The Good 16-Day Victoria Highway Journey, Australia…
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My fingers are outreached with humility and love, as a result of I didn’t realise how a lot enjoyable a Victoria highway journey can be.
This serene Southeast nook of our Nice Southern Land, is understood for its excellent pure magnificence, coastal drives, mountain vistas and rolling hills and vineyards.
In actual fact, it’s nicknamed The Backyard State, due to its greenery and lovely surroundings.
When you’re into nature, sipping wine beneath the celebs, mountain climbing and wildlife watching, then touring round Victoria in Australia is among the greatest highway journeys in Aus for you!
On this information, we share our excellent 16-day Victoria highway journey itinerary which takes you on a loop across the state, ticking off the enduring points of interest just like the Nice Ocean Highway and Melbourne.
So while you’re prepared for journey, pack your automobiles, and let’s get exploring!
How Many Days Do You Want To Discover Victoria?
Once I plan my highway journeys, I want journey, seashores, mountains, scrumptious meals, wine, festivals, sports activities and enjoyable folks.
Little did I do know that Victoria would wrap up all these items in a neat little package deal.
Once I was planning our Aussie highway journey, we pencilled in 1 month to discover Victoria.
“That’s all we’ll want. I simply need to skip via the state so we will get to the great things.”
Three months later we had been nonetheless there.
I arrived and my soul mentioned, “Don’t transfer. Simply keep awhile and savour what Victoria has.“
It was mild, soul serving and uplifting, full of memorable moments and delightful folks.
I might say you want a minimal of 14 days to highway journey Victoria, however our itinerary is for 16 days as we really feel you need to spend extra time in just a few areas.
16-Day Victoria Highway Journey Itinerary
The next itinerary begins and finishes in Melbourne, the capital metropolis of Victoria and the place the place most vacationers fly into.
We truly began in Vibrant as we had been highway tripping down from NSW, however for ease we’ve switched this itinerary as much as meet the wants of the various.
Nevertheless, it’s a loop itinerary, so you can begin wherever you’re feeling match and go within the path you like.
Melbourne (2 Days)
Each time my daughter, Kalyra, sees the skyline of Melbourne loom within the distance, she will get overly excited. It’s no surprise why, it’s lengthy vied for title of greatest metropolis in Australia.
Whereas there’s no denying that Sydney simply wins all magnificence classes – on a surprising and international scale – Melbourne owns the city soul of Australia.
It digs deep to supply a extra personable and cultural expertise to make up for what it lacks in appears. I fell in love with every new suburb and cafe we discovered hidden deep in laneways or in convent gardens.
We explored by foot, by tram and by bikes, Kalyra even breaking all 6-year-old dare satan limits to cycle down Swanston St.
I even took a shine to the seashores in Melbourne, significantly round Port Phillip Bay and St Kilda – with sunsets like this how may you not?
Melbourne is wrapped up in group and you’ll by no means really feel alone or like it’s a must to faux to be somebody you’re not.
The meals, the espresso, the buying, the humanities, the festivals, the vibe, the tradition, the sports activities – Melbourne didn’t get the Olympics in 2000, but it surely did have the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Tennis Open, the Grand Prix, AND the AFL.
Get extra inspiration for exploring Melbourne in these guides:
Geelong – Torquay (1 Day)
- Distance: 73km alongside M1
- Drive time: 1 hour
- How lengthy to remain: 2-Three hours
Depart Melbourne within the morning and cease off in Geelong for half a day of exploring the laid-back Port Metropolis and its Waterfront esplanade, the place you will discover artwork deco buildings and a fantastic 19th-century carousel.
Go for a swim within the sea bathtub at Japanese Seashore, or calm down within the Geelong Botanic Gardens.
Enjoyable truth: Geelong is house to the second oldest Australian Soccer workforce in Australia and has a fantastic sporting scene.
Bellarine
- Distance: 26km alongside C123
- Drive time: 25 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: 1 hour
Head over to Bellarine for lunch and admire the coastal views from the Japanese Seashore Reserve, or head to Terindah Property to pattern some native wines and revel in views from the terrace.
Bellarine is a small city with solely 81 habitable properties, but it surely’s most well-known for its wineries and tranquility.
As soon as once more, Victoria shocked us with the present of a spot to relaxation and a group to embrace us.
We had no plans to go to the Bellarine Peninsula, however adopted the recommendation of a trusted good friend. One week turned to 3 as we explored Queenscliff, Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads.
As soon as once more, it’s an space that may’t compete with the beautiful fantastic thing about many cities throughout the border, however there was a house grown goodness right here that stole our hearts.
Victoria, you’re so compact and provides your folks a lot alternative for relaxation and rejuvenation, with good meals and wine thrown in.
It rooted us and helped us to rebuild. You opened up a brand new dimension of ourselves, deepened our bond and introduced readability and renewed energy to proceed our journey.
Torquay
- Distance: 46.1km alongside C123 and Surf Coast Hwy
- Drive time: 45 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: one night time
Head to Torquay after lunch and park your automotive up on the lodge, as that is the place you’ll spend the night time.
Torquay is the gateway to the Nice Ocean Highway, however there’s a lot to see and do right here and shouldn’t be a passing cease.
Spend the afternoon exploring the Australian Pure Browsing Museum, catch a sundown from Torquay Entrance Seashore, or unwind with a craft beer at Bells Seashore Brewing.
Nice Ocean Highway – Port Campbell (Three Days)
- Distance: 190km alongside Nice Ocean Highway
- Drive time: Three hours 30 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: Three days
It baffles me how folks drive the Nice Ocean Highway in in the future.
This 243 km highway is Australia’s most scenic highway and also you want a minumum of three days to drive the size and cease off on the superb viewpoints and mountain climbing trails.
This highway is a lot extra than simply a few rocks, but even these completely floored me with their spectacular magnificence.
We lingered for 10 days mountain climbing via rainforests, spying on sleeping koalas in gum bushes by the roadside, having fun with your stunning seashores, and exploring the magnificent sculptured shoreline.
We advocate you make your night time stops at Lorne, Apollo Bay, and Port Campbell.
Some unmissable sights on the Nice Ocean Highway are the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Erskine Falls, and Hopetoun Falls. And you’ll want to cease off to do some whale-watching from the viewpoints.
The Grampians (1 Day)
- Distance: 152km alongside Hamilton Hwy/B140
- Drive time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: 1 day
Our go to to The Grampians was one in every of my favorite days in Victoria.
We started with a 4km spherical journey hike to the Pinnacles within the Grampians Nationwide Park.
The solar got here out and warmed our spirits. The women walked the whole 2.1km uphill path to the height, shocking me with a energy I didn’t know that they had.
Savannah walked barefoot and Kalyra took on the management position to observe the arrows to the highest.
It was a type of memorable days spent bathed in happiness and delightful nature.
We stayed on the YHA Grampians in Halls Hole, the gateway to this nationwide park. We advocate staying right here for one night time and spending an entire day exploring the park
The Grampians are well-known for its mountaineering routes, mountain climbing trails, waterfalls (try MacKenzie Falls), and native Australian wildlife equivalent to wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, possums, echidnas, emus and extra.
It additionally has a Gold Rush historical past from late 1800s and early 1900s, which you’ll be able to find out about within the city of Mafeking.
Ballarat – Goldfields Monitor – Daylesford – Hepburn Springs (1 Day)
- Distance: 147km alongside Glenelg Hwy/B160
- Drive time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: 1 day
Depart The Grampians and head again in the direction of Melbourne by way of Ballarat. This metropolis within the Central Highlands is understood for its historical past and botanic gardens.
Spend the morning exploring Sovereign Hill to study concerning the Gold Rush period, adopted by a go to to Ballarat Wildlife Park or Ballarat Botanical Gardens in the event you fancy hanging round longer.
Ballarat is well-known for its Victorian structure and is a part of the Worldwide League of Historic Cities (the primary one in Australia to earn the title).
If you wish to get out of the town and into nature, then think about mountain climbing a portion of the Goldfields Monitor, a 210 km point-to-point mountain climbing path via Victoria’s historic cities and mountains.
After all, it wouldn’t be potential to finish the entire hike on this itinerary, however there’s a stunning part that leaves from Ballarat and passes via Daylesford and Castlemaine earlier than arriving at Bendigo.
This path is 6.8km out and again and is flat many of the means, passing via Bendigo Regional Park. You’ll be able to view the path map right here.
Hepburn Springs
- Distance: 46.6km by way of Ballarat-Daylesford Rd/C292 and Midland Hwy/A300
- Drive time: 45 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: 1 night time
Spend the night time in Hepburn Springs, a tiny resort city the place you possibly can soothe your aching hiker’s legs at one of many scorching spring spas.
This city is within the coronary heart of the most important focus of mineral springs in Australia.
Chill out at The Mineral Spa or go for a night stroll round Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve.
Hepburn Springs – Macedon Ranges – Yarra Ranges
- Distance: 63.2km by way of Romsey Highway
- Drive time: 55 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: 1 day
Stand up early to drive to the Madecon Ranges, often known as The Shire of Macedon Ranges.
That is wine nation, and is greatest identified for its wineries, native forests, and rock formations.
Don’t miss an opportunity to see the geographical attraction Hanging Rock, after which hang around on the Hanging Rock Vineyard for some unimaginable views and crisp wine.
When you love gardens, the Forest Glade Gardens are significantly stunning.
Black Spur Drive
- Distance: 123km by way of Romsey Highway
- Drive time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: 1 day
After spending a morning hanging round Macedon Ranges, take the scenic highway referred to as Black Spur Drive in the direction of Marysville, the place you’ll spend the night time.
This 27.9 kilometre drive connects Healesville to the Yarra Ranges, by way of Narbethong and the Nice Dividing Vary.
It’s identified for its lush forested landscapes, made up of ash bushes and inexperienced ferns. Cease off at Dom Dom in Marysville State Forest for a picnic or afternoon espresso.
Head on to Marysville the place you’ll spend the night time.
Marysville, Yarra Ranges (2 Days)
- Distance: 152km alongside Maroondah Hwy/B360
- Drive time: 20 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: 1-2 days
On the finish of the Black Spur Drive, you’ll end up in Marysville, a city I didn’t know a lot about, however fell in love with.
Marysville was devasted by a bush hearth in 2009, however how this city recovered is outstanding.
We loved the serenity of Marysville’s overhanging tree lined streets and the encompassing forested mountains of the Nice Dividing Vary.
We stayed for 2-Three days simply to soak within the serenity, however in case you are quick on time, you can spend one full day right here mountain climbing within the Yarra Vary and Nice Dividing Vary.
Vibrant (2 Days)
- Distance: 261km alongside Nationwide HWY M31
- Drive time: 2 hour 55 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: 2 days
As talked about earlier, our introduction to Victoria began with Vibrant. Oh how I really like Vibrant, my little alpine slice of heaven.
Vibrant offers love its concrete kind and I simply need to bathe in it.
Kalyra and I don’t cease sharing the reminiscences. She desires to reside there. Though she is torn with a metropolis that captured her coronary heart.
I like to recommend you keep a minimal of two days, however you can simply spend extra days right here when you have time in your aspect.
Murrindal & The Snowy River Nationwide Park (2 Days)
- Distance: 294km alongside Nice Alpine Rd/B500
- Drive time: four hours 30 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: 2 days (together with journey day)
It’s a protracted drive from Vibrant to Murrindal, the gateway to the Snowy River Nationwide Park.
This nationwide park is a superb place to cease off and do some mountain climbing or some tenting. I like to recommend you keep one night time and do the Little River Gorge Stroll on the way in which to Murrindal (the place you need to keep the night time).
The following day is one other lengthy drive, so head to Basin Creek Falls Picnic Space to have a picnic breakfast within the scenic nationwide park earlier than driving on to Wilsons Promontory.
Observe that Snowy River Nationwide Park typically closes on account of unhealthy climate, so verify the web site for closures earlier than visiting.
Wilsons Promontory (Three Days)
- Distance: 152km alongside Hamilton Hwy/B140
- Drive time: four hours
- How lengthy to remain: Three days (together with journey day)
My first response to Wilsons Promontory was “Unbelievable!” (I truly swore, however you already know, household journey weblog!)
As quickly as we turned the nook and noticed the views: pink, granite boulder cliffs, turquoise waters, white squeaky sand, and dunes and inexperienced hills.
How have I NEVER heard of Wilsons Promontory and Squeaky Seashore till I crossed the border and each Victorian I met mentioned, “Promenade Nation is my favorite a part of Victoria, if not Australia.”
Squeaky Seashore made our greatest seashores in Australia record and high nationwide parks to go to in Australia.
I’d by no means heard of Promenade Nation earlier than so we didn’t ebook forward, which meant we may solely get Three days there at Tidal River. I needed to remain for weeks!
Nevertheless, Three days is sufficient in the event you’re quick on time.
Some well-liked issues to do there are surf at Norman Seashore, hike to Mount Bishop, look out for migrating whales from Tongue Level, take a cruise to Cranium Rock and search for seal colonies, and naturally, calm down on Squeaky Seashore.
Philip Island (1 Day)
- Distance: 143km alongside C444
- Drive time: 1 hour 57 minutes
- How lengthy to remain: 1-2 days
Lastly, it’s time to go again in the direction of Melbourne, however not earlier than stopping off at Phillips Island, identified for its colony of fairy penguins.
You’ll be able to attain Phillips Island by taking a ferry from Stony Level on the Mornington Peninsula.
It’s not simply penguins that you need to go to right here for. I assumed I’d be gushing over fairy penguins, however as an alternative, it was the chilled vibe that captivated me most.
It is a widespread weekend getaway from Melbourne and the place you see these working laborious within the metropolis every week calm down on the weekend.
We prolonged the groove on Phillip Island to every week lengthy keep, however you possibly can go to in a day journey or 2 day journey.
Philips Island is simply a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Melbourne by way of the M1, the place our itinerary ends.
Map of This Victoria Itinerary
That will help you plan your stops and drive instances, here’s a map of this highway journey of Victoria:
Ultimate Ideas
Victoria, what a state. Its magnificence is tucked away in so many corners, it’s a must to go trying to discover it.
I’m glad I found the key of Victoria, and I’m sorry, however I’m sharing it.
Any more, I come to Victoria with hearts and arms huge open. There’s a softness and heat happiness with Victorians that you just don’t discover elsewhere in Australia.
The folks right here don’t need to show to the world they’re nice, they only realize it from the within out and take consolation in that inside peace.
They win the award for many passionate and pleasant.
Simply once I was beginning to wane with Victoria, you already know, as a result of the climate is so per being inconsistently terrible – and probably the most annoying flies in Australia (on final depend, I’d swallowed 5) – I used to be wowed…
Victoria opened my eyes to the depth my nation has to supply. Thanks for that.
You’ll at all times have a particular place in my coronary heart, Victoria.
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