15 Surprising Things You Can Only Do in Victoria

There are few wildlife experiences that can match the scale of the nightly Phillip Island Penguin Parade, where more than 1000 Little Penguins waddle across the sand to their burrows. Here, 90 minutes’ drive south of Melbourne, you can skip the crowds on the beachfront grandstands and head out to a secluded beach on the ultimate penguin adventure with a ranger and night-vision scope.

Bringing Sahara vibes to Victoria’s southernmost coast, the sand dunes of Big Drift at Wilsons Promontory National Park, located about two and a half hours’ drive south-east of Melbourne, are like a naturally formed adventure playground. To visit this sea of sand, walk in via the two-kilometre bush track from the Stockyard Campground and don’t forget your boogie board to try dune surfing. Pro tip: sunrise and sunsets are spectacular and give you even more chance of seeing kangaroos and wombats.

Perched high on a rooftop in Collingwood, three kilometres from Melbourne CBD, Easey’s is difficult to miss (just look for the three graffiti-daubed silver Hitachi train carriages). Head on up to find a hipster bar with a gritty attitude, where the music is loud and the burgers are as big as your head.

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A prickly landscape of more than 4000 species of cacti and succulents, Cactus Country replicates the Mojave Desert in the red earth of the Murray River region. The 4.8-hectare arid garden in Strathmerton, about three hours’ drive north of Melbourne, has a Mexican-themed café serving frozen margaritas and cactus cake, while a walk along the snaking paths is sure to provide you with brilliant photo ops for the ’gram.

Fun fact: Melbourne is one of the world’s only major cities where balloons can fly directly over the CBD. Lifting off from a city fringe park, Global Ballooning Australia will take you on an unforgettable serene sunrise adventure, delivering bird’s-eye views of the mist-covered Yarra River and iconic sights such as the MCG.

An icon of the Great Ocean Road, the Pole House is perched dramatically on a single stilt overlooking Fairhaven Beach, just over 90 minutes south-west of Melbourne. Reached via a footbridge from the back road, the renovated modernist marvel has views for miles (quite literally), a cosy fireplace and a plush queen bed for the ultimate romantic getaway.

Eat premium shellfish straight from the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours, just over 90 minutes south of Melbourne on the Bellarine Peninsula. Casting off from Portarlington on a retro-cute trawler, you’ll learn the farming ropes and enjoy the fruits of your labour cooked by the on-board chef, paired with the region’s premium produce, including cool-climate chardonnay and pinot noir.

Six silver Airstream caravans parked on a CBD rooftop give Hotel No a distinct point of difference when it comes to choosing Melbourne accommodation. Overlooking Flinders Lane, the renovated 1970s vans have queen-sized beds, ensuites and decks for soaking up the big city vibes. Book the van with a private outdoor spa to bubble in the urban jungle.

The chameleon-like quality of some Victorian salt lakes sees them turn pink when certain conditions cause their naturally occurring algae to take on a photogenic blushing hue. Visit them in locations as close to Melbourne as Westgate Park, beneath the West Gate Bridge in the city’s inner west, or hit the road north-west for Murray Sunset National Park (about seven hours’ drive) and Lake Tyrell, roughly five hours from Melbourne.

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Planted in 1868, the pinot meunier and shiraz vines from the Nursery Block at Best’s Great Western, two and a half hours’ drive west of Melbourne, might be the world’s oldest. Both are available to taste on a visit to the character-filled western Victorian winery’s cellar door, which is housed in the 19th-century stables. Other experiences include guided tours of the original 1870s cellars.

Commonly known as Skull Rock, the granite monolith looming from Bass Strait near Wilsons Promontory, approximately three hours south-east of Melbourne, could have been plucked from a fantasy movie thanks to its striking grassy cavern big enough to contain the Sydney Opera House. It’s inaccessible to humans but Pennicott Wilderness Journeys’ bright yellow amphibious boats will let you see Cleft Island (its official name) up close.

Soak away your cares at luxurious new Mornington Peninsula escape Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, where more than 30 naturally heated pools are nestled in a Zen-like landscape of native plantings. Bookend the bliss with lunch at on-site restaurant Thyme, where Karen Martini’s menu nails local produce-driven perfection.