©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Melbourne & Victoria The Murray River & Around p307 Goldfields & The High the Grampians Around Country p202 Melbourne p279 p138 Wilsons ^# Melbourne Great Ocean Road & p48 Promontory Bellarine Peninsula & Gippsland p158 p253 Mornington Peninsula & Phillip Island p235 Kate Morgan, Kate Armstrong, Cristian Bonetto, Peter Dragicevich, Trent Holden PLAN YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD Welcome to Mebourne & MELBOURNE .......48 Portland to South Victoria. 4 Australia . 200 Melbourne & AROUND Victoria Map. 6 MELBOURNE ...... 138 GOLDFIELDS & Melbourne & THE GRAMPIANS ..202 The Dandenongs ......140 Victoria Top 12 . 8 Ballarat . 203 Yarra Valley. 141 Bendigo. 211 Need to Know. 14 Healesville & the Lower Goldfields Towns . 217 What’s New. 16 Yarra Valley . 142 Warburton & the Kyneton . 217 If You Like… ........... 17 Upper Yarra Valley . 146 Castlemaine . 218 Month by Month ....... 20 Marysville . 148 Harcourt & Around Castlemaine . 222 Itineraries . 24 Lake Mountain . 149 The Spa Country . 150 Maldon . 223 Victoria Outdoors ...... 34 Daylesford & Hepburn Maryborough . 224 Travel with Children .... 41 Springs . 150 The Grampians. 225 Regions at a Glance ....44 Macedon Ranges Grampians National & Around. .156 Park (Gariwerd) . 225 Trentham . 156 Halls Gap . 226 JURGAR / GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES GETTY / JURGAR Dunkeld & Around . 230 GREAT OCEAN ROAD Wartook Valley & the & BELLARINE Northern Grampians . 231 PENINSULA ....... 158 Northwest of the Grampians ........... 231 Geelong & Bellarine Peninsula ............ 159 Horsham . 231 Geelong . 159 Mt Arapiles State Park . 232 Bellarine Peninsula . 168 Little Desert National Park & Around ........233 Great Ocean Road . 173 Dimboola . 233 Torquay . 173 KOALA IN GREAT OTWAY Little Desert NATIONAL PARK P184 Anglesea . 175 National Park . 233 Aireys Inlet & Around . 177 Nhill . 234 Lorne . 178 NICOLE PATON / GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES GETTY / PATON NICOLE Wye River . 181 MORNINGTON Kennett River . 182 PENINSULA Apollo Bay . 182 & PHILLIP ISLAND ..235 Cape Otway . 184 Mornington Port Campbell Peninsula ............236 National Park . 186 Mornington . 237 Port Campbell . 187 Mornington to Warrnambool . 190 Blairgowrie . 239 Tower Hill Reserve . 194 Sorrento . 240 Port Fairy . 194 Portsea . 241 MORNINGTON PENINSULA Portland . 198 P235 Contents UNDERSTAND Point Nepean THE HIGH Melbourne National Park . 242 COUNTRY ........279 & Victoria Today ......334 Flinders . 243 Mt Baw Baw . 282 History ..............336 Red Hill & Around . 244 Lake Eildon & Around . 283 Food & Wine . 346 French Island. 245 Eildon . 283 Phillip Island .........247 Fashion & Shopping ....351 Jamieson . 284 Mansfield . 284 The Arts ............. 353 WILSONS Mt Buller . 286 Sport. 360 PROMONTORY King Valley . 287 & GIPPSLAND .....253 Milawa Gourmet South Gippsland ......256 Region . 288 SURVIVAL Inverloch . 256 Beechworth . 289 GUIDE Koonwarra . 257 Yackandandah . 291 Fish Creek . 258 Chiltern . 292 Directory A–Z. .364 Wilsons Promontory Rutherglen & Around . 293 National Park . .258 Mt Buffalo Transport ............ 371 East of the Prom . 262 National Park . 296 Index ................ 377 Port Albert . .. 262 Bright . 297 West Gippsland .......263 Mt Beauty & the Map legend. .383 Walhalla . 263 Kiewa Valley . 299 Lakes District. .265 Falls Creek . 300 Sale . 265 Harrietville . .. 303 SPECIAL FEATURES Maffra . 266 Mt Hotham & Dinner Plain . 304 Itineraries. 24 Ninety Mile Beach . 266 Omeo . 306 Victoria Outdoors. 34 Paynesville & Raymond Island . 267 Melbourne Image Metung . 267 THE MURRAY RIVER Gallery. 82 Lakes Entrance . 268 & AROUND ........307 East Gippsland & the Mildura . 310 Wilderness Coast. 270 Swan Hill & Around . 315 Buchan . 270 Echuca & Around . 317 Snowy River Yarrawonga . 324 © IMAGES GETTY / SONES JOHN National Park . 271 Wodonga . 326 Errinundra National Park . 272 The Way North . 326 Orbost . 273 Up the Hume . 328 Cape Conran Wangaratta . 329 Coastal Park . 274 Goulburn Valley . 331 Mallacoota . 275 Croajingolong National Park . 277 WILLIAM RICKETTS SANCTUARY P140 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 24 PETER HARRISON / GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES GETTY / HARRISON PETER Plan Your Trip Itineraries É •# Kyneton Hepburn Springs •# •# É Daylesford É •# Trentham É Kinglake •# É É É É •# Healesville •# Yarra Valley É RMt Dandenong •# É Melbourne ÷# William Ricketts Sanctuary É ÷#Dandenong Ranges •# National Park É Belgrave É Po r t P h i l l i p É Portsea •# É •# Red Sorrento É French É •#Hill É •#Island É f# B A S S S T R A I T Cape •# We s t e r n Schanck Po r t 1 WEEK Melbourne & Around abound and the clamour of modernity seems Melbourne is the centrepiece of this a world away. The next morning, return to itinerary, which combines day trips with the mainland and journey inland to check some overnight stays. Dedicate at least out a couple of Red Hill wineries. Turn two full days to Melbourne and then hit back to the coast and continue to the Cape the road around the region, returning Schanck lighthouse. Next stop is the seaside to Melbourne for the night between playgrounds of the wealthy, Sorrento and excursions. Portsea, on your way back to Melbourne. Early next morning, head to the Dan- After a couple of days in Melbourne, begin denongs, which offer a cool and leafy day three by heading southeast across respite from the noise of the city. From the the Mornington Peninsula and make for Burwood Hwy, drive east to Belgrave and Stony Point, from where the ferry leaves for climb aboard Puffing Billy for a steam- French Island. Stay overnight to really train journey through the mountains to appreciate this special place where koalas 25 PLAN YOUR TRIP IT I NERAR I ES View of Sorrento (p240), Mornington Peninsula Gembrook. Back at Belgrave, take Monbulk of the Yarra Ranges National Park. Enjoy a Rd through Dandenong Ranges pub lunch at the Healsville hotel and and National Park and head to Sassafras for drop into the gin distillery. In the after- its village atmosphere, then grab some- noon, head directly west via Yarra Glen and thing to eat at Piggery Cafe in Olinda and Dixons Creek to the Melba Hwy. Return to continue on to explore William Ricketts Melbourne via St Andrews. Round off the day by taking Sanctuary With one day left, spend it touring in the view from nearby Mt Dandenong, the charming towns of Daylesford, before returning to Melbourne for the Trentham and Kyneton via Woodend. night. Favourite weekend escapes for Melburni- Start day six by heading from Melbourne ans, they are full of fine restaurants, cafes along the Maroondah Hwy to indulge in and shops to browse. Make time for a spa some wine tasting in the Yarra Valley and massage at the bathhouse and spa at before reaching Healesville, a lovely town Hepburn Springs, and head back to Mel- with a fine animal sanctuary on the edge bourne in a state of bliss. 26 PLAN YOUR TRIP IT I NERAR I ES •# Bendigo É É Halls É •# Maldon Gap •# •# Castlemaine Grampians É National Park ÷# É •# Ballarat •# Dunkeld É Melbourne •# É É Po r t Geelong•# P h i l l i p Point Lonsdale Barwon HeadsÉ •# •# •# Queenscliff Warrnambool •# •# •#Torquay Port Aireys Inlet Ù# Fairy É Port •# Bells Beach Campbell •# •# Wye River •# Lorne •# É •# Twelve É Kennett River Apostles •# Apollo Bay Cape•# B A S S Otway S T R A I T 27 AUSTRALIAN SCENICS / GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES GETTY / SCENICS AUSTRALIAN 10 Great Ocean Road, DAYS Grampians & Goldfields The Great Ocean Road is one of the most PLAN YOUR TRIP popular touring routes in the country. Take around 10 days to get the best from this region, starting in the Bellarine Peninsula. Then spend the second half of your trip winding down through the Grampians and Goldfields. IT From Melbourne, take the Princes Hwy south- I NERAR west to Geelong to stroll the waterfront and spend the evening at breweries and the latest restaurant. The next day, drop by the Bellarine I Peninsula’s excellent wineries before visiting ES the coastal towns of Barwon Heads and Point Lonsdale, then on to Queenscliff, one of the state’s most appealing seaside towns. The Great Ocean Road begins in earnest at Torquay, one of the surf capitals of the world, and gateway to the legendary swells of Bells Beach. Further down the coast, drop in to Anglesea then tour the lighthouse at Aireys Inlet before stopping for a night or two in Lorne, with its fine beach, stunning waterfalls and tasty eating options. Head further down the coast to Wye River for a beer at the pub, with spectacular ocean views, then to Kennett River for koala spot- ting. Chances are that it’s close to sunset by the time you return to the coast and Apollo Bay for RODNEY HYETT / GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES GETTY / HYETT RODNEY a night or two. Next up, explore Cape Otway, then it’s on to Port Campbell National Park and its famed Twelve Apostles before spending the night in nearby Port Campbell. Look for whales off the coast of Warrnambool then continue west to quaint Port Fairy. On the way to the otherworldly Grampians, stop for a meal at Dunkeld’s acclaimed Royal Mail. Make Halls Gap your three-night base for your time among the sandstone and granite rock formations in the Grampians National Park. A loop through the gold-mining towns of Castlemaine and Maldon is a rewarding jour- ney through the terrain that formed the basis for Victoria’s prosperity – evident in the grand old buildings that dominate streetscapes across the region. Count on at least a night or two in Castlemaine. Detour north to overnight in Bendigo, one of Victoria’s rural towns to watch, before sweeping back down through Ballarat, with its art gallery, stunning streetscapes and Top: The Twelve Apostles (p187)Port Campbell world-class Sovereign Hill historic park, for the National Park Bottom: Waterfall, Great Otway National Park (p184) final night of your tour. 28 KWEST / SHUTTERSTOCK © SHUTTERSTOCK / KWEST 2 WEEKS The East PLAN YOUR TRIP Eastern Victoria combines the state’s thrilling coast with a mountainous and deeply forested interior – the unifying theme wherever you go is wilderness.