Victoria

The state of Victoria is approximately the same size as the UK, and is known as the Garden State of Australia.  It has an unparalleled variety of landscapes - rainforests, lakes, deserts, breathtaking rocky coasts, endless beaches and soaring mountains.  Its compactness makes it ideal for sampling everything that Australia has to offer in one state.  Every part of Victoria is within a day's drive of Melbourne, making it an ideal destination for a fly-drive holiday.
Melbourne

Melbourne, with a population of about 3.2 million, is known as the cultural capital of Australia.  The Victorian city is situated on the beautiful Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River.  It boasts:

 
  • tree lined boulevards
  • arts and culture centres, including the National Gallery of Victoria and the Victorian Arts Centre
  • famous sporting events
  • Chinatown
  • bustling markets
  • old-fashioned trams
  • a casino
  • outdoor cafés
  • Victorian architecture

Southgate
Melbourne's seaside area is at St Kilda, a picturesque bohemian area for wining and dining, which you can get to by tram.  South Yarra is a key shopping area, with jazz and nightclubs.  Williamstown is the suburb at the mouth of the Yarra, looking how Melbourne did 100 years ago with beautifully restored houses.  Melbourne's attractions include:
  • the International Film Festival (July)
  • the International Flower Show (April)
  • Southgate - Melbourne's arts and leisure precinct with waterfront restaurants, cafés and bars
  • the National Gallery
  • the Victorian Arts Centre
  • National Trust properties including Rippon Lea and Como House
  • Old Melbourne Gaol, where Ned Kelly spent some time!
  • the Rialto Towers Observation Deck, with a panoramic view of the city
  • Queen Victoria Market, for food, fashion and fantastic bargains
  • Royal Botanic Gardens
  • Moomba Carnival (March)
  • Crown Casino, Australia's largest
  • Wine and Food Festival (February)
  • cruises along the Yarra River
Key sporting events:
  • the Australian Open Tennis Tournament (January)
  • World Series cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (January)
  • the Australian Masters Golf (February)
  • Grand Prix motor racing (March)
  • the Rip Curl Pro Surfing Championship (March)
  • the Australian Football League Grand Final (September)
  • the Melbourne Cup, one of the richest horse races in the world (November)
  • early rounds of football for the 2000 Sydney Olympics in September 2000 (at the Melbourne Cricket Ground)
Wildlife

Kangaroos, koalas, possums, wallabies and wombats can all be observed in their natural habitat.  Ballarat Wildlife Park and Healesville Sanctuary have two of the most famous koala-breeding centres in the country, both open to the public.  At Phillip Island, every evening you can watch the enchanting fairy penguins returning to their burrows in the sand dunes after a day's fishing.  (Wear warm clothes!)
National Parks

Twelve per cent of the state is national park area and reserves.  These include Grampians National Park, Otway National Park, Wilsons Promontory National Park, and Port Campbell National Park.  At the latter the much-photographed massive offshore rock formation known as the Twelve Apostles is to be found on Great Ocean Road.  The Great Ocean Road starts 1000 kms. south west of Melbourne and runs through to Adelaide.  It is a journey legendary as one of the world's great drives, taking you past sandy beaches, along breathtaking cliff edges, through rainforests and past beautiful waterfalls.
The Goldfields Region

Gold was first discovered here at Clunes in 1851, and prospectors swarmed from all over the world to this rich region in the hope of making their fortunes.  The legend of the gold rush days still remains here, and at Ballarat you can find Australia's biggest open-air living museum.  At nearby Sovereign Hills you can "pan for gold".
The Desert Wilderness

The first settlers called this piece of land "Dead Men's Graves".  500 kms north west of Melbourne, this land is made up of vividly coloured heathlands and jumbled sand dunes.  Some of the sand ridges reach up to 30m high and 50 km long.

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