Road Trip!!! Portsea and Sorrento, Victoria

Sophia's Road Trip Rating: ****

Views: Beachtacular.
Atmosphere: Chilled
Best time to go: Summer
Difficulty: Perfect for families, lazy individuals or leisurely walkers
Craziness: Not-so-loco
Ideal timeframe: Long weekend
Distance from central Melbourne: 1hr 30mins

So it's 30 degrees plus and you're desperate to get to the beach. You're looking for something a bit more exciting than St. Kilda. You're in desperate need of an ice cream. Where should you go? The Mornington Peninsula! This place is special. The further down the peninsula you drive, the greater the reward. My personal favourite towns are Portsea and Sorrento. If you have a long weekend to leisurely explore, then fansastic. But if not, don't be dismayed - I do this trip in a day when I need a hit of pure Aussie beach brilliance.

Above is the ocean beach at Sorrento. This is my favourite in the area because you get some real waves which you don't get in the bay. Last time I went, there was a shark attach alert and we all had to hop out the ocean for a bit - so potentially you'll have a good story to tell after going here too! Round the corner from the main beach, you'll find rock pools full of kiddies in sun hats.

On the other side of Sorrento you have the bay. You can take coastal path and sandy beaches all the way from Sorrento back to Portsea on either side (a circuit!). There are some great views on both sides, although you do have to walk next to the road for portions.

If, like me, you wish you lived right next to the ocean, you can marvel at these little beauties up and down the coast:

There's also plenty of wildlife if that's what you're in to.

Both towns have the usual selection of ice cream shops and small-town stores where you can grab a coffee and some lunch. Parking is prevalent but fills up quickly if the weather's right.