A vibrant capital city, historic towns, dramatic coastlines pounded by barrelsized
ocean waves, lofty mountains and iconic national parks - despite being pocket-sized, Victoria certainly packs a powerful punch. Within half an hour of its capital, Melbourne, you could be taking in mist-laden mountain ranges and ferny gullies, in an hour lying in a sheltered bay or surfing the Southern Ocean off a rugged coast. To the west of Melbourne, a cool temperate rainforest unravels its way along the
Great Ocean Road, on the east the land falls away into a series of peninsulas
and islands, tea-coloured rivers and beaches strewn with rusty boulders. On
the city’s doorstep is the amber-hued Yarra Valley with its famous coolclimate
wines. Climb into the High Country to winter snowfields or a carpet of spring wildflowers whilst the treasured Grampians are a living gallery of flora, fauna and Aboriginal rock art, latticed by excellent bushwalking trails. In a country where distances are often huge, Victoria’s highlights are compact and accessible.