The city of Frankston is a major shopping precinct set alongside Kananook Creek and a picturesque beach. The expansive waterfront features tree-shaded lawns, a themed playground, a broad promenade and a soft sand beach with shallow waters perfect for swimming.
Walk along Frankston pier and watch the ingenious wind-vane illuminations that dance in time to the waves below, or hire a canoe and paddle up Kananook Creek. You can cycle or stroll the boardwalk that links most of Frankston’s 10km of coastline that stretches north to Seaford, sip coffee in a beachside café, or dine as you watch the sunset.
The city of Frankston is a major regional cultural hub for the Mornington Peninsula area with a thriving arts community with historic homes, galleries, theatres, festivals and events at the McClelland Gallery and the Frankston Arts Centre. A walking tour called the Frankston Coastal Arts Discovery Trail boasts more than fifty public art installations and covers the artistic and architectural history of Frankston's beach and waterfront. The trail can be accessed along the Frankston Boardwalk.
Frankston has a number of large informal nature reserves including Bunarong Park, Casuarina Reserve, Paratea Flora and Fauna Reserve and Sweetwater Creek Nature Reserve with great walking paths. Large, formally designed parks in the area include Beauty Park and the George Pentland Botanical Gardens or explore the bushland at the Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve and the nearby Seaford Wetlands. Frankston is a very family-friendly place, with adventure playgrounds, a huge skate park and an indoor rock-climbing centre. If the weather is not so sunny, you can visit the large local cinema complex, or browse through 250 retail outlets in the nearby shopping centre. Lots of dining options are available with a huge range of casual and ethnic restaurants and Frankston boasts one of the biggest shopping precincts outside the Melbourne CBD, with most major retailers and boutique brands. The shopping centres trade seven days a week so if you're heading further along the Peninsula this is a good place to stock up on all your holiday needs.
Frankston is approximately a 50-minute drive (55 kilometres) south of Melbourne.