Growing up in Mount Martha 15-20 years ago, Mount Martha was a quiet town that did not experience much tourism at all. Dromana, Safety Beach and Sorrento seemed to attract the summer tourism. As kids, we used to hang out on the beach with no more than 50 other people even on the busiest summer days. How things have changed! Now a summer tourism hot spot, it makes me realise how lucky I was to grow up in such a beautiful place. Now enough about me, here are a list of the best things to do around beautiful Mount Martha.
Visit the Mount Martha Beach
Mount Martha Beach is around 2km long nestled between two steep cliff faces. The geography creates a calm and clear water that is awesome for a relaxing dip in the Port Phillip Bay. My friends and family always preferred South Beach (opposite the Mount Martha Tennis Courts) or directly opposite the shops. If you plan on coming during a super busy summer holiday, the car park out the back of the shops is probably your best bet. The sand at Mount Martha is a dark yellow and seems to get more scorching hot than other white sandy beaches, so make sure you keep your sandals on!
Go cliff Jumping at the Mount Martha Pillars
The pillars seem to be the biggest/most famous attraction these days. When I was growing up, we always knew the 5 or 10 others there. The jumps were called “Small”, “Big” and “Suicide” I doubt anyone attempts the suicide jump any more. I have not been to the pillars in years to be honest, but for those considering going, remember this area was never meant for such large crowds. They are located opposite Marguerita Ave on pretty much the most dangerous stretch of road on the Mornington Peninsula. Please don’t piss off the locals by parking on their driveway or worse, by leaving rubbish at the pillars. Stay safe and enjoy the natural rock jumps!
Get lost on the board walk
The board walk is a semi maze of timber walking tracks that follow the estuary (the estuary sometimes floods so the board walk is built above flood level) Even after 30+ years of walking the board walk, I sometimes get lost. Just know that if you keep walking from the city side of the shops, you will eventually end up at either the Mount Martha Football Club or the Briars entrance. This walk is perfect if you love nature. I had a Golden Retriever who used to absolutely love jumping off the board walk at the estuary lookout/rest stops. You can also bring a fishing rod and try your luck for some bream.
Play a round of golf at The Dunes
Not the worlds best Golf Course, but a pretty epic spot for a game of Golf Right on dusk. From memory, there is some holes that have a view over Mount Martha and the ocean, but don’t quote me on that!
Go shopping at the Mount Martha Village
As you should notice, this small stretch of shops was only ever designed and built to service the local community. I still remember when the hair dressers was a hardware store and the ice cream shop was the video rental/netflix of our childhood! There are some super nice gift stores now and my favourite cafe has got to be the old Mount Martha Milk Bar. They kept the name; Milkbar & Co. but they did not keep the lollie selection, Damn!
Visit the Mount Martha House
This historic mansion was built in the 1880s and has been maintained since. If you are an Australian history fanatic, I am sure you will enjoy the numerous plaques filled with interesting information on the uses of the building throughout the years.
Other things to do in Mount Martha
As mentioned earlier, most tourists come to Mount Martha to visit the beach. But there are a few other activities that may tickle your fancy. These activities include:
- Play Tennis at the Mount Martha Tennis Courtas
- Go mountain biking on the top of the mountain
- Walk to Mornington along the Esplanade and clifftop trail
- Join the Peninsula Pistol Club
- Go for a Nature Walk at the Briars
Mount Martha Accomodation
There are no official hotels in Mount Martha. With the rising interest in Mount Martha Accomodation, there have been quite a few Bed and Breakfasts pop up on AirBnb and Booking.com My only suggestion would be to look for accomodation near the Mount Martha Shops off Bay Road.
