Somers (including Balnarring)
Seaside resort on Western Port Bay which is home to Coolart Mansion
Somers is a popular seaside resort with a safe and pleasant swimming beach located 85 km south-east of Melbourne on the southern shore of the Mornington Peninsula, facing out towards the western entrance to Western Port.

Somers began to emerge from the subdivision of pastoral land in the 1920s. The town's general store and post office date from 1927 and are still in operation. The RAAF trained here during World War II and the military buildings were later taken over by the Education Department which established Somers Camp. This focus on the area's recreational and scenic values led to the emergence of holiday homes and campgrounds. The area is noted for its koala population, its foreshore walks and for Coolart mansion and estate. Somers and Merricks had a combined population, in 1996, of 963.

The Emu Plains Market is held at Balnarring Racecourse on Coolart Rd, on the third Saturday of the month from November to May.

Things to see:  

Beaches
Somers possesses a safe and pleasant swimming beach. Just to the west is Balnarring Beach which has a general store on the foreshore. It is suitable for surfing, bodyboarding and surfskis.

Coolart
'Coolart' is a magnificent 27-room Victorian mansion situated on Lord Somers Rd. The Coolart property (7000 ha) was established by Alfred Meyrick in 1840 on land once occupied by the Bunurong people. Its name derives from a Bunurong word for nearby Sandy Point. Meyrick moved to Gippsland in 1846 and the property passed through various grazier's hands. The first homestead was built in the 1860s.

The current home was erected in 1897 by Frederick Grimwade of the pharmaceutical company, Felton, Grimwade and Duerdin. The outbuildings, which can be inspected, include an earlier farmhouse. Inside is a collection of paintings and photographs. The downstairs has been redecorated in Victorian style while the facade has been re-rendered.

Coolart is situated on the remaining 87 hectares of the original estate. It features formal, English-style gardens, a circular rose garden which blooms in summer, and a substantial wetlands area which incorporates a several distinct habitats which are home to different species of waterbirds, including hundreds of Australian white ibis which breed in the wetlands each year. The birds can be seen from two birdhides which are fitted with one-way glass. Binoculars can be borrowed from the visitors' centre which also has bird lists. At 1.30 p.m. on weekdays and 2.00 p.m. on weekends there is an audio-visual on Coolart's history and wildlife in the Wetlands Observatory.

The Visitors' Centre has guides to both the formal gardens and the Woodland Walk which leads through remnant woodland (watch out for the koalas) and along Merricks Creek, across a footbridge to the Balnarring Foreshore Reserve which proffers fine views of Western Port and Phillip Island. Wheelchairs can also be borrowed from the Visitors' Centre.

The complex is open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily, tel: (03) 5983 1333 or 131 963. Devonshire teas are available on Sundays and there are wood-fired barbecues and picnic areas. Numerous events are held on the grounds throughout the year.

	Caravan Parks
	Somers Caravan Park 93 Camp Hill Rd Somers VIC 3927 Telephone: (03) 5983 5538 Facsimile: (03) 5983 2847 Rating: ***1/2