Explore Australia

Capital City: Melbourne

 

Victoria is possibly Australia’s most diverse state. In a half-hour drive from Melbourne you could be taking in mist-laden mountain ranges and fern gullies. In an hour you could be lying on a sandy beach in a sheltered bay, or surfing in the rugged Southern Ocean. In around four hours you could be standing on the edge of the immense desert that stretches away into Australia’s interior. In a country full of mind-numbing distances, nothing seems far away in Victoria.

More than five million people live in Victoria, with 3.8 million in Melbourne. The city was only founded in 1835, as a kind of afterthought to Sydney and Hobart, but by the 1850s Victoria was off to a racing start. A deluge of people from all corners of the world fanned out across the state in response to the madness that was gold. It brought prosperity to Victoria and it also brought the certain wildness treasured in the state’s history – uprisings like the Eureka Rebellion and bushrangers like Ned Kelly.

Two centuries later, Victoria has also recognised the richness of its natural landscape. To the west of Melbourne, beyond Geelong, a tract of cool-temperate rainforest unravels on its way to the vivid green Cape Otway, where a lighthouse stands on the clifftop.The Great Ocean Road winds past here, en route to the state’s iconic limestone stacks, the Twelve Apostles.

On the other side of Melbourne, the land falls away into a series of peninsulas, islands and isthmuses. One leads to Wilsons Promontory, an untouched landscape of forested hills, tea-brown rivers and beaches strewn with enormous rust-red boulders.

The amber-hued Yarra Valley produces some of the country’s finest cool-climate wines, and from here the landscape begins its gradual climb up into the High Country, which becomes a vista of snowfields in winter.

Perhaps Victoria’s most cherished place is the Grampians, an offshoot of the Great Dividing Range. With a quarter of the state’s flora and 80 per cent of its Aboriginal rock art, the Grampians is a living gallery and a superb place for bushwalking and camping.

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• Attraction
• Campsite
• Capital City Region
• Caravan Park
• City precinct
• Eco Activities
• Eco Where to Stay
• Food and Wine
• Historic Site
• Information and services
• National Parks and Reserves
• Place
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• Tourism region
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• Where to eat
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• Fishing spots
• Eco-friendly activities
• Golf courses

Fishing spots

Have fishing rod, will travel … it’s a philosophy that will serve you well in Victoria. What this state lacks in size, it makes up for with sensational fishing spots. The Gippsland Lakes are literally swimming with black bream, while the Great Ocean Road and Alpine Waters are veritable angling treasure troves.

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Eco-friendly activities

Looking for a destination where you can watch a waddle of tiny penguins take over a beach, go on a snowshoe tour through Alpine landscapes or sample wonderful organic wine? Victoria’s eco-friendly activities could keep you busy for weeks: there’s something in this diverse state to suit every green-minded traveller.

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Golf courses

Victoria welcomes golfers with open arms, with a plethora of golf courses and the famed Melbourne sandbelt. Relive memories of the great Masters driving down Huntingdale’s fairways, try to avoid the more than 80 bunkers scattered throughout Moonah Links (the true home of Australian golf) or simply enjoy the challenges of RACV Healesville’s short course. There is something for every golfer, no matter your handicap.

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• Restaurants & cafes
• Breweries

Restaurants & cafes

No matter what your budget or preference, you’re guaranteed a good feed in Victoria. Vibrant capital Melbourne is famed for its fine dining, cheerful multicultural eateries and unequalled cafe culture. The lovely Yarra Valley is strewn with wineries and gourmet food outlets, and you’re never far from tasty pub fare.

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Breweries

Currently riding high on a wave of craft-beer production, Victoria rivals Western Australia and New South Wales for the greatest number of individual craft breweries. Its leading light is Richmond’s Mountain Goat Brewery, a much-loved alternative to long-time beer-making monolith, Carlton & United Breweries. Popular brew-pub Bell’s Hotel and Brewery is another local favourite.

• Campsites
• Caravan parks
• Hotels, motels & B&Bs
• Eco-friendly places to stay
• Rest areas

Campsites

Dramatic peaks and gorges, coastal sand dunes and relic-strewn goldfields, mighty rivers and thick forests…such is the diversity of Victoria’s natural landscapes, that you may find it hard deciding where to set up camp! Fabulous national parks and the opportunity for some serious outdoor adventure make this state a camper’s delight.

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Caravan parks

Who hasn’t dreamt of hitting the highway and seeing what the horizon brings? From spectacular coastal routes and mountain ranges, to the historic Goldfields region, Victoria makes for exciting caravanning. While travelling distances are short compared to other mainland states, you’ll still enjoy spending time in the state’s many quality caravan parks.

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Hotels, motels & B&Bs

Victoria’s accommodation options are as plentiful as they are eclectic. After a luxury escape? Choose from countryside spa villas, glamorous inner-city classics or converted period mansions. Mid-range more your style? How does a cute boutique hotel or vineyard guesthouse sound? On a budget? Take your pick from B&Bs, motels and self-contained cottages.

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Eco-friendly places to stay

As Victoria’s ecotourism industry grows, so too does its range of eco-friendly lodgings. In the state’s east, you’ll find anything from architect-designed studio retreats to safari-style tents. Solar-powered guesthouses, cottages and mudbrick flats dot the coast, while the Grampians are home to award-winning eco lodges and rustic bush cabins.

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Rest areas

The rest areas that line the Great Ocean Road might be some of the prettiest Victoria has to offer, but there’s more to these stops than just a great lookout. From shade to showers, these rest areas provide drivers with a welcome chance to stretch their legs, and sometimes even a place to stay for the night. And if there happen to be great views, all the better!

Events

What better way to get to know a place than by attending a local festival or sporting event? There’s always something happening in Melbourne: cultural, food and music festivals abound, as do international sports tournaments. Further afield, you’ll find surfing championships, wine festivals … even the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph in Ouyen!

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