Point Nepean is the tip of the Mornington Peninsula, where the bay meets Bass Strait. It is free to enter, but big: plan how you will get around before you arrive, whether on a Mornington Peninsula guided tours or on your own.
Point Nepean National Park covers 560 ha at the most westerly point of the peninsula, 110 km south of Melbourne near Portsea. It is Bunurong Country. It is named after Sir Evan Nepean, a British politician and colonial administrator. It was used to quarantine new arrivals, to defend the colony and to train soldiers, and you can walk through all three.
The park itself never closes, but the gate for cars does. Here is what opens when:
| Who or what | Hours |
|---|---|
| Cars entering the park | 6 am to 6 pm; 6 am to 8 pm in daylight saving. You may drive out at any time |
| Walkers and cyclists | Any time, day or night |
| Information centre | Daily from 10 am, except Christmas Day |
| Quarantine Station buildings | Selected buildings open daily, 9 am to 4:30 pm |
| Park shuttle | Every day except Christmas Day, including public holidays |
Daylight saving runs from 4 October 2026 to 4 April 2027. It keeps the car gate open two hours later, until 8 pm. Outside it, a car arriving after 6 pm will not get in.
The Quarantine Station is where arriving ships landed passengers who might carry disease. Its 50 heritage-listed buildings hold artefacts dating back more than 150 years, and selected buildings open daily from 9 am to 4:30 pm. In 1999 it housed refugees from Kosovo.
The Point Nepean Information Centre is here too, open daily from 10 am, except Christmas Day. Pick up an audio tour there before you walk. The lawns suit a picnic, with four electric barbecues; you may bring a gas barbecue to the station precinct, but no open fires or charcoal.
Fort Nepean stands at the very end of the peninsula, where the calm bay meets the ocean. It is one of the forts that guarded Port Phillip and Melbourne in both world wars. Parks Victoria calls it Australia's best example of military fortifications. From the Quarantine Station, follow the defences out to the point:
It is 2.3 km from the entrance to the Quarantine Station and further again to the forts, so choose how you will move before you set off.
The shuttle: a hop-on hop-off bus between the entrance, the Quarantine Station and Fort Nepean, run by Ventura Buslines. A day ticket costs A$12 for an adult, A$8 for a child aged 4 to 16 and A$8 concession; under 4s ride free. You pay the driver, and there are no one-way tickets. It takes standard wheelchairs, but no bikes and no motorised chairs.
A bike: ride your own, or hire from BayPlay or Emocean by the information centre. Bikes may use the Quarantine Station area, Defence Road to Fort Nepean and Coles Track, which you share with walkers. Helmets are compulsory.
On foot: free, and open at any hour. The forts lie well beyond the Quarantine Station, so wear good shoes and carry water.
A guided coast day spends over two hours here; the self-guided bike hands you a map and a helmet.
On the ocean side of the point lies Cheviot Beach. In 1887 the SS Cheviot was wrecked there, and 35 of its 59 passengers drowned. About 130 shipwrecks lie in the Port Phillip area, over 50 of them in the Rip, the narrow entrance to the bay.
In 1967 Prime Minister Harold Holt went missing while swimming at Cheviot Beach. A memorial marks the site, and the self-guided bike route stops at it.
You cannot go down to the ocean beaches from the shore: access is prohibited, for safety and conservation. Swimming is allowed only at the bay beach by the Quarantine Station.
You can reach the gate by train and bus, and the shuttle meets the bus there:
Or cross the bay on the Searoad ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento, then take the 788 from there. Check the bus timetable before you leave; our getting there guide covers the whole trip.
A tour saves you the bus and the timetable. The fare buys the transport and the guide, not park entry, which is free.
| Melbourne: Mornington Peninsula Southern Coast Discovery | Mornington Peninsula Coastal Discovery Tour from Melbourne | Mornington Peninsula: Self-Guided Bike Tour w E-Bike Option | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it starts | Arts Centre Melbourne | Arts Centre Melbourne, 10 am | The bike shop beside the information centre |
| Time in the park | 2 hours 15 minutes | 1 hour at the Quarantine Station | 2 to 3 hours riding |
| Guide | Yes, up to 15 in the group | Yes, small group | No, you ride with a map |
| Also on the day | Arthurs Seat, Cape Schanck, Sorrento | Arthurs Seat, Sorrento | Nothing else: it is the park |
| Bike hire | Extra | Extra | In the fare, with a helmet and a lock |
| Fare | $87 | $89 | $28 |
The guided days leave from the same kerb; the southern-coast day adds Cape Schanck and stays longer in the park. The bike suits you if you are already on the peninsula.
Hours, fares, the shuttle timetable and the park's history are Parks Victoria's own pages, checked 29 September 2026. The routes and times of the tours are each listing's own.
Up to 15 on a midi-coach from Arts Centre Melbourne: a lookout walk on the ridge, the forts, tunnels and old quarantine buildings at the tip of the peninsula, and free time in Sorrento. Lunch is not included.
From $87 per person
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Bike hire, a helmet, a lock and a park map from the shop at the tip, then two to three hours riding past the old quarantine ground and out to the forts at your own pace.
From $28 per person
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A coach day from central Melbourne: the Dromana bathing boxes, lunch in Sorrento, the arch near Portsea and the ridge lookout, with strawberry picking from November to April or a chocolate stop the rest of the year.
From $118 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: see what else is on the peninsula, find where the park sits, or compare every tour on Mornington Tours.