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Off the beaten track
Adventure Victoria
Victoria's adventure experiencesExploreCadell B&B
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Victoria's adventure experiencesExploreCadell B&B
There is no better Murray River experience3 ngts fr £201Backpack Victoria
Explore the mighty MurrayFor more info...more offers...
Victoria
Victoria is Australia’s Garden State, and, although occupying just 3% of Australia’s landmass it is the smallest of the mainland states, it still enjoys a wide diversity of landscape, from the drama of the Great Ocean Road and the ski-ing areas of the Victorian Alps to the gentle slopes of the wine growing areas of the Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. Melbourne, Victoria’s state capital, is a stylish city of surprising individuality, and, as Australia’s culinary capital, much of the cosmopolitan atmosphere revolves around eating and drinking. In Melbourne, you can dine out in style and sample any number of world cuisines – from Vietnamese to Turkish, Italian to Greek. But it is for its events and festivals that Melbourne is rightly renowned, from the annual food and wine festival to such premier international sporting events as the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Open Tennis and the Melbourne Cup horse race, Melbourne is truly Australia’s number one events city. Travelling out of Melbourne and you can explore the Great Ocean Road, one of the world’s greatest and most scenic driving routes joining Melbourne with Adelaide in South Australia, the vineyards and countless National Parks.
To learn more about Victoria and book your flights, accommodation, attractions and touring then visit www.australiatravelmarket.com/victoria
To learn more about Victoria and book your flights, accommodation, attractions and touring then visit www.australiatravelmarket.com/victoria
Cities
Fast Facts
State Capital: Melbourne
Population: 5.1 million (around 70% in Melbourne)
Area: 237,629 sq km (91,749 square miles)
Geography: Victoria is Australia’s smallest mainland state (roughly the size of Great Britain), and also its most urbanised with just under 90% of the population living in towns or cities, and just 12% living in rural areas. Victoria enjoys the greatest diversity of landscape in Australia, from the drama of the Great Ocean Road and the skiing areas of the Victoria Alps to the gentle slopes of the wine-producing Yarra Valley and heavily forested Gippsland. Victoria shares land borders with South Australia to the west, and with New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory to the north and east, and has a coastline on the Tasman Sea and Bass Strait. Victoria can be divided into several distinct regions: Melbourne and surrounds; Phillip Island; Yarra Valley and the Dandenongs; the Mornington Peninsula; Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges; Great Ocean Road; the Goldfields, including the towns of Ballarat and Bendigo; the High Country of the Central Victorian Highland; Gippsland; and the Murray River region, home to Mildura.
Climate: Victoria’s temperate climate is as varied as its landscape, ranging from hot and semi arid in the north west of the state to temperate along the coast. In the centre, where the Great Dividing Range lies, the climate can be cooler. Given Victoria’s position at the south of the mainland, it is generally cooler and wetter than most other states (only Tasmania has more rainfall than Victoria), and the rainfall is spread quite evenly throughout the year. Average summer temperatures reach around 25 degrees Celsius along the coast, rising to 36 degrees in the north west, and in winter the average coastal temperature is around 13 degree Celsius and 17 in the north west, with temperatures in the alpine areas falling to around 3 degrees. Most of the mountains are snowcapped in winter.
Time: GMT+10 hours.
Getting To Victoria
Melbourne Tullamarine International Airport is located around 15 miles from the city centre, and is served by 23 international airlines, including Qantas, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Thai International Airlines, Air New Zealand and United Airlines.
The main airport also services domestic flights within Australia – Qantas, Virgin Blue and Jetstar and the major airlines operating domestically to and from Melbourne, and there are regular daily services from Melbourne to all other Australian state capitals and other major centres.
The Great Southern Railway’s Overland train links Melbourne with Adelaide in between 9 and 12 hours, operating four times a week, and from there it is possible to join either the Indian Pacific to Perth or Sydney or the Ghan to Alice Springs and Darwin. CountryLink Trains operate trains to around 350 different destinations within Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. From Melbourne.
A number of coach companies operate between Melbourne and other parts of Australia – typically the journey from Sydney or Adelaide takes around 12 hours and there are both day and night journeys available.
Melbourne is also a major port on the itinerary of a number of international cruise companies. It is also the departure point for the interstate ferries to Tasmania.
Getting Around Victoria
Self Drive is one of the most popular methods of exploring Victoria, thanks to the excellent road network, and the manageable distances involved between most of the places of interest. Alternatively, there are numerous touring companies that offer either day trips or extended stays throughout Victoria – your travel agent will be able to give you more information on these. If time is precious, then it is possible to fly between the major centres, and there is a good network of trains and buses linking the regions.
By Air: There are several regional airlines operating within Victoria, including Qantas Link and REX (Regional Express), which operate flights between Melbourne and some of the larger regional towns such as Portland, Traralgon, Mount Hotham and Mildura.
By Train: All trains either begin their journey or terminate at the Flinders Street Station in central Melbourne. V/Line operates both trains and buses throughout the state and beyond, and customers can combine travel on both rail and bus by travelling by train from Melbourne then connecting with a bus service along the way, enabling you to access destinations not served by the railway network. There are frequent train services between Melbourne and Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour and Gippsland, and there are intercity links between most major towns. Popular tourist destinations such as the Yarra Valley and Dandenongs, Macedon Ranges, Mornington Peninsula, and Grampians are also easily accessible by rail.
By Coach: There is an excellent bus network in operation throughout the state of Victoria, linking Melbourne with most other regional centres.
By Boat: There are a number of ferry options when travelling around Victoria – if you are wanting to travel to the Mornington Peninsula, take the 40 minute crossing from Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. Inter Island Ferries operate between Stony Point on the Mornington Peninsula and Cowes on Phillip Island. Within the Melbourne area, there are ferries linking Southbank and St Kilda with Williamstown, and the Yarra River Shuttle travels between Federation Square and NewQuay.
By Road: Most of the major tourist centres in Victoria are easily accessible by car, and self drive allows you the flexibility of deciding how long to spend in your chosen destination.
Melbourne itself has a first class public transport system, combining buses, trams and trains. Having said that, it is also perfectly easy to navigate yourself round the city streets on foot, as the city is laid out in a simple grid pattern, and distances between major attractions do not make walking impossible. Suburban trains, as well as those going further afield within Victoria, all either begin or terminate their journey at the Flinders Street Station in central Melbourne. There is also an underground train system, the City Loop, which has five stations within Melbourne’s CBD. Melbourne’s outlying suburbs are also well served. Ever popular with visitors to Melbourne are the city’s trams, which offer a more scenic alternative when exploring the suburbs of St Kilda, South Yarra and Richmond. The distinctive City Circle Tram provides a free of charge service, ideal for visitors as it runs between some of Melbourne’s major attractions. There is also a good bus network serving many destinations not covered by the trains or trams. There is also the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle, a free service that stops at major attractions around the city.
Top Ten Things to Do and See in Victoria
- Melbourne: Melbourne offers cosmopolitan charm, unbeatable attractions, and a whole world of entertainment options. See the city from above from the Melbourne Observation Deck, or take the free city Circle Tram; dive with sharks at the Melbourne Aquarium, take the Foodies Dream Tour or discover the hip bars and cafes of Flinders Lane and Little Collins Street; visit St Kilda, Melbourne’s seaside resort, or experience the Aboriginal Walk in the Royal Botanical Gardens
- Great Ocean Road: One of Australia’s greatest and most iconic touring routes, the Great Ocean Road is a fantastic drive at any time of year. Drop into Torquay, Australia’s “Surf City”, and reputed to have the best waves this side of Hawaii; visit Lorne for some of the world’s finest seafood; experience Port Fairy, a quaint fishing village which gives a fascinating insight into Victoria’s history, and the Otway National Park, which offers fantastic walking tours through forests of ancient trees. Not forgetting the Twelve Apostles, towering rock sculptures formed by centuries of crashing waves, off the coast between Port Fairy and Apollo Bay.
- Goldfields: The discovery of gold in Victoria played an important part in the state’s history and there are plenty of reminders of the gold era to be experienced in Central Victoria. Visit the major towns of Bendigo and Ballarat, and the outdoor museum at Sovereign Hill. The region is also home to some impressive galleries.
- Phillip Island: 90 minutes drive south from Melbourne is Phillip Island, home to penguins, koalas, pelicans and seals, and also a great place for surfing, swimming, fishing, sailing or doing pretty much anything associated with the sea! The most famous attraction is Penguin Parade, a nightly spectacle when these tiny penguins (just 33cm tall!) return to their burrows for the night. Other attractions include the Koala Conservation Centre, the fur seals at Seal Rocks, and numerous coastal walking paths.
- Grampians: The Grampians Region, including the Grampians National Park, is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, offering bushwalking (giving you a chance to see kangaroos and other Australian wildlife in its natural habitat), fishing and rock climbing. But it is also the perfect place for getting away from it all, gaining an insight into local Aboriginal history and culture, and taking in some of the wineries of the area.
- Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges: Less than an hour’s drive from Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is Victoria’s premier wine-producing region, and is home to 55 wineries, many of which are open to the public for tours and tastings. Other popular attractions include the Healesville Sanctuary Wildlife Park, where you can see koalas, platypus, Tasmanian devils and echidnas, hot air balloon trips over the vineyards, and the wide range of quality accommodation. The nearby Dandenong Ranges have long been a popular getaway for locals, and now are becoming equally popular with visitors, keen to experience the luxury retreats in hilltop villages, the stunning views and the peace and tranquillity. Major attractions include the Puffing Billy Steam Train, Australia’s oldest stream train and the National Rhododendron Gardens.
- Mornington Peninsula: The Mornington Peninsula, to the east of Port Phillip Bay, is home to sheltered beaches, pretty bays, coastal walks, and some very cosmopolitan towns. In addition to the seas-based activities, there is plenty to do inland, including visiting wineries, golfing, historic homes and gardens, and markets and galleries.
- High Country: In the alpine north east of the state, the High Country is renowned for its wealth of outdoor activities, bushranger and gold rush history and fantastic local produce. In winter, the mountains are snow-covered and skiing and snowboarding are popular pastimes. Visit Beechworth, one of the state’s best preserved gold rush towns, and Rutherglen, a wine producing region older than most others in all Australia.
- Gippsland: In the south east corner of the state, bordering with New South Wales, is Gippsland, an area of beautiful beaches, lakes , untamed wilderness, National Parks, and wetlands. Popular places to stay are Lakes Entrance, a favourite holiday resort since the turn of the last century, Ninety Mile Beach, and Metung
- The Murray: Just to prove that Victoria has it all, head to the Murray Region, named after the river which forms the border between Victoria and New South Wales, for a taste of the Outback. Visit Mildura, renowned for fine food and wine, or spend lazy days on a houseboat on the Murray River itself. Activities and attractions include Mungo National Park, numerous golf courses, paddle steamers, fishing, and the historic Port of Echuca.
