Touring Regional Victoria

Travel beyond Melbourne for new dining, outdoor or cultural experiences. You will find welcoming villages, fresh local produce and fine wine, art, history, folklore amongst soaring forests, winding coastal roads, alpine regions and fertile valleys - regional Victoria has it all.

Melbourne is the gateway to Victoria's regional escapes. Travel for less than two hours in almost any direction and you will find yourself in one of the state's regions renowned for its food and wine, nature-based or spa and wellness experiences. Plan your retreat to national parks and forests, historic villages, vine filled valleys and rugged pristine coastlines, all within a short drive of the city.

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia provides delegates with endless opportunities for touring. Make sure your conference program provides delegates with time to experience Australia's unique culture, cuisine, fashion, sports, adventure and history.

Sample Superlative Food and Wine

Victoria is home to more than 850 wineries, of which 650 offer tastings at cellar doors, in 21 distinct wine regions. Call in at the welcoming cellar doors of some of the great Australian wine labels, or sample wines matched with local produce served at vineyard restaurants in stunning settings. From the cool climate varieties of the Yarra Valley, to the big reds of Rutherglen, create your own Victorian wine experience.

Play a Round of Golf

Victoria tees off on 400 public and private golf courses which are located throughout the state. Courses are varied and challenging and set in diverse landscapes, from sand based links and alpine environments to courses along the Murray River or the southern coastline. Visitors can play quality, world-class courses, designed by renowned architects and players such as pro golfer Greg Norman, or take a seat in the galleries and watch the stars of the game compete in international tournaments.

Within 90 minutes' drive of Melbourne there are over 200 courses, including the highly ranked sand belt championship courses.

Scenic Bays, Beaches and Peninsulas

Escape the bustle of the city to the bays and peninsulas around Melbourne. Take in great views from lookouts, bayside cafés and historic hotels, sun yourself on a sheltered bay beach, surf an ocean beach, or swim with local dolphins and seals on the Mornington Peninsula. At Phillip Island Nature Park, watch little penguins waddle up the beach at sunset and each year Southern Right Whales are spotted in the waters of Logans Beach near Warrnambool. Explore the local food and wine and history of the Bellarine Peninsula. Call in at historic mansions, explore tunnels and fortifications once used to guard Port Phillip heads and board the car and passenger ferry that crosses the bay regularly.

See Victoria's Natural Wonders

Drive the winding road along the scenic Great Ocean Road, a Victorian icon. Look out over the breathtaking and rugged mountain ranges in the Grampians National Park or follow the route of the Murray River, with its glorious sunsets and red gums, along the New South Wales - Victorian border. The Great Alpine Road is a popular touring route that starts at Wangaratta, traverses the alpine scenery of the high country and finishes in Gippsland at Bairnsdale and the spectacular Gippsland Lakes.

Overnight Accommodation

Explore the historic tree lined streets of villages in the Goldfields region, where grand architecture and local attractions are the legacy of the 1850s Gold Rush. Find a seat in an historic hotel in Healesville for a great meal matched with local wines. Visit the towns once frequented by bushrangers and high country cattlemen in Victoria's High Country, or relax in boutique spa accommodation in Daylesford. You can expect warm, welcome and comfortable accommodation, great local food and wine and close proximity to adventure, leisure and family activities at towns around the state.