Victoria, Australia: great places to visit, regional attractions

Regional Information

Click on any underlined region name to go to more information on that region (we are in the process of compiling information for every region). Refer to the map to see where each region is located, and see the Calendar for details of special events in each region.

North West
Attractions: Murray River, wilderness areas, wineries, golf.
Main Towns: Mildura, Swan Hill, Ouyen, Robinvale.
National & State Parks: Hattah-Kulkyne, Murray-Sunset, Wyperfeld, Big Desert Wilderness, and across the border in NSW Lake Mungo and Perry Sandhills.

North

Attractions: Murray River, paddlesteamers and river trade history, Goulburn Valley, orchard production, wineries, Strathbogies.
Main Towns: Shepparton, Kyabram, Echuca, Cohuna, Kerang, Pyramid Hill, Rochester, Rushworth, Numurkah, Cobram, Euroa, Nagambie, Heathcote, Seymour, Yea.
National & State Parks: Terrick Terrick, Barmah.

West

Attractions: The Grampians, mountain hiking, Pyrenees Wineries.
Main Towns: Ararat, Stawell, Halls Gap, Dunkeld, Edenhope, Horsham, Dimboola, Warracknabeal, St Arnaud, Avoca, Beaufort.
National & State Parks: The Grampians, Mt Arapiles, Little Desert, Black Ranges.

Central Goldfields

Attractions: Sovereign Hill (re-created gold mining town), Eureka Stockade, Kryal Castle, historic towns, grand Victorian architecture and gardens, Buda, Old Railway Station (antiques & bric a brac market), Bendigo Pottery, wineries, Mt Buninyong lookout, Great Southern Woolshed.
Main Towns: Ballarat, Bendigo, Maryborough, Maldon, Castlemaine, Creswick, Clunes, Dunolly.
National & State Parks: Paddys Ranges, Whipstick, Kamarooka.

South West

Attractions: The Great Ocean Road, The Twelve Apostles, seaside coastal towns, fishing, forests and waterfalls, volcanic plains and inland lakes.
Main Towns: Airey’s Inlet, Fairhaven, Deans Marsh, Lorne, Skenes Creek, Apollo Bay, Johanna, Lavers Hill, Beech Forest, Port Campbell, Peterborough, Timboon, Cobden, Camperdown, Terang, Mortlake, Warrnambool, Port Fairy, Portland, Cape Bridgewater, Nelson, Heywood, Hamilton, Casterton.
National & State Parks: Angahook-Lorne, Otway, Port Campbell, Tower Hill, Mount Eccles, Cape Nelson, Mt Richmond, Discovery Bay, Lower Glenelg.

Geelong & Coast

Attractions: National Wool Museum, Fairy Park, Norlane Water World, A Maze ‘n’ Things, wildlife sanctuaries, seaside activities and world class surf beaches, Surfworld museum, historic buildings, Sunday markets, Tourist Railway, wineries, gourmet restaurants, spectacular Surf Coast Walk.
Main Towns: Geelong, Drysdale, Portarlington, St Leonards, Queenscliff, Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Torquay, Anglesea, Winchelsea, Inverleigh, Bannockburn, Anakie.
National & State Parks: The You Yangs, Brisbane Ranges, Steiglitz.

Spa Country & Macedon Ranges

Attractions: Mineral springs, berry picking, historic buildings, galleries, antiques and bric-a-brac, Sunday markets, Convent Gallery, Hanging Rock, Mt Macedon, Loddon Falls, Lerderderg Gorge, wineries, gourmet food, lavender farm, Garden of St Erth.
Main Towns: Daylesford, Hepburn Springs, Kyneton, Trentham, Blackwood, Woodend, Romsey, Lancefield, Gisborne, Bacchus Marsh, Ballan.
National & State Parks: Lederderg, Mt Macedon.

Melbourne

Attractions: Melbourne Museum, The Royal Melbourne Zoo, Imax Cinema, Aquarium, Scienceworks Museum, Yarra River, parks and gardens, cycling paths, exhibition programs, horseracing, shopping, historic buildings, trams, gourmet dining, Performing Arts, National Gallery of Victoria, Queen Victoria Market, Ripponlea Mansion.
Inner city precincts: South Bank and Arts Centre, St Kilda Road, Federation Square, Collins Street, Bourke Street Mall, Old Exhibition Buildings and the Museum of Victoria, Lygon Street Carlton (Italian cuisine), Brunswick Street Fitzroy (bohemian flavours), Chapel Street South Yarra (trendy), Toorak Road (haute couture), St Kilda Beach, Williamstown.
Outer areas: SW; Werribee Mansion, NE to E; Heidelberg, Eltham, Warrandyte.
Parks and Gardens: Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens, Royal Park Zoological Gardens, Albert Park Lake, Yarra Bend, Warrandyte, Churchill, Organ Pipes National Park.

Dandenongs

Attractions: Puffing Billy steam railway, Ricketts Sanctuary, forest walks and picnic areas, quaint villages, gardens & nurseries (especially Tesselaars Tulip Farm, National Rhododendron Gardens and Cloudehill), antiques, devonshire teas, local crafts, Mt Dandenong Observatory.
Main Towns: Ferny Creek, Sassafrass, Olinda, Mt Dandenong, Kalorama, Silvan, Monbulk, Kallista, Belgrave, Emerald, Cockatoo, Gembrook, Beaconsfield, Berwick.
National & State Parks: Dandenong Ranges, Olinda, Lysterfield, Bunyip, Gembrook.

Yarra Valley & Ranges

Attractions: Healesville Sanctuary, Gulf Station, Tourist Railway, Maroondah Reservoir Park, The Black Spur, Acheron Way, Steavenson Falls, Yarra Valley Wineries.
Main Towns: Coldstream, Yarra Glen, Healesville, Toolangi, Narbethong, Marysville, Buxton, Warburton, Yarra Junction.
National & State Parks: Yarra Ranges, Kinglake, Toolangi-Black Ranges, Cathedral Range.

North East

Attractions: Snow skiing (winter), horse riding and bushwalking, water activities on Lake Eildon, alpine road touring, goldmining and bushranger country, historic towns, Rutherglen and Milawa wine areas, gourmet dining.
Main Towns: Alexandra, Eildon, Mansfield, Myrtleford, Bright, Mt Beauty, Omeo, Dargo, Benalla, Yarrawonga, Glenrowan, Wangaratta, Beechworth, Yackandandah, Chiltern, Rutherglen, Wodonga, Kiewa, Tallangatta, Corryong. Alpine Villages: Mt Buller, Mt Buffalo, Falls Creek, Hotham.
National & State Parks: Eildon, Fraser, Mount Buffalo and Alpine National Parks, Mount Samaria, Reef Hills, Warby Range, Chiltern, Mt Granya, Mt Lawson, Burrowa-Pine.

Mornington Peninsula

Attractions: Arthurs Seat Chairlift, Ashcombe Maze and Arthurs Seat Maze, horse riding, strawberry picking, Cape Schanck, Point Nepean, seaside activities bayside and surf beaches, coastal and bushwalks, Sunday markets, antiques, historic homes, golf, Peninsula wineries, gourmet restaurants, gardens and nurseries (especially Heronswood, Romantic Cottage Plants).
Main Towns: Mornington, Mount Martha, Dromana, Arthurs Seat, Red Hill, Rosebud, Rye, Sorrento, Portsea, Flinders, Shoreham, Merricks, Balnarring, Bittern, Crib Point, Hastings, Tyabb.
National & State Parks: Mornington Peninsula, Greens Bush, Arthurs Seat.

South East

Attractions: Phillip Island - Penguin Parade, The Nobbies (seals), Koala sanctuary. Wilsons Promontory walks and lookouts, Grand Ridge Road, Coal Creek historical village, Mirboo North murals, developing wineries and gourmet spots.
Main Towns: Cowes, Wonthaggi, Inverloch, Venus Bay, Korumburra, Leongatha, Mirboo North, Foster, Sandy Point, Welshpool, Port Albert, Yarram, Traralgon, Churchill, Morwell, Moe, Warragul.
National & State Parks: Phillip Island Nature Park, French Island, Mt Worth, Morwell, Tarra-Bulga, Wilsons Promontory, Shallow Inlet, Corner Inlet, Mooramunga.

East

Attractions: Skiing at Baw Baw, Walhalla historic pioneer town, Ninety Mile Beach, Bairnsdale Aboriginal Museum, boating on Gippsland Lakes, fishing, bushwalking, local artists galleries, Buchan Caves, Mallacoota Inlet, Wilderness Parks.
Main Towns: Neerim, Noojee, Mt Baw Baw, Walhalla, Rosedale, Heyfield, Maffra, Sale, Seaspray, Bairnsdale, Paynesville, Metung, Lakes Entrance, Buchan, Orbost, Cann River, Gipsy Point, Mallacoota.
National & State Parks: Baw Baw, Moondarra, Holey Plains, Gippsland Lakes, The Lakes, Mitchell River, Snowy River, Croajingolong, Errinundra, Coopracambra, Alfred, Lind.