Favourites

Point Leo

by johnonetrillion
Pt. Leo beach and sailing club.
Pt. Leo beach and sailing club.

On the other side of the Mornington Peninsula from Dromana lies the small haven beachside village of Pt. Leo – a welcoming short stop for a tour through the area. With a headland dividing the area, it provides for a multitude of varied water activity for locals, visitors and holiday makers alike: sailing, surfing, swimming, SUP, snorkelling and anything else that makes you wet, really! d’Luxe tours to the location are often brief at 20 minutes length or so, enough to stretch legs, touch the same and maybe throw a Frisbee – and wonder about calling a local real estate agent to see about a summer holiday booking.

Tours

Tooborac

by johnonetrillion
Tooborac Hotel and Brewery.
Tooborac Hotel and Brewery.

Heading north out of Melbourne and past the airport you quickly come to the countryside. From there drive another 10 minutes and turn right and drive for a further 20, with beautiful changing rural landscape through ‘granite’ territory until you come to Tooborac. At that point you will find a quaint hotel that is also a brewery that is also a bakery (lovely meat pies!). This is a perfect first leg for a Goldfields tour which can encompass Kyneton, Daylesford and other similar Victorian towns.

Tours

www.tooborachotel.com.au

Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes

by johnonetrillion
Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes.
Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes.

Without question, the most popular outdoor place around Melbourne to visit for international travellers is Brighton Beach and the iconic bathing boxes. It is the perfect place for a quick tour stop as part of a drive along the scenic roads around Port Phillip Bay – kick the sand, takes some all-important photos, grab an ice cream from the van and soak in the views back up to the city.

Tours

Montalto

by johnonetrillion
Montalto Winery, Red Hill South.
Montalto Winery, Red Hill South.

Central to the Mornington Peninsula area, the Montalto Winery in Red Hill South is a favourite stop for d’Luxe guests, offering wine tasting (and sales, of course!), fine dining, indoor/outdoor trattoria for drinks, light meals and coffee, picnics, as well as a glorious sculpture gallery (and walk) across the vineyard grounds. Yes, it’s very easy to spend a chunk of time here. And to keep coming back!

Tours

montalto.com.au

Notel

by johnonetrillion
Notel, Melbourne
Notel, Melbourne

Ok, while Notel (not a hotel) is actually not one of our tour destinations, it is still a super cool anchor point to have in Melbourne CBD and could actually serve as accommodation for guests wanting to round out their whole US/50s motoring-themed getaway experience. The thing with Notel is their five glorious (and gleaming) Airstream trailers which have been perched above the street line in downtown Flinders Street and kitted out as couture accommodation – the perfect alternative to a standard, boxy hotel room – and they hold functions, events and happenings on the grounds all year ’round.

Tours

www.notelmelbourne.com.au

Giant Steps

by johnonetrillion
Giant Steps, Yarra Valley.

Probably named after the famous John Coltrane album – which is great! Giant Steps is a wine brand in the Yarra Valley that sports a decent sized and lively cellar door, which is as much about food as it is about wine. It’s the perfect end point for a drive to Healesville, or stopping point before heading on to Marysville via the super scenic Black Spur Road.

Photo: David Hannah

Tours

www.giantstepswine.com.au

Animus Distillery

by johnonetrillion
Animus Distillery, Kyneton.

To be truthful, we have not been there yet. But a reliable friend has – and that’s good enough! Guessing that this tasting bar and cocktail lounge is a great contributor to the ever-growing and popular gin scene in Australia – and a good reason to hit upon Kyneton and surrounds for a day trip.

Update: Fortune saw me drop in to the Animus Distillery in Kynton earlier this winter (2019) and what a fabulous stop it was at the end of a day trip that featured Daylesford and environs. The bar is fabulous and we indulged in a charcuterie platter and some of their splendid cocktails. (The driver took it easy, though, but transported a bottle of their ‘classic’ gin back home to Melbourne for enjoyment over a longer time frame.)

Tours

animusdistillery.com

Watson’s

by johnonetrillion
Watson’s, Carlton.

If I had a club, this would be it. A Melbourne institution since the late 50s, Jimmy Watson’s was the first wine bar in Australia and a leader in bringing the idea of ‘table’ wine (not just fortified) to our palettes and habits. Downstairs is a restaurant and bar; upstairs is more seating and club-type rooms for the restaurant; out the back is a super-leafy courtyard; and new to the venue is an annexe bar and roof-top – so something for everyone. The place is always busy with something … and the family define ‘convivial’ for the Melbourne hospitality scene. Situated right at the top of Carlton’s famous Lygon Street, it might be the perfect drop-off point for any tour to the north, east, or south-east.

Photo: Josie Withers

Tours

www.jimmywatsons.com.au

Castlemaine

by johnonetrillion
Castlemaine, Victorian Goldfields.

Castlemaine was a central point in the Victorian gold rush and maintains much of the building history from that time. Situated about 120 kilometres from Melbourne it contains a host of interesting stopping points for a one-town destination. And the drives in and out through all directions provide beautiful scenery for leisurely country driving.

Photo: Michelle Jarni

Tours