5 Best Things to do in Victoria, Australia
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, and it is technically the world’s largest island and it’s also the smallest continent. It’s six different states are each worth visiting for their own reasons – each with their own wonderful mixture of history, culture, and natural beauty. However, Victoria is, unquestionably, our favourite. Of course, we live here and run a tour company, so that does make us biased. But just because we’re biased it doesn’t mean we’re wrong! For anyone considering a trip around Victoria, we’d firstly like to thank you for your interest in our beautiful section of the country. Secondly, we’d love to give you a bunch of brilliant things to do here. Please just scroll through the list and add the most appealing places and activities to your itinerary! And if anything we say inspires you to travel with us, take a look at our Great Ocean Walk tour experiences.
Explore Australian History in Ballarat
The Great Ocean Road is arguably the most iconic driving round in Australia, and that’s with some incredibly stiff competition from the likes of Sea Cliff Bridge (in New South Wales), Great Alpine Road (also in Victoria), and most of the driving routes in Tasmania. We could probably write an entire guide just on the best driving routes in Australia, and it would be tricky to narrow things down to a list of ten, but the Great Ocean Road would be at the top of this list. This 243km driving route along the coast of Victoria stretches from Torquay to Allansford and there is indescribable beauty on every one of the 243 kilometres. The coastal drive offers epic cliffs, gentle beaches, shipwrecks, and so much more. The legendary 12 Apostles (image at the top of the guide) can be found along this route; it can also be found on the Great Ocean Walk…
The Great Ocean Walk
It’s fitting to place the Great Ocean Walk next, after just recommending the Great Ocean Road, as the two are often confused (for obvious reasons). Both meander along the beautiful coastline of Victoria, but one is a drive and the other is a walk. Walk91 was named for the original length of the Great Ocean Walk, but then they added a little more of it, stretching it all the way to the legendary 12 Apostles. But our name stuck because we had already become relatively well-known for our thoughtful local service. The Great Ocean Walk takes several days and it can be a logistical nightmare for people to organise. That’s where we come in… We can provide comfortable accommodation at the end of each day, as well as food, lifts, and anything else you might need. We also transport your luggage from accommodation to accommodation each day so that you can walk, unburdened, along this stunning coastline. You can opt to walk just the first half of the Great Ocean Walk (taking 3 days) or you can walk the whole Great Ocean Walk in a week. The choice is entirely yours!
Get a Taste for Victoria in the Yarra Valley
With the Dandenong Ranges overlooking it, and Melbourne to the west, the Yarra Valley has a lot going for it even if you don’t enjoy a glass of some of Australia’s best wine. But that’s exactly what you’ll get here! The climate here is ideal for winemaking, and this has allowed 70+ winemakers to set up shop in the Yarra Valley, creating a delicious range of different wines. Park the car for a day (or three) and take a few vineyard tours and wine tastings — there’s nothing like taking in the idyllic countryside while tasting the wine that was grown and created here.
Ski in One of Victoria’s Ski Resorts
Lastly, we’d like to recommend some of Victoria’s excellent ski resorts. While Australia is best known for its blistering temperatures and arid environments, it’s a huge place and Victoria’s southerly location gives it more pronounced seasons. Combine the colder winter with some excellent mountainscapes and you have a recipe for the best skiing in the entire country. The best skiing in Victoria can be found at Mount Buller, Mount Baw Baw, Mount Hotham, and Falls Creek. While you might have not imagined there was any skiing at all in Australia, what you’ll find are some of the best slopes in the Southern Hemisphere.
We chose to only list five of the best things to do in Victoria because there are just so many and 10 could become, 20, 50, or 100. Perhaps, in time, we’ll come back to this list and add to it. In the meantime, however, we hope we’ve inspired one or two readers not only to visit Victoria, but to add some of our top spots to their adventures. In particular, if you’re interested in the self-guided Great Ocean Walk experiences we offer here at Walk91, we look forward to welcoming you and we encourage you to contact us if you have any questions. Your big Victoria adventure awaits!