It’s Australia’s second-smallest state, but Victoria boasts attractions every which way. Travel southwest from Melbourne a couple hours and you hit the Surf Coast, Great Ocean Road, Otways and Twelve Apostles.
Take the road southeast and there’s Mornington Peninsula, Philip Island and Wilsons Prom. For some sightseeing at elevation, head northeast to the Dandenong Ranges or northwest to the Grampians. For vineyards head west to the Yarra Valley; for a taste of ye olde Victoria, straight north to Bendigo and Echuca. And then there’s Melbourne itself. Cosmopolitan, artsy, sport-obsessed and battling a pretty extreme (and much celebrated) caffeine addiction, this is the city for foodies, shoppers, night owls, musos and whatever other urban vice you might be after.
Victoria travel highlights
The Melbourne obsession
Delve into the self-proclaimed arts capital of Australia. Proudly cosmopolitan, avowedly artsy and shamelessly snobbish when it comes to coffee, this is the city for indoor types.
The Great Ocean Road, the Otways and the 12 Apostles
Check out the rolling in at Bells Beach, try to spot the resident ‘roos of Anglesea’s golf course and then settle back for one of the world’s most mesmerizing coastal drives.
Take time out in the Grampians
Three hours from Melbourne, (and what feels like a million miles from anywhere), the Grampians Ranges rise from the surrounding landscape in a craggy run of granite outcrops and carpets of eucalypt.
MacKenzie Falls
One of few waterfalls in Victoria to flow year-round, MacKenzie Falls is a highlight attraction of the Grampians National Park. Choose between an easy path to the Bluff for views from above or a steep trail down for the perspective from below.
