Touring Regional Victoria

Travel beyond the city for a breath of fresh air and a new dining, outdoor or cultural experience. Welcoming villages, local produce, fine wine, art and history, tall forests, ocean roads, mountains and fertile valleys - regional Victoria has it all.

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia provides delegates with endless opportunities for touring. Make sure your conference program provides delegates with a taste of the culture, cuisine, fashion, sports, adventure and history that makes Australia unique.

Plan a day trip into Melbourne's surrounds for a little indulgence, a gallery or gourmet experience. In the Yarra Valley, see the latest exhibition at TarraWarra Museum of Art then take a break at the adjoining café and restaurant. Lunch at a cellar door restaurant on the Mornington Peninsula followed by a round of golf or walk to Point Nepean. Visit the Goldfields region and discover gold-rush history at a local museum. Book a massage or spa treatment in Daylesford, the capital of pamper, or settle in for a soak at Peninsula Hot Springs on the Mornington Peninsula.

Victoria is an important golf destination, with five of Australia's top 10 courses (as ranked in the 2009 Golf Course Guide). Most of the state's several hundred courses are open to the public, many in beautiful surrounds. Play a round on traditional links-style courses on the Mornington Peninsula, or venture further afield for resort-style courses in the Murray River region.

Visit Novotel Forest Resort, Creswick for the Robert Allenby designed course, or Sebel Heritage Yarra Valley for a course designed by Jack Nicklaus.

Victoria is renowned for its fresh produce and fine wines, both on offer at award-winning country restaurants. The state has about 850 wineries, 650 with cellar doors - more than any other Australian state. Many also operate restaurants.

Take a scenic drive through Victoria's gourmet regions such as the Yarra Valley, Milawa in the King Valley and the Murray River, home to Stefano's in Mildura. Look out for boutique brewers and cheese and chocolate makers along the way.

Discover Victoria's fascinating history. See rock art at the Grampians National Park and discover the history of its original Indigenous inhabitants at Brambuk National Park and Cultural Centre. Visit the Goldfields region and see the legacy of the 1850s gold rush in the graceful architecture, museums and recreated mines. Visit Victoria's oldest homestead, Emu Bottom, for a taste of Australia's colonial heritage.

See some of the state's natural wonders. At Phillip Island Nature Park, spot koalas in the treetops and watch little penguins waddle up the beach at sunset. Each year Southern Right Whales are spotted in the waters of Logans Beach near Warrnambool, where they come to calve.

The Great Ocean Road, with its scenic coastline, is a Victorian icon. The Murray River, with its glorious sunsets and red gums, runs along the New South Wales and Victorian border. The Great Alpine Road is a stretch of seasonal wildflowers, mountain views and snow fields finishing at Bairnsdale and the spectacular Gippsland Lakes.

Whichever of the many experiences you chose in Victoria, you will find that few destinations offer such diversity.

From skiing in Victoria's high country in winter, to snorkelling along the stunning surf coast in summer, from enjoying the striking colours of autumn at a vineyard, to cheering home your chosen racehorse at a country race carnival in Spring, Victoria is a destination for all seasons, and one which is sure to please whenever you visit.

Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau can provide expert advice to help facilitate pre- and post-touring options which are sure to impress. Contact MCVB on:

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+613 9693 3333

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mcvb@mcvb.com.au

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www.mcvb.com.au