Tours Touring Travel and Sightseeing

Victoria - Australia

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

Quick Links to Places On This Page	Day Trips From Melbourne	East of Melbourne
	West of Melbourne	North West of Melbourne
	North of Melbourne	South West of Melbourne
	List of National Parks on This Page

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Click here to go back to the top of the page

National Parks Mentioned On This Web Page

Alpine National Park      Barmah State Park    Bogong National Park
Croajingolong National Park    Fraser National Park    Grampions National Park    Kosciusko National Park     Lake Eildon National Park     The Lakes National Park   Lower Glenelg National Park   Mount Buffalo National Park     Mount Richmond National Park     Otway National Park    Namadgi National Park      Port Campbell National Park
Snowy River National Park    Tingarry National Park    Wilsons Promontory National Park Wonnangatta-Moroko National Park     Wyperfeld National Park

Links to other pages on this website

Visit our On Line Shop for Maps, Atlasas, Guides, CD-Maps

Main Hema Maps On-Line Shop	Hema Playing Cards
Caravanning & Camping Guides and Atlas	Hema Jigsaw Puzzles
Australia's Desert Tracks Maps, Atlas, Guides and CD's	Hema A4 Education and Business Maps
Fraser Island Maps, Atlas and Guides and CD's
Cape York Maps, Atlas, Guides and CD's
Top End The Gulf, Kakadu NT, Maps, Atlas and Guides	Hema New Zealand Maps, Atlasas and Guides
The Kimberley, Bungle Bungles, Pilbara Maps, Atlas	Hema America's Maps
Australian Topographical Maps	Hema European Maps
Hema Australian Interstate City to City Maps	Hema Middle East and Africa Maps
Hema Wine Region and Rail Journeys Maps	Hema Asia and Pacific Maps
Memory-Map GPS Navigation Software