Victoria

Style, elegance and a commitment to culture flourished early in Victoria, the only eastern state with no significant convict history. The discovery of large quantities of gold in 1851 provided the wherewithal to make Melbourne the social and cultural capital of Australia – a position it still claims with considerable determination. Melbourne today is a place of fashion houses, boutiques, galleries, cultural events and festivals and the very best of food and wine. And football.

The areas surrounding Melbourne are equally committed to the cultural ideal. The Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas on either side of Port Phillip Bay are known for their cosmopolitan cafes, antique shops and galleries, and the Yarra Valley to the east produces wine of world standard.

The nearby Dandenong region supports a thriving community of artists, potters and sculptors who live and work amid some of the most beautiful scenery in the state, whilst the mineral springs and spas of the Macedon Ranges to the west provide all you could want in the way of relaxation.

The gold underpinning Victoria's early development was discovered near Ballarat, about 100km west of Melbourne. The area is bristling with history, from the grand colonial buildings of Ballarat itself to the surrounding ghost towns with their dilapidated shanties and sad graveyards. Sovereign Hill is an outdoor museum recreating the life and times of the gold rush era, and tours of the mines as they were back then are readily available.

Victoria's best known icon is a series of giant rock stacks known as the Twelve Apostles, rising from the sea off the coast of Port Campbell National Park on the Great Ocean Road. The GOR itself is an outstanding scenic route, following the southwest coast beside the rainforests and waterfalls of the Otway National Park and the rugged cliffs of the Shipwreck Coast.

To the east of Melbourne, the coastline is a little gentler, though still impressive. Phillip Island in Western Port Bay has some of the best surfing in the state, as well as a nightly parade of little penguins that draws tourists in ever-increasing numbers.

Wilsons Promontory National Park at the southernmost tip of the mainland is probably Victoria's best loved holiday spot, and the Gippsland Lakes area behind the vast stretch of Ninety Mile Beach is one of the state's most attractive tourist destinations.

For those who prefer their entertainment cold, the High Country in central Victoria will prove a veritable Winter Wonderland. The snowfields of Mounts Buller, Hotham, Buffalo, Stirling and Falls Creek offer excellent skiing and snowboarding, and a flourishing winter nightlife. In the summer months, the clear alpine air and magnificent mountain scenery lure visitors into a web of gourmet food, fascinating legend and outdoor adventure.

The Grampians region to the west is also a place for adventure. As well as glorious scenery and well-known vineyards, it's one of the main areas for abseiling and rock climbing, including the internationally known sites at Mount Arapiles.

Much of the border between Victoria and NSW is formed by the Murray River, one of the longest navigable rivers in the world. Paddle steamers at the beautifully restored Port of Echuca now carry tourists where once they carried produce and supplies for the river towns. The Murray is one of Victoria's favourite summer playgrounds.

Victoria is known as the Garden State, and the elegance and sheer beauty of its many parks and gardens make the title more than appropriate.

VIC map