Beyond Melbourne: explore vibrant Victoria
Where to go in Victoria
Apollo Bay
This is the best time of year to visit the Great Ocean Road; without the summer crowds, you can be alone in nature and get served quickly in local cafés. Then head out on the Great Ocean Walk, a 104 kilometre walking trail with spectacular ocean views.
Outside the town is the Great Otway National Park, with its rainforests, woodlands and scenic waterfalls. Nearby is the Otway Fly treetop walk. Even more impressive is its zip line tour, a two and a half hour series of cable rides through the trees.
For a gentler activity, stroll to the Old Cable Station Museum on the town’s edge, and learn about the many shipwrecks along this treacherous coast.
Phillip Island
Top choice on this holiday island is the Koala Conservation Centre, with its boardwalks which take you closer to the cute marsupials in the trees. The Penguin Parade is always popular, but consider shelling out for the Penguins Plus option which gets you down near the beach.
The Phillip Island Chocolate Factory has a museum featuring crazy chocolate artwork. Not far away is the Churchill Island Heritage Farm, run in 19th century style complete with whip-cracking demonstrations.
If you’re a rev-head, you’ll like the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in October. For sheer silly fun, however, you can’t beat Amaze‘N Things, a funhouse full of quirky puzzles and optical illusions, along with mini-golf and an outdoor maze.
Grampians
The big attraction of this region is the Grampians National Park. It’s currently peak wildflower season here, with a profusion of native plants. There’s a good chance of seeing wildlife too, from wedge-tailed eagles to kangaroos.
The Grampians have long been home to indigenous culture, and the Brambuk Cultural Centre in Halls Gap can direct you to the many Aboriginal art sites within the national park. They include Billimina, a massive rocky overhang covered with red ochre strokes.
If you feel like getting active, try climbing 230 metre-high Mount Arapiles; there are numerous alternative routes up through its craggy rock formations. For an easier option, drive or cycle to the top.
Port Fairy
At the end of the Great Ocean Road, this fishing town has a great mix of natural and historic attractions.
Cruises take visitors to Lady Julia Percy Island, home to a huge colony of Australian fur seals. You might also spot dolphins, fairy penguins and whales. Outside town, Tower Hill State Game Reserve within an extinct volcano is home to waterbirds, kangaroos, koalas and emus.
There are several galleries in Port Fairy, including the Eclectic Designs Glass Studio where you can watch artists at work.
When it comes time to get out of town, you might consider hiking or cycling the 37 kilometre recently opened Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail, which passes both farming country and coastal dunes.
Ballarat
The city’s newest attraction is the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (MADE), which opened in May 2013. Stifle that yawn – this place is packed with fascinating interactive exhibits. Browse a shelf of banned books, support the protesters of the world via music, and see famous speeches come to life onscreen.
Sovereign Hill is an ever-popular and atmospheric historical village. You can easily spend a whole day here, wandering the streets, going on an underground tour and seeing gold poured.
The Art Gallery of Ballarat is the best in the region, and to stretch the legs hit the Lake Wendouree Trail.
For fantasy fun, head to Kryal Castle outside the city. This mock-castle’s recent big makeover focuses on a myth involving dragon eggs. There’s also live jousting.
