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There are very few destinations in Australia where you can enjoy a peaceful swim in a sheltered bay, eat at a critically acclaimed restaurant, savour a wine tasting, soak in natural hot springs and still be back in the centre of a capital city, all within a day. The Mornington Peninsula, a little more than an hour from Melbourne, framed by Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay and Bass Strait, is one of them. From the region’s natural beauty to its culinary offerings and cellar doors, it makes for one of Australia’s most compelling and diverse weekend getaways – especially for those travelling by car.
In all its beauty, a winter road trip to the Mornington calls for something serene and comfortable, yet capable; a car that doesn’t compete with the surroundings. To meet the brief, this month, we’re driving the high-tech and beautifully styled new Lexus RZ 500e Luxury, the Japanese marque’s newly re-launched fully electric mid-sized SUV. This is a car that encapsulates everything Lexus has built its reputation on – reliability, friendliness, style and premium appointments – brought forward for the next generation of EVs.
Lexus often refers to its founding philosophy of omotenashi, an idea rooted in Japanese hospitality that needs should be anticipated before they arise. In the case of the RZ, it shows up in fine details, such as the visibility and the sculpting of the minimalist, airy cabin (partly inspired by Japanese architecture and craftsmanship); the way the 14-inch touchscreen doesn’t dominate the interior and the ease of use through every control.
The new RZ has undergone some significant updates, mostly around battery and motor output, and charging performance – and let’s not forget, Lexus and parent company Toyota were early pioneers in electric vehicle innovation, so the new RZ benefits from a long history of research and development. It’s also the first model to debut a steer-by-wire system, designed to increase the level of driver feedback and car responsiveness, addressing a common complaint about EV and a genuinely pleasing addition once you leave the highway and hit the winding backroads in pure, electric silence.
Ours arrives in Ether, a grey-blue metallic that sits somewhere between sea and sky – appropriate, given the destination. While the Mornington Peninsula’s lush waterways are tempting during the warmer months, at this time of year it’s more about finding a cosy place to seek shelter from the cold and spoil our senses.
Located deep in wine country, Jackalope has garnered a reputation as somewhat of a disruptor – a stay designed for cocooning oneself, while also possessing a sense of audacity that pushes against the clichés of vineyard accommodation. When it opened in 2017, the 44-room property’s sleek approach to modern luxury was unlike anything the region had seen before: darkened corridors with nightclub-like accents; avant-garde and contemporary artworks from the likes of Rick Owens and Rolf Sachs, bespoke furniture by Melbourne designer Zuster and sleek styling that feels more like the set of an A24 film than a regional hotel.
Nestled within 27 acres of the working Willow Creek Vineyard, at the end of a long driveway, a seven-metre jackalope – the mythical hybrid of jackrabbit and antelope – sculpture by Australian artist Emily Floyd stands tall. The main hotel building is a sharp, angular structure clad in charred timber that, despite its architecture, somehow manages to slide in subtly with its surrounds, not unlike the RZ’s sharp angles and futuristic styling, which appear right at home under the watchful eye of the enormous aluminium beast.
Lexus and Jackalope have a long-standing relationship, grounded in a shared obsession with design, craftsmanship and hospitality. For Jackalope, that means bottomless popcorn and ice-cream on call for when you’re tucked away in your room, and wine tasting included as part of the stay. For Lexus, it is the foundation of Encore, the recently expanded customer ownership program, which aims to extend the joy of purchasing a new car beyond the initial sale – something more companies are investing in, but a concept that Lexus has been leading for some time.
This includes complimentary benefits across five years for new owners, such as vehicle care and connected services, but also lifestyle inclusions with their travel and hospitality partners. As one of these partners, Jackalope offers a suite of added luxuries for Lexus owners, including welcome drinks at the hotel’s restaurants, Doot Doot Doot and Rare Hare,a complimentary transfer up to 30 kilometres and discounted spa and dining bookings. Furthermore, as part of the partnership, a fleet of Lexus RX 500h F Sport Performance SUVs is on site to chauffeur Jackalope guests looking to explore the area and safely indulge in the region’s cellar doors.
After an afternoon driving along the Peninsula’s incredible roads lined with forest, farms and vineyards and experiencing a rich art scene that includes Pt Leo Estate’s Sculpture Park, the Montalto Sculpture Trail and McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, Jackalope’s cosiness calls us back. The rooms are compact, but very well considered, with rain showers, double vanities, heated flooring and chic Tom Dixon amenities.
Ours has a deep Japanese stone bath, furthering the temptation to lock oneself away. Alternatively, there’s also the option to hit the hotel’s spa or book an in-room treatment. When it comes to experiencing Jackalope at its most sensory, there is a sense of ceremony and order that’s necessary. The evening begins with pre-dinner cocktails at Flaggerdoot, the hotel’s curiosity-filled cocktail bar, where you can enjoy a spirit flight or one of the bar’s seasonal in-house distillations (tomato with gin, anyone?) and a game of pool. Dinner is served at Doot Doot Doot, arguably the Peninsula’s most theatrical place to eat.
Above the dark booths, 10,000 amber globes are suspended in an undulating installation, glowing and shifting in intensity to mimic the bubbling of wine fermentation. Led by group executive chef Michael Wickham, a seasonal multi-course tasting menu is served in the words of the hotel, with, “a respect for the feast, offered with disrespect for the familiar”. Here, the sultry atmosphere of the dining room combines with Asian flavours, the hotel’s kitchen garden and its relationships with Peninsula producers.
Dishes include smoked eel tartlets, A5 Japanese wagyu beef cooked on salt with wasabi, and Ōra king salmon with smoked potato purée and pickled tromboncino, each one delicate and artfully plated. The wine list is equally impressive, curated from global small-batch producers, plus decadent cocktails and artistic mocktails. Finally, to round out the evening, one more small indulgence – a trip to the hotel’s 30-metre infinity pool overlooking the vines. It’s open late enough for a dip under the stars, where you can exhale to the tune of owls calling out in the darkness.
Despite all the Peninsula has to offer, a leisurely road trip in a car designed for tranquility, a spoiling of the senses and a quiet place to hide away from the world proves a winning weekend combination that needn’t be overthought.
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