Victoria
Destinations
Overview
Home to Melbourne, arguably one of Australia's top cities, Victoria may be the country's most densely populated state, but it's also a place of unspoken natural beauty. On Victoria holidays you can breathe in some of the freshest air on Earth in the ancient Grampians, watch out for waddling penguins or sleeping koalas on Phillip Island, or make the pilgrimage to the 12 Apostles along The Great Ocean Road, one of the best drives in the world.
Things to do
Some of the lesser-known tourist attractions in Victoria can be found in the Snowfields near Melbourne. Visit Hotham, one of Australia's highest alpine villages, where you can learn to ski or go on a dog-sled adventure. Elsewhere, delve into the rainforest while still enjoying a good vantage point on the Otway Fly Tree Top Walk.
Food & restaurants
The streets of Melbourne are teeming with some of the best restaurants in Victoria serving up international cuisine. For a more home-grown flavour, head to Mornington Peninsula, where you can enjoy dishes made from farm-fresh produce accompanied by signature wines. Talking of which, a visit to one of Victoria's 21 distinct wine regions, such as the Goulburn Valley, would not go amiss.
Accommodation
From luxurious spas to chic city apartments, in the metropolis that is Melbourne you can find every type of accommodation. Victoria is much bigger than its state capital though –be lulled to sleep by the sounds of the waves ebbing from your coastal cottage on the Great Ocean Road, or wake to the calls of the kookaburra in a woodland retreat.
Shopping
Melbourne has countless shopping areas amid its famous laneways and few are more celebrated than the historic Queen Victoria Market, where you can haggle with traders for fresh goods and speciality items. Shopping in Victoria shouldn't be limited to big cities though – if you're looking for vintage collectibles or rare art then Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges is the place to go.
Local Flavours
There are numerous resorts in Victoria, but for a real wilderness escape then visit the Gippsland Coast. Make the most of the wide, open spaces and go mountain hiking, sail in the Gippsland Lakes, or sun yourself on one of the untouched beaches that melt into the turquoise waters of the Bass Strait.
