Victoria Attractions

Opened in 2002 to commemorate 100 years of federation in Australia, Federation Square lies in the very heart of Melbourne, adjacent to the Flinders Street railway station and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Established in 1846, the Royal Botanic Gardens sprawl across 40 hectares to the south of the Yarra River and are considered one of the finest of their kind in the world. The gardens include more than 10,000 different species, including many rare varieties of both native and exotic species.

Known to locals simply as “The G”, the Melbourne Cricket Ground is considered Australia’s most legendary sports stadium and the country’s largest. It was here that the 1956 Olympic Games and 2006 Commonwealth Games were showcased and it is considered the spiritual home of Test Cricket and Australian Rules Football.

Stretching along the Yarra River just a short stroll from the city center, Southbank is a vibrant area of restaurants, cafes, cultural institutions and shops. It is a major hub of live entertainment, with venues such as Hamer Hall, the State Theatre and the Playhouse situated within the Arts Centre, as well as being home to the famous Crown Casino.

Australia’s oldest public art museum is the National Gallery of Victoria, which is set across two locations in Melbourne. It was founded in 1861 and has grown to become one of Australia’s largest institutions dedicated to art, with the NGV International collection on St.

Named after the 1854 Eureka Stockade rebellion of Victorian goldfield prospectors, the Eureka Tower has become one of Melbourne’s most recognizable landmarks. Its gold-plated windows and crown glisten in the sun’s light as it soars 297 meters over the Southbank entertainment precinct.

If you want to gain a more comprehensive insight into the history of Melbourne, make the short tram ride from the CBD to the Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building. It follows the development of society and cultures in the city from its indigenous Aboriginal communities to modern-day settlements and has recently been awarded the title of “Best Tourist Attraction”.

Officially known as the Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens, the Melbourne Zoo is located a short tram ride north of the city center and survives as Australia’s oldest zoo. It was modeled on the London Zoo and first opened to the public on 6 October 1862 on a 55-acre parcel of land at Royal Park.

Brought all the way from Yorkshire, England to Melbourne’s Fitzroy Gardens, Captain Cook’s Cottage is the former home of one of the most influential explorers to enter Australian waters. It provides a unique insight into the life and times of this British captain who made the first European contact with Australia’s east coast, as well as being the first recorded as having circumnavigated New Zealand.

If you want to pick up fresh produce and artisan goods in Melbourne, there’s no better place than at the historic Queen Victoria Market. It’s the only surviving 19th-century market left in Melbourne’s CBD and is the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere.

Stretching for more than 240 kilometers between Torquay and Allansford, the Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s most scenic drives. It takes in spectacular beaches, charismatic surf towns and the iconic rock formations of the Twelve Apostles.

Jutting into Bass Strait to the southeast of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is a popular getaway destination for locals. It features idyllic stretches of beach and an enticing gastronomy scene, as well as picturesque walking trails within the Mornington Peninsula National Park.

Featuring rugged sandstone mountains that rise spectacularly from the Western Plains, the Grampians National Park is one of Victoria’s most popular wilderness destinations. It’s traversed by bushwalking trails and scenic drives that explore its cascading waterfalls and panoramic lookouts while being dotted with campsites and climbing routes.

Sprawling between Torquay, Princetown and up into the Otways hinterland, the Great Otway National Park protects rugged coastlines and pristine beaches, as well as tall forests and cascading waterfalls. Windswept tracts of heathland support magnificent spring wildflowers while lush fern gullies provide a habitat for a diverse array of species.

Traversing the magnificent Dandenong Ranges, the Puffing Billy Railway is a heritage, narrow gauge railway that stretches between Belgrave and Gembrook Stations. It was built at the turn of the 20th century in a bid to develop the rural areas on the outskirts of Melbourne, with the Victorian capital situated just 40 kilometers away.

Jutting into Bass Strait to the southeast of Melbourne, Wilsons Promontory National Park is Victoria’s largest coastal wilderness area. It’s a land of rugged granite mountains and white sandy beaches and renowned for its abundant wildlife that can be spotted along the extensive walking trails.

Nestled in the Victorian Alps of the Great Dividing Range, Mount Hotham is home to Victoria’s highest ski resort and a favorite winter getaway for locals. The summit of Mount Hotham rises to more than 1,800 meters, with Hotham Alpine Resort offering 320 hectares of skiable terrain.

Wander through the Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens that have been created atop an extinct volcano or enjoy the scenic drive around the edge of the garden. Seasonal floral displays illuminate the grounds, with incredible views over Daylesford from the walking trails.

Lake Daylesford sprawls to the south of the town, with the “peace mile” walking trail hugging its perimeter. The elegant Lake House nestles on its eastern shore, with its fine-dining restaurant and country house accommodation one of Victoria’s most exclusive.

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Take a ride on the Daylesford Spa Country Railway that travels from the 1882 heritage-listed railway station in Daylesford to the town of Bullarto. It travels through thick forest and the scenic countryside of the Central Highlands to what is the highest operating railway station in Victoria.