6 Weekend Getaways in Regional Victoria
Last month, I wrote about my recent road trip on the Great Ocean Road which was awesome! It’s definitely the most popular destination for travellers visiting Melbourne. However, Victoria has tons of other incredibly beautiful places to discover. In this blog article, I’ll be sharing my top 6 short weekend getaways that you can go on from Melbourne. Whether you’re a beach bum, a hiker or a wine aficionado, I’m sure at least one of the below will make up for the perfect adventure.
Regional Victoria
6 weekend getaways you can take from Melbourne
The Grampians
Main town: Halls Gap
Distance from Melbourne: 3 hours
The Grampians is a beautiful National Park located 3 hours west from Melbourne and it is often compared to Sydney’s Blue Mountains. I personally found it to be significantly different. It’s definitely drier and the colours in certain areas of the park are more orange/red-ish compared to the bright blues of the Blue Mountains. I also found it to be much more remote - I rarely had any phone signal.
The main village in the area is called Halls Gap, and it’s definitely where I’d recommend staying. From there, you can easily reach many walking tracks including the popular hike to MacKenzie Falls (2km return). This waterfall is absolutely stunning and definitely worth a visit despite its popularity. Other places worth visiting in the same area are: The Balconies at sunset, Boroka Lookout at sunrise, and the hike up to The Pinnacle Lookout. The latter is quite challenging as it’s a one-hour constant climb (one-way) with no shades. Brings lots of water - the view is totally worth it!
Lastly, if you’ve got enough time to venture more and still have a bit of energy left, I highly recommend driving further north to Hollow Mountain. You’ll immediately notice the change of terrain as soon as you start getting closer to the starting point of the walking track. This 2-hour (return) hike is super fun, but challenging and includes a bit of rock scrambling.
Yarra Valley
Main towns: Yarra Glen & Healesville
Distance from Melbourne: 1 hour
Yarra Valley is very well known for its delicious wines. It’s the perfect weekend getaway from Melbourne to go indulge in some tasty food paired with local wines. It’s also very close to the city so another option is to just go there for a day trip. If you decide to stay overnight (highly recommended), then I’d suggest staying in a hotel or an Airbnb in Yarra Glen or Healesville. We personally chose the latter, which is very charming, and went to grab a delicious coffee and croissant at Habituel cafe every morning! Their ham & cheese croissant is to die for by the way!
We were there on Christmas day, and didn’t realise how challenging it would be to find somewhere that’s open and still have spots available for a late lunch. Some of the top restaurants/wineries that were recommended to me are: Balgownie Estate, TarraWarra, Oakridge, Coombe and Levantine Hill. Luckily, we found one spot available at Oakridge Wines and to our surprise, that table was right outside on their beautiful terrasse. What a dream! Both their food and wine were delicious, and we had exceptional service from our lovely waitress!
The next morning, we woke up incredibly early for a very special adventure. It turns out we managed to book a hot air balloon flight with Global Ballooning at the very last minute the day before. We were super excited about it since the weather conditions looked perfect. Indeed, they were and we were both left speechless when we saw that early morning mist and the sun rising from behind the hills. It’s definitely the best Christmas gift we could possibly offer ourselves!
Then in the afternoon, the sky started changing colour, so we jump in the car and drove along the Black Spur Drive before it started raining. This scenic drive is located in Yarra Ranges National Park and connects Healesville to Narbethong. There are heaps of hiking tracks for those who like the outdoors, but we had to head back to the city due to the weather conditions.
Mornington Peninsula
Main towns: Mornington & Sorrento
Distance from Melbourne: 1-1.5 hour
Spoiler alert! This has got to be my favourite place in Victoria! I went there 3 times for a day-trip during my stay in Victoria.
Mornington Peninsula covers quite a big and diverse territory, with places near the bay and others facing the ocean. An easy day trip down there could start in Mornington with a delicious açai bowl from Store Fifteen and a walk along Mills Beach followed by an afternoon sunbathing in Mount Martha and swimming at The Pillars. I don’t think I’ve seen a water this blue anywhere else in Victoria. If you’re hungry, definitely check out Mr Curtis - it’s got a beautiful decor and is super close to the beach.
Then there’s the southern tip of the peninsula which faces the ocean and is much more raw and remote. I’d definitely recommend checking Flinders Pier and then going for a little hike at Cape Schanck. I guarantee it’s worth venturing off the beaten track to go see Pulpit Rock at low tide. When you’re done, it’s worth driving all the way to the very tip of the peninsula near Portsea. Sunset is absolutely beautiful near both Diamond Bay and the London Bridge Lookout. If you’re hungry, you’re also very close to Sorrento, where most of the restaurants are. I personally had a delicious pizza from BackBeach Pizza.
Last but not least, Mornington Peninsula is also very well known for its vineyards. Polperro and Montalto are definitely two that I’d recommend checking on a chill and sunny afternoon.
Phillip Island
Main town: Cowes
Distance from Melbourne: 2 hours
That’s another great spot for a weekend getaway - or even a day trip if you wake up really early!
I’d suggest starting the day with a beautiful walk around Cape Woolamai, which starts on Woolamai Beach and then goes around the tip of the National Park. You’ll come across stunning locations such as The Pinnacles, The Beacon and Gull Island Lookout. Then I’d suggest a quick stop at Forrest Caves before heading Cowes for lunch. I personally went to The Waterboy Cafe and then went window shopping for a bit - there are some nice clothing and antique shops by the water.
Then there’s the western part of the Island where I highly recommend doing the board walk at the Nobbies. It’s better to go there during the late afternoon as the light tends to be more beautiful at that time of the day. Also, if you don’t have a ticket already (which I highly recommend booking online in advance) - that’s where you can buy one for the Penguin Parade ($27.50pp). This unique experience happens right at sunset when hundreds of tiny Little Penguins head back home after a day at sea hunting for food! Photos and videos aren’t allowed during the experience so I can’t share any visuals here, but I definitely recommend the experience. It’s such a cute thing watching them come out of the water in big groups and hurry back to their tiny homes.
Wilsons Promontory
Main town: Tidal River
Distance from Melbourne: 3 hours
I had never even heard of this place before I travelled to Victoria. When my friend Marie and I were having lunch at Oakridge Wines in Yarra Valley earlier on the trip, one of the staff members came to our table to have a chat and asked what we were doing in the area. When we told him we like hiking, he then said ‘you HAVE to go to Wilsons Prom then’. I’m so glad I wrote that down and actually went!
By that time, I was travelling solo, and decided to go there by myself. There’s nothing as good as spending time alone in nature!
There are so many incredible places to visit in this National Park; I don’t even know where to start. I think the most popular hike is Mount Oberon Summit Track, which takes roughly 2 hours (return). The views from up there are stunning! It’s a good spot to have a picnic. Right down Mount Oberon is the tiny little village of Tidal River and Norman Beach. It’s usually where people go for camping, and it’s also the only place where you can find a general store. From Norman Beach, I highly recommend going on the walk to Pillar Point Lookout. The walk starts from Tidal River Foot Bridge and takes roughly 45 min to 1 hour (return).
For those who love the beach, I’d suggest checking out Whisky Beach and Squeaky Beach - both equally beautiful!
Now, my favourite place in the whole National Park has got to be Fairy Cove! Not sure whether it’s because I had the whole place to myself, or because the hike there was a bit long and boiling hot, but I literally felt like crying when I finally reached the beach. This place is absolutely surreal and I wanted to pinch myself the whole time I was there. The hike starts from Darby River carpark and takes roughly 2 hours return (if you don’t stop for too long in Fairy Cove). I immediately ran into the water as soon as I got there and it was the best feeling ever. Warning: the water is freezing cold!
A trip to Wilsons Prom wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Big Drift. This place is essentially a massive sand dune at the entrance of the National Park. I personally think it’s better to go there in the late-afternoon or at sunset, when the light is softer.
Daylesford & the Macedon Ranges
Main town: Daylesford
Distance from Melbourne: 1.5 hour
I first heard about Daylesford from an old colleague who said to me “if you liked Bowral, NSW, you will LOVE Daylesford in Victoria!” - let me tell you how right she was!
Daylesford is the perfect romantic getaway from Melbourne, not only is it the spa capital of Australia, but it’s also very well known for its delicious food. It is a super charming town with lots of cute shops, restaurants & their wine deli is awesome! I’d highly recommend visiting during peak summer, as you will get a chance to see the beautiful lavender fields at Sault Daylesford. It is definitely best to make a reservation ahead of time if you’d like to eat at their restaurant (which I recommend), but note that it is also possible to enjoy their lavender fields only; you’ll need to pay a small fee at the reception.
Some of my favourite places for brunch include: Cliffy’s Emporium & Wombat Hill House. Also make sure to go for a little stroll around Lake Daylesford and go visit the art gallery @ the Convent.
If you’re willing to venture outside of the main town, I would recommend a stop at Trentham Falls & the Passing Clouds winery. Lastly, if you would like to visit mainly to relax and enjoy a day at the spa, head to Hepburn Springs where you’ll have multiple spa options, such as the Hepburn Bathhouse & the Mineral Spa.
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