by Melissa Lawford and Elsa Court
Why: Longest-running surfing competition
A 90-minute drive south-west from Melbourne, Bells Beach is known as the home of Australian surfing. It has large ocean swells, a beautiful sandy beach and rugged cliffs, which make it an enormous natural amphitheatre.
Each Easter, it hosts the Rip Curl Pro, held every year since 1961.
2252-2270 Mornington-Flinders Road
Designed to make the most of its 73 acres of coastal terrain and form part of the landscape of the Mornington Peninsula, this monumental family house consists of two boomerang-shaped structures connected by a short, glazed passage.
It was designed by Wood Marsh, the architects best known for the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Melbourne’s Southbank.
The property is a two-hour drive from Bells Beach by way of Melbourne, and includes a guest house, a large main living space with panoramic views of the valley and sea and a separate children’s wing.
Available through Sotheby's International Realty, price upon request
27-31 Washington Street
Located in the Melbourne suburb of Toorak, within walking distance of Toorak Village and its fine selection of boutiques and restaurants, this four-bedroom apartment is part of a modern townhouse complex overlooking the city skyline.
The property has a gallery entrance, study and wine cellar, along with a private ground floor garden space and swimming pool.
It is a 15-minute drive from downtown Melbourne and an hour from the waves of Bells Beach.
Available through Knight Frank, price upon request
Photographs: Getty
