Alright so this place is incredibly underrated!
For the quick readers:
It's free!
Free audio tour soundtracks available online.
Free parking. (1:30 hour drive from Melbourne)
Handicap friendly.
Bicycle friendly.
Lights are on from 8am to 8pm
It's starts off as a trek through bush lands... Skill level is super easy, there is a Tarmac rd for those in wheelchairs or bicycles to get you straight to the fort as well as a bus that runs in the late morning and early afternoon.
You have views of the bay on one side and views of the ocean on the other, look out points allong the the track and eventually you hit a Tarmac rd... Don't be discouraged! It only get more and more exciting from there... The track teases you with small hideouts and advantage points used by the military...
This blurb says it better than I do...
"Located at the very end of the peninsula, Fort Nepean enables you to step into the boots of the soldiers once posted there. Fort Nepean was a critical part of Victoria's defences from the 1880s until 1945. It was the largest and most heavily armed installation in the network of fortifications around the entrance to Port Phillip, and today remains an outstanding example of the evolution of gun technology and Australia's early defence strategies. The first shot of the British Empire in WWI and the first Australian shots of World War ll were fired from Fort Nepean, earning its entry in military history. These battlements were modified and used right up until the end of World War II." Fort Nepean's national park website.
When you get into the fort you will be surprised by the work that was put into it... For those who forgot to load up on the audio tour beforehand you will be greeted by sounds triggered by hidden motion sensors and speakers... Teaching and especially creeping you out haha as you walk around a corner or hear a whistling down the endless corridors.
Very little is blocked off mainly for your own safety.
Also, heads up... Tons of echidnas! They are adorably just wodding their way around digging their noses into the soil along the track. They are protected! Please don't disturb the wildlife. read more