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Area: 228,000 sq km
Population: 4,460,000 million
Capital city: Melbourne (pop: 3,300,000)
Victoria comprises only 3% of the continent's landmass. It is bordered by NSW (to the north), South Australia (to the west), the Bass Strait (to the south) and the Pacific Ocean (to the east). The major geographic feature is the Great Dividing Range, which curves east-west across the centre of the state. The highest peak is Mt Bogong (1988 metres). The eastern and southern parts of the state are fertile, rolling, farm country. The dry, western, volcanic plains merge into the desert wilderness areas in the north-west of Victoria. Approximately 35% of the land is forested, and there are 31 national and 46 state parks.
 Victoria: ski in the morning & grow wheat in the afternoon (19K)
Victoria has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. There are three climatic regions: the southern and coastal areas, the alpine areas of the Great Dividing Range, and the north-western region. Coastal regions have changeable weather because they're exposed to frequent cold fronts and southerly winds; alpine areas have the most extreme climate, with plenty of snow in winter; the north-west has a stable and generally hot and dry climate. The late summer/autumn months of March and April are climatically the best time to visit.
Melbourne
The state capital is a grand, civilised city of Victorian architecture, muscular skyscrapers, city parks and anachronistic but charming trams. It's built on the edge of the sluggish Yarra River and the shores of Port Phillip Bay. Devoid of defining geographic or architectural landmarks, Melbourne has traditionally been characterised by its people, its multicultural restaurants, its passion for sport and its reputation as a centre of cultural excellence.
Melbourne is by no means inundated with natural attractions, but it can be a pleasing city to explore. Highlights include the Parliament House, St Paul's Cathedral, Chinatown, the Botanic Gardens, and the National Gallery of Victoria. Inner city excursions to black-is-the-new-black Fitzroy, the frighteningly trendy beachside suburb of St Kilda, and the Vietnamese section of Richmond are equally rewarding experiences.
This route along the south-western coast of Victoria is one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world. It winds around ragged cliffs, windswept beaches and tall bluffs, passing through lush rainforest and towering eucalypts. The most outstanding section is the Port Campbell National Park, which features an amazing collection of limestone sculptures, including the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge. The other highlight is the section through the forests of the Otways Ranges, between Apollo Bay and Lorne. The best towns along the coast are the resort town of Lorne and the quaint, historic Port Fairy, west of Warrnambool. The road officially starts at Torquay and ends at Warrnambool, but the road follows the coast to Portland
Limestone cliff formations along the Great Ocean Road (12K)
This fertile undulating region east of Melbourne, is a mixture of scenic beauty and heavy industry. If you avoid the towns of the Latrobe Valley, which form Victoria's industrial heartland, then you're in for a treat of forests, mountain ranges, dairy farms, coastal scenery and pockets of rainforest. Gippsland is an undeveloped tourist region and all the better for it. The Grand Ridge Rd, a narrow country lane which runs along the ridge of the Strzelecki Ranges is one of the most spectacular drives in the state. The gourmet trail in west Gippsland has abundant fruit and berry orchards, cheese factories and trout farms. In the north of the region, Walhalla is probably the state's most idyllic former goldmining town.
Cluster of mailboxes in rural Victoria (25K)
Wilsons Prom's superb bushwalking, dramatic coastal scenery, beautiful beaches and abundant wildlife have made it one of the most popular national parks in Australia. The `Prom' protrudes from southern Gippsland into the Bass Strait. There is only one access road, which leads from the town of Foster to the camping ground at Tidal River. Highlights include the walks to Mt Oberon, Squeaky Beach and Sealers Cove.
Sealers Cove, Wilsons Promontory (19K)
Ballarat, Victoria's largest former goldmining town, is a thriving regional centre, with a grand main street lined with impressive Victorian buildings belying the wealth once generated from the rich quartz reefs in the region. The main tourist attraction is the theme park reconstruction of the Sovereign Hill goldmining township, and the towns historical connections with the Eureka Stockade Rebellion. However, it also has one of the oldest and best provincial fine art galleries in the country, an excellent lakeside botanic garden, and a monumental tree-lined Avenue of Honour, which provides a dramatic entrance to the town from the north-west.
Sovereign Hill, Ballarat (22K)
Bendigo is the next largest former goldmining centre, and retains some of the reminders of the thousands of Chinese diggers who worked in the goldfields. Maldon, Castlemaine, Clunes and Talbot are the best old goldmining towns to visit - the latter is already resembling a ghost town. The former goldmining towns of Daylesford and Hepburn Springs have reinvented themselves as spa centres and thrive on weekend visitors from Melbourne.
Victoria's High Country, north-east of Melbourne, is the southern end of the continent-long Great Dividing Range. It isn't particular high - the highest point is less than 2000 metres - but it contains some of the state's most spectacular landscapes and offers the potential for a huge range of outdoor activities. The highlights are the ski resorts and alpine walking trails, but settlements in the foothills of the mountains include the beautifully preserved goldmining townships of Beechworth and Yackandandah. The north-south Mt Beauty-Falls Creek-Omeo-Bairnsdale road, which traverses the High Country, is a spectacular drive and can be negotiated by 2WDs except during the snow season.
 Off the record
The spectacular Grampians National Park is a collection of four rugged granite and sandstone ranges, north-west of Melbourne, which are renowned for their native flora and fauna, bushwalks, Aboriginal rock art, lookouts and rock-climbing possibilities. The mountains are best viewed in spring when the wildflowers are in bloom.
Victoria Range, The Grampians (17K)
Mildura is an oasis watered by the mighty Murray River in the middle of a desolate desert landscape. It's a major agricultural centre, full of lush orange groves, orchards and vineyards, which is increasingly turning to tourism based on its endless blue skies and sunshine, its wineries and river cruises. Attractions include camel rides, ballooning and golf. Houseboats are available for rent.
The Snowy River, Croajingolong, Errinundra and Coopracambra national parks in the Wilderness Coast area of eastern Gippsland are four of the state's most spectacular and remote national parks. Much of this area of Victoria has never been cleared for agriculture, although controversial logging still takes place. Landscapes range from temperate rainforests to alpine gorges and unspoilt beaches and inlets. Activities include bushwalking, canoeing and river-rafting. The nearest sizeable town to the four parks is Orbost. Mallacoota is a peaceful fishing and boating resort in the middle of Croajingolong.
The Big Desert Wilderness in the Wimmera is aptly, if not very imaginatively, named. The area is mostly sand dunes, red sandstone ridges, and mallee heath and scrub. There are no roads, no tracks, no facilities and no water. Visitors have to walk in, carry all their food and water requirements and be handy with a map and compass. Part of the grandeur of the area is that its remoteness and infertility have left it virtually untouched by white Australians. Nhill and Murrayville are the closest communities.
There is good bushwalking in the Dandenongs on the eastern outskirts of Melbourne, at Wilsons Promontory, and near Falls Creek and Mt Hotham in the High Country. The Alpine Walking Track starts at Mt Erica, near Walhalla, and runs all the way to the ACT. The Great South-West Walk covers 250 km of coastal scenery between Portland and the South Australian border.
The Victorian snowfields are north-east of Melbourne, scattered throughout the Great Dividing Range. The main ski resorts are Falls Creek, Mt Buller and Mt Hotham. Baw Baw and Mt Buffalo are smaller centres, popular with novices and families. The ski season lasts from mid-June to mid-September.
Canoeing and rafting trips can be arranged on the Snowy, Glenelg and Murray rivers. There is good sailing in Port Phillip Bay and on the large Gippsland lakes. There are scuba diving centres at Angelsea, Flinders, Lorne, Mallacoota and Portsea. The best surf is between Lonsdale and Apollo Bay, and on the ocean side of the Mornington Peninsula.
Mt Bogong, Bright and Apollo Bay are favoured hang-gliding spots. Mt Arapiles, near Horsham, is famous among rock climbers for its range of climbing options. The best places for horse riding are Mt Beauty, Bright and Omeo in the High Country, and Corryong, on the Murray River.
The Port Fairy Folk Festival takes place in March and the Maldon Folk Festival is held in November. The Bells Beach Easter Surfing Classic is in April at the famous surf beach east of Lorne; the Falls Creek World Loppet Ski Marathon takes place in August and the Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycle Classic is in September.
Victoria is not vast enough to require internal flights, but if you need to get around in a hurry there are scheduled flights to Albury-Wodonga, Mildura, and Portland. Country services are operated by V/Line, with trains servicing the main centres and buses filling in the gaps and doing cross-country runs between towns. The major train routes are from Melbourne to Warrnambool via Geelong, to Adelaide via Ballarat, to Mildura, to Swan Hill via Bendigo, to Albury via Seymour, to Cobram via Seymour and to Bairnsdale via Traralgon. Cars can be hired in all decent-sized regional towns.
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Facts at a Glance
Environment
Attractions
Off The Beaten Track
Activities
Events
Getting Around
