Soak away winter blues at this Australian peninsula

Mornington Peninsula abounds in wildlife, healing waters, culinary delights and exotic beaches, writes Khursheed Dinshaw

The natural hot springs at Mornington Peninsula are just 90 minutes from Melbourne

I fell in love with a 7-year-old gumnut the second I saw her. Busy eating the juicy, tender young leaves of eucalyptus, she ignored me. I didn’t mind. After all, gumnut, who is a koala, is one of the star attractions at Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park located on Mornington Peninsula in the state of Victoria, Australia.

“She is a messy eater, is noise sensitive and eats southern blue gum in autumn, swamp gum in summer and river red gum in winter,” added my guide as we walked towards two kangaroos basking in the mid-morning sun. I excitedly took a fistful of corn and grass pellets to feed one. As he ate from my hand, I smiled. The child in me was in paradise.

A little further, a wallaby was hopping with his friends. At the sanctuary, I also got to see the critically endangered helmeted honeyeater with less than 100 of them fluttering in the wild, the bush-stone curlew which is a nocturnal bird and a black-winged stilt that made her presence felt with a high-pitch similar to yapping. The spotted-tailed quoll which is a carnivorous marsupial was sniffing in the air and walking up and down in his enclosure while the Tasmanian devil was sound asleep as I passed by. In contrast, the pair of white coloured dingoes was in a frisky mood.

As they chased one another, I could see their pointed ears and bushy tails. Their conservation status is threatened and it was heartening to see how well the sanctuary looks after its species. Post such an enriching wildlife encounter, it was time for some pampering in the mineral-rich waters of the Australian peninsula.

Mornington is dotted with hot springs and bathhouses where one can rejuvenate in pools that contain healing water which flows from natural springs. Mineral baths, reflexology walking tracks, cave pools, steam baths, saunas and spa therapies ensure overall holistic wellbeing. As I soaked in a magnesium-rich hot pool, I felt revitalised. My tired muscles relaxed and my skin looked refreshed. I also learnt about the different types of Australian clay and their health benefits. “While red and olive green clay repairs the skin, white, which is a mild clay, improves the flow of blood. Brown and black clay ease muscle pain,” explained the manager of the Hot Springs Bath House while showing us around its 42 acres.

Since our hot spring was surrounded by native flora, we got to see the spikerush which grows in wetlands and is used to weave baskets by Aboriginals. They also eat the tuber of the tuber spikerush. Moonah had a hollow trunk which provided shelter to owls and bats. Fiddler beetles eat its white flowers. My favourite was Coast Wirilda which is listed as rare. This small tree produces vibrant yellow coloured flowers which have a lingering aroma.

Sitting comfortably inside the gondola, riding above the state park, we spotted a troop of eastern grey kangaroos. The trails for walking and mountain biking were also visible.

Dry casuarina and messmate formed scattered canopies which supported echidnas and endemic birds like kookaburra and crimson rosella. Near the exit of the building, a restored chair was exhibited. This open-air, red-coloured chair was designed by a Czech engineer and was part of the chairlift that took passengers to the summit from 1960-2006.

The peninsula also has a number of scenic beaches. The Sorrento Back Beach which has a rockpool is a perfect photo stop to soak in the fresh ocean breeze and azure water.