Tours
Touring
Travel and
Sightseeing
Victoria
- Australia
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Victoria
is home to Melbourne, some
spectacular touring travel and sightseeing coastal scenery, historic
gold mining towns, lake
districts, The Snowy Mountains and some excellent four wheel drive
country
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| Melbourne |
Melbourne
is the capital city of Victoria. It is famous for its trams that run
down the middle of its busy, tree lined streets, its pavement cafes,
shopping, and, off course its weather, that can be a little
unpredictable.
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Melbourne
is home to
the famous Aussie Rules Football and The Melbourne Cup. There
is
much to do and see in the way of entertainment and day trips.
Victoria is the smallest mainland state in Australia with a population
in excess of 4 million, second only to New South Wales. it is also the
most densely populated state.
Day
Trips From Melbourne
Mornington Peninsula, and its beaches to
both Port Phillip and the
ocean, to the south of the city, The Dandenong Mountain ranges, to
the east of Melbourne, and
a whole range of gardens, galleries and historical attractions
in
the city itself.
Further south east of Melbourne is Phillip Island, home to motor bike
racing and displays of fairy penguins in the evening.
The Great Divide runs down to the west of the city of which the Macedon
Ranges are part of.
The Macedon Ranges have a special charm with historic villages
and
quaint shops.
Also within the scope of a day visit is a visit to the
historic
gold fields areas dating back to the late 1800's.
Ballarat and its Sovereign Hill, north west of Melbourne, with its
display of how a goldmine was
in the old days, many
historic buildings and ornamental gardens.
Further west out of Melbourne, and north of Ballarat, is Bendigo where
the
Central Deborah Goldmine runs underground tours. Other tours can be
taken on vintage trams that give running commentaries along the route.
In
the south
The Angahook
Lorne
State Park
area on
the Great Ocean Road offers some pleasant countryside, beaches and town
to visit. The area is on the Bass Straight south west of Melbourne and
south of Geelong.
The park itself offers caravan, camping and picnic areas as well as
some four wheel drive tracks.
Trips
Longer Than a
Day South West of Melbourne
This
is a
breathtaking trip along the coast south west of Melbourne is The
Great
Ocean Road with its
magnificent Twelve
Apostles
in Port
Campbell National Park. The
250 km long Great Western Road
offers spectacular scenery along its entire length with outstanding
views of cliffs, beautiful sandy beaches and tucked away coves as well
as through the Otway
National
Park.
Having left the outskirts of the city you will pass through the Angahook
Lorne State Park which has a
range of good facilities as
mentioned in the Day Trips from Melbourne section.
The trip wild take you around windy oceanside roads, ragged cliffs and
rock structures and rain forests with many holiday villages dotted
along the way.
The road winds down the coast for some
way until you reach the Otway
National
Park which
is about 200 km from Melbourne. The park is at the lower end of the
Otway Range and has Cape Otway, and it's lighthouse, at it's tip.
The scenery is rugged yet spectacular. Having one of the higher annual
rainfalls in Victoria the Otway National Park is home to many exotic
species of timber.
Bush walking, fishing, surfing and kayaking are popular activities in
the
park. Camping facilities are available but can get booked out.
From here the road swings westward and inland for a while, although
there are 4wd driving areas along the route.
About half way between the Otway National Park and Warrnambool is the Port Campbell
National Park.
It is along this stretch that you will see the magnificent Twelve
Apostles with London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge and Gibson Steps on either
side.
London Bridge has now collapsed but at one stage you could walk out to
the outer edges of the rocks.
A very pleasant town to stop overnight and the end of this trip is
Warrnambool, which is the official end of the Great Ocean Road.
From Warrnambool your next major port of call on the coastal road is
Portland situated on a peninsula jutting out into the wild Southern
Ocean.
There are some excellent spots to visit
around Portland including Cape
Nelson State Park and Cape Bridgewater, which is at the southern end of
the Discovery Coastal Park with Mount Richmond
National Park
to its north.
There are some well used walking tracks in the area including up Mt
Chaucer and Mt Richmond, where there is both good scenery and views.
From Portland you could head further west along the coast road towards
the Lower Glenelg
National Park
with it's western boundary on the South Australian border or you could
head north for the Grampians. (there is a section about the Grampians
on the trip west of Melbourne on this page. Click here
to go to that
section)
The Lower Glenelg National Park with its Glenelg River which has gouged
the spectacular Glenelg River Gorge. The gorge is about 15 km long and
as high as 50 meters.
The river is a popular destination for kayaking and small boating, with
several launching spots.
Other favorite pastimes include fishing, swimming and power boating.
There are also camping facilities along the river.
If you are into caves The Princess Margaret Rose Caves at the western
end of the park offer an impressive sight with guided tours. There are
several other less significant caves that you can explore as well.
Your choice now is either to head on north into Victoria, east back to
Melbourne or travel on to South Australia.
Read
on to
go north
Click
here to
head straight back to Melbourne
If you wish to head north double back
towards Portland
and there
are several 4wd routes off to the left, through Lower Glenelg National
Park, as well as past the park, that will take you on a
shortcut cross country towards Hamilton.
Check with the locals on conditions before deciding on your preferred
route.
By conventional vehicle double all the way to Portland and then aim for
Hamilton or take the secondary road to the left about 20 km east of
Nelson and head for Winnap. From Winnap the shortest route would be via
Dartmoor and Digby. This is via a very passable secondary sealed road
but not the best.
Go through Hamilton and access the Grampions National Park from the
south entrance, north of Dunkeld.
Click
here for
more details of The Grampions National Park
Click
here to return to the top of the
page
Heading
from the
South West of Victoria straight back to Melbourne
Going east back to Melbourne - you could
back track along the Great
Ocean Road or take the quicker, more direct, route via the Princes
Highway.
Along the Princes Highway, a little over half way between Warrnambool
and Geelong is Lake Corangamite on the left and then the village of
Colac.
At Colac can make your way to Burtons Lookout where you can have
spectacular views over Lake Colac, which is used extensively for
fishing and water sports and The
Gellibrand River Valley.
Once through Colac you will soon be in the city of Geelong located on
Port Phillip Bay. About 70 km from Melbourne Geelong is well know as
for its manufacturing industries, particularly motor vehicles, and as
being a pastoral centre to the farming areas to the north and west.
Some of the ocean coastline just to the south of Geelong is a very
popular surfing area.
Click
here to go back to the top of the
page
Click
here to go to the South Australian Page on this site
Trips Longer Than a Day West
of
Melbourne
The
first section of a trip west of Melbourne has been covered in the day
trips from Melbourne section. It incorporates the section out through
Ballarat and visits to the old gold mining sites and smaller towns in
the area.
Going west of Ballarat will take you to The
Grampions National Park,
an area rick in Aboriginal art, flora and fauna. Kangaroos, deer and
several other native wildlife can be seen in the park.
You can find the visitors center at Halls Gap towards the north of the
park.
There are many vehicle and walking tracks in the park as well as
facilities for a wide range of other activities such as rock climbing,
water sports and fishing.
Several areas are set aside in the park
for caravans and camping. You
are also allowed to camp in non designated areas as long as you do not
take a vehicle into the bush and off the road or track.
The park is situated on the Great Divide and has several high peaks
that offer spectacular views. The highest being Mt Gar, more
commonly known as Mt Wilson, which is 1167 m high.
There are caravan and camping facilities at the base of the mountain
and the area could easily keep you busy for a leisurely couple of days
if you wanted it to.
North west of The Grampians National Park through the towns of Horsham
and Dimboola and then along the Western Highway is the Little Desert
National Park, which is broken up into three sections - western,
central and eastern. Doesn't sound very original but there you go.
This is a "must visit" area if you are into nature as it is an
unspoilt paradise of native wild flowers, many species of bird life,
reptiles and kangaroos, and more.
Whilst there are some areas suitable for conventional vehicles in the
eastern section only, most of the park can only be seen well by four
wheel drive.
For those without a 4wd there is walking of course, of which quite a
lot is done around here. There is no food or drinking water available
in the park at all so make sure you are carrying adequate provisions,
especially if you are walking in warmer weather.
There are caravan and camping facilities in the towns and villages
around the park and vehicle camping is allowed inside the park.
Click
here to return to the top of the
page
Traveling
East from
Melbourne
Traveling
east of Melbourne ultimately takes you to the beautiful lakes district
in East Gippsland.
There are villages along the way that offer the tourist pleasant spots
to stop over for a break if the direct route is taken via Warragul and
Traralgon on the Princes Freeway.
However, the coastal route is far more scenic and offers much more for
the tourist.
If you have already visited Phillip Island then head for Foster, as a
first stop, along the South Gippsland Highway. If you haven't been to
Phillip Island see the details in the Day Trips From
Melbourne section.
Foster is an excellent starting off point for a visit to Wilsons
Promontory National Park,
and you will be about 200 km south east of Melbourne.
Surrounded
on three sides by ocean Wilsons
Promontory National Park,
one of Victoria's most popular parks for tourists, offers spectacular
rock formations, varied wildlife and beautifully vegetated areas.
Wilson Promontory Marine Reserve is located at the south end of the
park, which is the most southerly point of mainland Australia
(excluding Tasmania).
There is no vehicle access to the point but there are clearly defined
walking tracks from just south of the Tidal River camping area.
There are several other marine parks in the area and visitors enjoy a
wide range of activities including swimming, surfing, swimming,
snorkeling, bird watching and bush walking.
The
show of wild flowers in the early spring not only attracts
photographers galore, anxious for that special shot, but offer a
spectacular sight to visitors.
A popular family picnic area is on the banks of the Tidal River which
offers clear, shallow waters and safe paddling and swimming for young
children. This is also the only area in the park that has vehicle
access to camping facilities.
Also at Tidal River is a limited selection of cabins and other
accommodation.
So popular is the park and with accommodation and camping facilities in
the park limited, there is no guarantee of getting
any during
holiday seasons.
This will leave you with the
only option of bush walking away from the
facilities and sleeping in the bush. If you plan to hike and stop in
the bush overnight you will need a a permit to do so.
Best to try to plan your trip to this area away from school holidays.
Whilst there is 4wd driving in the area there is little, or no, four
wheel driving in the park.
Now back on the road to travel further east.
Between Foster and Bairnsdale to the east you will have to, ultimately,
head inland for Sale and Stratford.
But you can choose to detour through a zig
zag of
secondary dirt roads accessible to all vehicles and tracks accessible
only to 4wd's that wind along up this coastal area, known as Ninety
Mile Beach, to Loch Sport and The Lakes
National Park.
You will
need to back-track to Longford, just
outside Sale as there is no road access from the beach area inland.
Much of
this coast is part of the Gippsland
Lakes Coastal Park and, therefore, preserved in its natural state.
The area is
also known as the lakes district
because of its network of inter linked lakes. that stretch
for
around 80 km.
From Sale you can head east for Bairnsdale, on the coast , or north and
inland to the Alpine National
Park and
The Avon Wilderness Park.
If you are in a conventional
vehicle you will need to access the park
via Bairnsdale as the upper sections of this route are only suitable
for 4x4 travel.
If you are going by four wheel drive vehicle check with the locals as
to the best route at the time of travel as it can vary dramatically
depending on the season and the amount of rain and snow that has fallen.
Most importantly make sure you have adequate fuel for your vehicle,
food provisions and warm clothing. This area can get bitterly cold.
There are several several options that will give you access to the
southern end of the park through The Avon Wilderness Park, the south
west side via Licola and south east via Waterford or further north near
the Ovens River and Alpine Road.
Click
here to skip the section
on the Alpine National Park
The Alpine National Park is the largest national park in Victoria and
is a consolidation of three parks that existed before Alpine National
Park, Tingarry National
Park, Wonnangatta-Moroko
National Park
and Bogong National
Park.
The park winds north east with large, separate, areas joined by
narrower sections. Ultimately it joins up with Kosciusko
National Park in
New South Wales, which then joins the Namadgi National
Park in
the ACT at its north eastern tip.
So you can see there are
hundreds and hundreds of kilometers of
national park land to explore and discover.
Whilst the winter months turn much of this area into a wonderland of
snow fields that attract snow skiers from all around the world, the
other times of the year offer a paradise to those wanting to explore
the natural expanses of the park.
Travel in winter months is obviously restricted by snow falls and many
closed roads but at other times bush walking and four wheel drive
driving offer the visitor an enormous variety of scenery, fauna and
flora.
The park is as popular a tourists area in the summer as it is in the
winter with its endless walking trails and 4wd tracks..
Back to Sale and the trip east towards Bairnsdale.
The major center in the area is Bairnsdale which offers a
diversified range of water sports and boating activities. Don't have
your own boat? well you can hire all shapes and sizes around here as
well as enjoy lovely, pristine beaches and a relaxed holiday atmosphere.
Which route and which direction from Bairnsdale? Depends on what you
want to see I guess. There are probably one diversion and three route
choices.
Diversion
Snowy
River National Park
North east
of Bairnsdale is the Snowy River
national Park. It but onto the lower eastern end of the Alpine National
Park and, to its north, Kosciuszko National Park.
The park has a magnificent
river system flowing in deep gorges, it has
picture perfect, forested, scenery and is Victoria's largest wilderness
area.
There are plenty of places to set up camp, though some are fairly basic
and lots of scenery to be seen by any vehicle, although probably what
is regarded as the best is 4wd only.
Canoeist and kyakers regularly make the trip from McKillops Bridge
down to the junction of the Snowy and Buchan Rivers, at the village of
Buchan, over a period of two or more days.
Route
1
North up the Alpine Rd to the Alpine National Park, or through the park
and onto Albury, Wodonga on the New South Wales border and the main
Sydney to Melbourne Hume Highway.
In the winter you will need road wheel chains to manage the snow
covered roads. In the summer you could find the whole area
blanketed by rain and fog.
This may look the shortest route from here to Sydney on the map but it
may not be the best choice if that is all you want to do, go from A to
B.
Route
2
Continue east along the Princess Highway from Bairnsdale towards the
small town of Cann River. Turn
left here and head north.
This will take you up through
Cooma to Canberra. It is also your best
route if you want to go straight to Kosciuszco National Park and
certainly the most suitable to Jindabyne and the gateway to the popular
snowfields of Thredbo, Charlotte Pass, Perisher and Smiggin Holes.
It is an easy driving road, although a little windy in places,
in
good condition and should be passable all year round for all vehicles.
This is the quickest way back into New South Wales from East Gippsland
and, ultimately, to Sydney.
Route
3
Continue
east along the Princes Highway, following the coastline. This is a very
scenic trip and there are lots of very pretty villages, stunning
beaches and national park areas to stop off at if you aren't in any
hurry.
During the warmer temperatures of summer, particularly as you get
further north, many people tour around this area to take advantage of
the cooler climate.
From Cann you are only about 80 km from the New South Wales Border,
however on the south, between Cann and the ocean, is the Croajingolong
National Park
Croajingolong National Park is at the lower end of a chain of parks
running several hundred kilometres along the coast into New South Wales.
There are several entry points
to the park and, once there, you wild
find a well balanced mix from mountains to rivers and craggy inlets
that are a haven to vehicle based campers. Amenities around the park
are not 5 star but are adequate.
Although most of the roads and tracks are unsealed It is possible to
tow a caravan into some beautiful areas to set up camp, particularly at
around the Thurra River mouth, just east of Point Hicks ( also known as
Cape Everard ). Here you can enjoy safe swimming, many good fishing
spots and those with canoes or kayaks will enjoy exploring up stream
from the camp site.
The area abounds in walking tracks and walks along the beach are very
enjoyable.
The Wingan River mouth, some way east, is also a very pleasant spot
but, owing to the nature of the road, may not be suitable for caravans.
The camping ground offers basic amenities and powered boats are allowed
up to 20 hp.
For those of you not that keen on secondary dirt roads
continue up
the Princes Highway to Genoa and turn off towards the sea and aim for
the village of Mallacoota. It is all sealed roads and would be a good
place to stop of for a day or two.
Situated on the Mallacoota Inlet the inlet offers a large area for
fishing in reasonably sheltered waters. Mallacoota is not in the
national park but is surrounded by park lands that have very pretty
walks to while away your time in a peaceful, not over-crowded
atmosphere.
From here the road winds north
for a few kilometers until you
reach the New South Wales
Border.
From this point going up towards Sydney please refer to the "Traveling
South From Sydney" section on the New South Wales page on this site.
Click
here to go back to the top of the
page
Click
here to go to the New South Wales page
Traveling
North West
from Melbourne
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This
trip would see you aiming for the town of Mildura in the extreme north
west section of Victoria on the New South Wales border and not far east
of the South Australian border.
The first part of the trip can incorporate the old gold mining areas
around Bendigo as covered in the day trips from Melbourne.
From Bendigo head for Swan Hill, on the mighty Murray River, unless you
want to visit the Wyperfeld
National Park
west of Swan Hill, in which case you should aim for Warracknabeal, via
Charlton and Donald, and then Rainbow or Hopetoun.
Click
here to skip the section
on Wyperfeld National Park
The Wyperfield
National Park comprises a network of
lakes
and rivers, but don't expect too much flowing water unless
there
have been recent heavy rains.
Much of the park is covered in forestation with Cypress Pine, Red Box
and Black Gum being predominant.
Spring sees the wildflowers come into bloom and present a tremendous
display.
The park is semi arid and is
the home to a
plentiful variety
of bird life as well as emus, kangaroos, goannas and lizards.
Western regions of the park have four wheel drive access only as well
as well directed walking tracks. Heavy rains may make some of these
tracks impassable.
Camping facilities are reasonable with that at Lake Albacutya being the
better. There is a visitors center at the Wonga Camping area that can
give you up to date information on what to see and traveling conditions
in the park.
Swan
Hill, on the Murray
River, is a town full of history and there is plenty to do and see. At
one time Swan Hill was a major center for the cargo carrying boats that
plied the river.
The Murray is the largest river system in Australia and runs from
Queensland down to the coast at South Australia.
Whilst in Swan Hill enjoy the historic sites and be sure to take a
cruise on the Murray.
There are excellent caravan and camping facilities in the area
as
well as vast stretches of water to enjoy water sports.
Click
here to go back to the top of the
page
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Traveling
North of Melbourne
The
trip
north of Melbourne travels through a lot of flat, farming countryside
and you have a choice of heading almost due north for Echuca, or north
east for Wodonga.
Both are on the Murray River and have great historical significance as
being stopping points for the many boats that used to ply their way up
and down this major river, mainly transporting the produce grown in the
various areas.
Echuca was, at one time, Victoria's largest and most substantial inland
port. The town has been revived in recent years as a tourist venue and
has lots to offer the traveler.
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There are several
paddle
steamers operating
tours of the river that are well worth doing. There are several
historical attractions that would be of interest to most visitors.
Allowing a couple of days or so in
Echuca would be well worth while.
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Not far
north east of Echuca is the Barmah State Park.
The
park is situated on the border with New South Wales and is split into
two sections separated by a state forest area. Its northern boundary is
the Murray River.
The park offers a well managed range of caravan and camping
facilities on the river, which makes it an excellent fishing spot and
a playground for all water sports. In addition to
this you
are allowed to set up your own bush camp elsewhere if you wish.
The park is also popular for bird watching, horse riding and bush
walking.
Traveling north east of Melbourne takes you up the Hume Highway which
is the main access route from Melbourne to Sydney and is dual
carriageway for much of the way.
There is not a great deal to offer the tourist on this route but there
are deviations that you can take towards Echuca, as mentioned above, or
off to the right that will take you to Lake Eildon
National Park,
not far out of Melbourne, further north to Mount
Buffalo National Park
and further east to the central areas of the Alpine National
Park.
Lake Eildon National Park was formed in the 1990's by amalgamating
Eildon State Park and Fraser
National Park.
The park
is on the upper reaches of Lake Eildon and its rugged mountain
terrain and is a very popular spot for all types of water sports and
fishing.
Whilst there is adequate two wheel drive car access, there are also
several four wheel drive tracks in the area that will take you on very
scenic drives and to the eastern areas of the lake.
Bush walkers are well catered for with well defined bush
walking
tracks.
Mount Buffalo National Park offers snow skiing in the winter and a
range of bush waking and four wheel drive activities in the summer.
The main snow skiing area is at The Horn, which is 1720 meters high.
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Looking forward to seeing you back here soon,
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