Victoria, Australia: great places to visit, what to see and do

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Victoria has so many wonderful things to see and do.

There is much to discover, from the Great Ocean Road to the little penguins at Phillip Island. Visit the amazing Grampians or enjoy our many lakes and river valleys. Below is a brief summary of each region's main features. Where a region name is underlined, click on the underlined name to access further pages of information and photos. Refer to the Map page for an indication of each region's coverage. The Calendar page has information on specific events.

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: Eureka Stockade, Sovereign Hill (re-created gold mining town), 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, Kryal Castle.
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, historic buildings, foreshore, Sunday markets, Tourist Railway, wineries, gourmet restaurants, wildlife sanctuaries, seaside activities and world class surf beaches, Surfworld museum, 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, lake, wineries, gourmet food, lavender farm, berry picking, historic buildings, galleries, antiques and bric-a-brac, Sunday markets, Convent Gallery, Mt Macedon, Hanging Rock, Trentham and Loddon Falls, Garden of St Erth, Lerderderg Gorge.
Main Towns: Daylesford, Hepburn Springs, Kyneton, Trentham, Blackwood, Woodend, Romsey, Lancefield, Gisborne, Bacchus Marsh, Ballan.
National & State Parks: Lederderg, Mt Macedon.

Melbourne

Attractions: Performing Arts, National Gallery of Victoria, historic buildings, trams, gourmet dining, Yarra River, parks and gardens, Melbourne Museum, Aquarium, Royal Melbourne Zoo, horseracing, shopping, cycling paths, exhibition programs, 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: Forest walks and picnic areas, quaint villages, gardens & nurseries (especially Cloudehill, National Rhododendron Gardens and Tesselaars Tulip Farm), antiques, devonshire teas, local crafts, Puffing Billy steam railway, Ricketts Sanctuary, 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: Yarra Valley Wineries, Healesville Sanctuary, Gulf Station, Tourist Railway, Maroondah Reservoir Park, The Black Spur, Acheron Way, Steavenson Falls.
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: Wineries of Rutherglen and Milawa, gourmet dining, historic towns, goldmining and bushranger country, alpine road touring, snow skiing (winter), horse riding and bushwalking, water activities on Lake Eildon.
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: Peninsula wineries, gourmet restaurants, gardens and nurseries (especially Heronswood, Romantic Cottage Plants), Ashcombe Maze and Arthurs Seat Maze, Arthurs Seat Chairlift, Sunday markets, antiques, galleries, historic homes, seaside activities bayside and surf beaches, golf, horse riding, strawberry picking, Cape Schanck, Point Nepean, coastal and bushwalks.
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, yacht charters and 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.