VICTORIA
Victoria has almost 2,000 kilometres of coastline, which stretches from the South Australian border to the New South Wales border in the north-east corner of Victoria and fronts the Southern Ocean, Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea. Victoria is Australia's second-smallest state, covering 227,600 square kilometres. Presents diverse regional areas and attractions, from national parks and forests with wildlife to wineries, lakes and mountains offering skiing, climbing and hiking.
Things to do and see in Victoria include: The Twelve Apostles, Point Nepean, Cape Bridgewater, Ninety Mile Beach, Yarra Valley, and The Great Ocean Road.
Victoria has an efficient transport system, allowing you to travel around the state by road, rail and air.
Various train and bus companies operate services connecting Melbourne with intrastate and interstate destinations, while scheduled flights service regional centres. There are also ferry services crossing the bay to connect the popular beachside spots of Queenscliff and Sorrento.
MELBOURNE
Victoria's capital, Melbourne is located around the shores of Port Phillip Bay. The city itself sits beside the Yarra River, about five kilometres from the bay.
Melbourne boasts glamorous festivals and events, Australia's best shopping, impressive food from restaurants and cafes, and a lot of arts entertainment.
Places to see and things to do in Melbourne include: Melbourne Museum, Federation Square, The National Gallery of Victoria, New Quay, Melbourne Zoo, wine regions around Melbourne, parks, and so on.
Transport in Melbourne
It has an integrated system of trains, trams and buses, known as Metlink. One Metcard ticket allows you to travel on all three services. A range of tickets covering three metropolitan zones can be purchased from vending machines at train stations, on trams or buses, or pre-purchased at more than 900 retail agents displaying blue Metcard signs such as 7-Elevens and newsagents.
Check the weather in Melbourne
POINT NEPEAN
Point Nepean is a highlight of the Mornington Peninsula National Park. It has a long history of use by indigenous people and contains a wide number of aboriginal archaeological sites. It was once the site of a quarantine station for immigrants and later home to a military fortress.
Visitors can explore tunnels, lookouts and fortifications as well as enjoy coastal scenery and panoramic views of the Bass Strait, the Rip and Port Phillip Bay. Walk, cycle or ride the Point Explorer to discover the area.
Access to Point Nepean is between 9am and 5pm. An entry fee applies and the entry gate and Visitors Centre are about 1 kilometre from Portsea.
Less than an hour from Melbourne, lie 55 of the world's leading wineries,�open gardens and Australian wildlife in its natural habitat. Also a great range of fine restaurants and romantic retreats.
The Yarra Valley is home to Victoria's earliest vineyards and recognised as one of the world�s great wine growing regions.
The region's calendar of seasonal events include the annual Grape Grazing Day, when over 20 wineries combine in a summer celebration of wine, food and music.
Numerous wineries offer cellar door tastings and sales, and have restaurants serving gourmet food and fine local produce accompanied by their wine.
TWELVE APOSTOLES
The Twelve Apostles are a must see in Victoria. They are located just east of Port Campbell, along the Great Ocean Road. They are giant rock stacks that rise from the Southern Ocean and are the central feature of Port CampbellNational Park.
The Twelve Apostles are the remnants from constant erosion of the limestone cliffs of the mainland that began 10 to 20 million years ago. While anytime of day provides great views, sunrise and sunset are particularly impressive.
Among them are Pudding Basin Rock, Island Arch, the Razorback, Mutton bird Island, Thunder Cave, the Blowhole, Bakers Oven, London Bridge and the Grotto.
GREAT OCEAN ROAD
Recognised as one of the world's most scenic drives, the Great Ocean Road follows the stunning coastline of Victoria's south-west. Stretching 300 kilometres from Torquay to Peterborough, that includes the world-famous Twelve Apostles, the Otways rainforest, Bells Beach, on the Surf Coast, and the Great Ocean Road itself.
Experience resort towns like Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay, the coastal cities of Geelong and Warrnambool, and the historic villages of Queenscliff, Port Campbell, Port Fairy and Portland.
From Torquay, the road loops inland to Anglesea but a quick detour along Bells Boulevard will take you to the world famous Bells Beach where the Rip Curl Pro surfing competition, a round of the ASP world championship tour, is held.
After Peterborough, the road leaves the coast once more rejoining it at the historic coastal towns of Warrnambool, Port Fairy, Portland and Nelson where you can soak up some history, enjoy a spot of fishing and surfing or watch for whales.
A 90-mile long stretch of pristine golden sand that separates the Gippsland Lakes from Bass Strait, Ninety Mile Beach starts at Seaspray and continues until Lakes Entrance (Lakes Entrance is the biggest fishing port in all of Victoria).The beach is made up of long sandy dunes which separate the various lakes and lagoons from the ocean. Ninety Mile Beach is also part of the Lakes National Park, which has fantastic coastal bushland.
This is one of the most natural and unspoilt beaches in the world and is ideal for any number of beach activities from beach fishing and swimming to walking, whale and dolphin-spotting or just lazing in the sun.
The beach can be reached from the South Gippsland Highway via the towns of Woodside Beach, Seaspray, GoldenBeach or Loch Sport and Lakes Entrance.
CAPE BRIDGEWATER
Bridgewater Bay is just 21 kilometres south-west from Portland. It is a huge body of water between the cliffs of Cape Nelson and Cape Bridgewater with a wide, gently arching sandy beach.
Suspended lookouts strengthened by cables offer breathtaking views over the white sands and deep-blue waters of Bridgewater Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia. A two-hour walk around the cape takes visitors to a lookout above mainland Australia's largest breeding colony of fur seals.
