up an appetite and that’s exactly what DL and LL did! To keep their guests busy and occupied, the owners have thoughtfully provided shelves of books and the upstairs living area has been set up as a leisure room complete with LCD tv, DVD player, collection of DVDs, board games, books and a soccer table. Truth be told, we didn’t really have time to enjoy all these!
If you stay there long enough, you may even want to do your own BBQ as there is a BBQ stove set up on the private balcony. Of course we didn’t have time to do this – it would have been perfect having a BBQ on a chilly evening!
The Barn
The Barn is located further up from The House and we had a peek at the place. LL loved it and lamented that we should have stayed there instead. The unique rustic barn-style accommodation is very appealing as it presents a large open-plan concept. There’s a split-level living area with a queen bed downstairs, a double and 2 single beds upstairs. What really caught LL’s interest is the billiard table, air hockey and soccer table there – kids will certainly love these!
Don’t you just love this open living concept?
The Grand is currently owner-occupied and its availability is strictly by request only. More information and booking details are available on their website here.
The Grand
Luxurious living at The Grand
We had a lovely time at Somerset View. If you are looking for a quiet, comfortable and cosy stay in a private luxurious property, this is the place. Red Hill is actually in the centre of The Mornington Peninsula so it’s easy to get to the attractions. Relax and completely unwind here as the property overlooks a large lake on one side and have gorgeous views of Safety Beach and Mt Martha on the other side.
Aerial view of Somerset View
*Thank you, Liz for being such a generous and gracious host!
Somerset View
155 Harrisons Road
Red Hill
Victoria 3937
Australia
Contact 040-330-7415 (Liz or Grant Chipperfield)
More information and booking details can be found on www.somersetview.com.au
Photos without watermark are courtesy from Somerset View
wahhh.. really nice place to chill eh.. all go there bbq n wine lagi.. syoik!!
Yes, it’s super nice here… perfect for BBQ and wines, for sure!
The Grand would be a gorgeous space to spend time at! love how close to nature it feels 😀
Oh yes, of course The Grand is the most luxurious of the 3 – we actually love the look of all 3! Lovely lovely place.