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Melbourne is a incredible metropolis to discover stuffed with many world-class eating places, stadiums, galleries and theatres, nevertheless it’s additionally a incredible base to discover different components of Victoria and Southeastern Australia.
When the town life-style feels an excessive amount of, there are such a lot of unimaginable locations to go to close to Melbourne on a weekend getaway that may restore and rejuvinate you.
As a lot because it pains me to say it’s a New South Welshman, Victoria was the largest shock from our 18-month street journey round Australia.
The state packs a punch, though it’s a small state there’s nonetheless lots to do, from seeing world-famous surroundings to mysterious wildlife and historic landmarks. It’s no shock our one-month journey rapidly changed into three!
In the event you’re searching for locations to go to exterior Melbourne which might be excellent for a few days exploration, similar to on a weekend getaway from Melbourne, then these are our favorite spots beneath.
The place to go for a weekend getaway from Melbourne
1. Wilsons Promontory Nationwide Park
- Distance from Melbourne: 195.4 km (121 miles) by way of M1 and A440
- Drive time: 2.5 – 3 hours
- The place to remain: Tidal River Campground
Surprisingly, we knew virtually nothing about Wilsons Promontory Nationwide Park earlier than our street journey round Australia, however for Melbournians it’s a widely known trip scorching spot.
It’s so well-known that there’s even a lottery on lodging there within the peak season. Don’t let that put you off, it is because this coastal wilderness space has restricted lodging and so they wish to hold it pristine, so restrict the quantity of holiday makers.
We spent three nights in a bit cabin at Tidal River Campground once we visited. And at only a 3-hour drive from Melbourne, it’s an important getaway vacation spot!
Wilsons Promenade is fashionable for a purpose. It’s well-known for Squeaky Seaside, so named as a result of the sand is so pure is squeaks whenever you stroll throughout it. It additionally has these imposing granite boulders at both finish, which we liked climbing on – for us, it’s up there as one of many finest seashores in Australia.
In addition to Squeaky Seaside, Wilsons Promenade has many distant coastal bushland trails, secluded campsites, mountain peaks and scenic vistas, native wombats, kangaroos and emus working round, and naturally, gorgeous seashores.
Norman Seaside is one other seaside value visiting, which is understood for being a snorkelling scorching spot and means that you can peer beneath the floor into Victoria’s largest marine nationwide park.
2. Vibrant
- Distance from Melbourne: 321.6 km (199 miles) by way of Nationwide Freeway M31
- Drive time: 3.5 hours
- The place to remain: BIG4 Tasman Vacation Parks
The charming city of Vibrant is our favorite city in Victoria and considered one of our high three cities in Australia, interval. We inform everybody we meet who’s visiting Victoria, you MUST go to Vibrant!
It’s a kind of locations that will get below your pores and skin and we’ll return there over and over.
With the Owens River working by means of city and the alpine surroundings, it reminds us of Colorado and the cafe scene is high notch too – we’re a fan of the Blackbird Cafe, Meals Wine Mates, and the Rail Path Cafe.
We additionally LOVE the Vibrant Brewery by the river, which produces wonderful craft beer, the perfect cider I’ve ever tasted, and scrumptious pizzas. And your youngsters will love the large playground simply throughout from the beer backyard, win-win!
Moreover the food and drinks, in the event you love exploring the good outdoor by foot or bicycle, Vibrant is your city too.
Oh, and while you’re in Vibrant, take a detour to Beechworth and have lunch at Bridge Highway Brewers, considered one of our faves in Oz!
3. Marysville
- Distance from Melbourne: 97.4 km (60 miles) by way of Maroondah Hwy
- Drive time: 1.5 hours
- The place to remain: Amelina Cottage
There’s one thing about Marysville! This city was devastated by bushfires on what grew to become often known as Black Saturday again in 2009.
Nearly the whole city burned to the bottom with many locals dropping their lives, however the best way the city has recovered is outstanding. The spirit of the individuals is really one thing to be admired!
It’s solely an hour and a half drive northeast of Melbourne and the drive into Marysville is gorgeous in itself. It makes for a refreshing change from the hustle and bustle of the town.
As soon as there benefit from the serenity and the pure setting.
Go mountain climbing at Lake Mountain, absorb Steavenson Falls, marvel at Bruno’s Sculpture Backyard, go trout fishing at Buxton Trout Farm, style wines at Buxton Ridge Vineyard and a lot extra.
For foodies, you’ll love all of the selfmade cooking you will get right here. You possibly can have breakfast at Fraggas Cafe, dinner on the Black Spur Inn, and let your youngsters burn off some power enjoying at Gallipoli Park.
We stayed on the charming Amelina Cottage, which was a simple stroll into city.
4. The Nice Ocean Highway
- Distance from Melbourne: 103 km (64 miles) by way of M1
- Drive time: 1.5 hours
- The place to remain: Mantra Lodge
You possibly can’t go to Melbourne with out leaping behind the wheel of your automobile, or hiring a automobile and driving probably the greatest street journeys on this planet.
In the event you haven’t been earlier than, it’s the proper vacation spot close to Melbourne for a weekend getaway, interval.
Starting 90 minutes exterior of Melbourne in Torquay, the Nice Ocean Highway stretches over 250 kilometres to Warrnambool and attracts tens of hundreds of holiday makers yearly.
Discover seaside cities, stroll by means of rainforests to waterfalls, spot koalas, swim at scenic seashores, and stand in awe as you are taking within the well-known Twelve Apostles.
No matter you do, don’t do that drive in sooner or later, decelerate and respect all it has to supply. There are various cities alongside the Nice Ocean Highway to cease at, we suggest staying the evening in Lorne, which makes for an important central base. We stayed on the Mantra Lodge proper on the seaside.
5. The Mornington Peninsula
- Distance from Melbourne: 74.5 km (46 miles) by way of M1
- Drive time: 1 hour
- The place to remain: Portsea Lodge
We camped for every week on the Mornington Peninsula and while it’s solely an hour’s drive from Melbourne, we felt like we had been 1,000,000 miles away from the town.
I vividly bear in mind the sundown on Dromana Seaside being as spectacular as anyplace in Victoria, and our pub lunch on the Portsea Lodge had pretty much as good a view as anyplace for a beer backyard.
Different issues we suggest embody the coastal headland stroll round Sorrento (Millionaire’s row), get pleasure from takeaway fish & chips on the waterfront of Sorrento, and take the children to the group playground on the Rye Foreshore.
One other place we liked was the Peninsula Scorching Springs, which rapidly changed the Excessive Tea on the Langham Lodge in Melbourne as being the perfect mummy/daughter date ever.
6. Phillip Island
- Distance from Melbourne: 141 km (87.6 miles) by way of M1
- Drive time: 2 hours
- The place to remain: Amaroo Park
We thought Phillip Island was all about penguins and bike racing, however after spending a calming eight days on the island we are able to guarantee you it gives a lot extra.
Phillip Island is among the most lovely close to Melbourne and is understood for one factor; the penguin parade.
Although it seems like some type of carnival, it’s actually only a identify given to the time of day when the Little Penguins come as much as the shore at sundown of their numbers – waddling in a type of parade trend.
Once you take within the penguin parade expertise, get there early and discover The Nobbies, which has spectacular views over the Bass Strait – it is going to be windy although!
The parade is a ticketed occasion, nevertheless it’s nonetheless wonderful to see them of their pure surroundings.
The principle city of Cowes Seaside is an efficient place to base your self and has an honest cafe and restaurant scene. The seaside right here is family-friendly as is scenic Smiths Seaside.
Different issues I like to recommend to do on Phillips Island are a go to to The Koala Conservation Centre, the Chocolate Manufacturing facility, Amaz’N Issues, and the Grand Prix circuit.
7. The Bellarine Peninsula
We’d by no means heard of is the Bellarine Peninsula earlier than visiting. Once more stunning, contemplating it’s solely simply over one hour south of Melbourne and near the beginning line for the Nice Ocean Highway.
Due to a suggestion from one other Melbourne pal we jumped on the automobile ferry from Sorrento and headed for Queenscliff.
The city of Queenscliff is a historic seaside village with a superb cafe scene. We additionally liked the sluggish tempo of life in Barwon Heads and exploring the cafe and restaurant scene there, take a look at On the Heads and the Starfish Bakery.
Different good cities on the Bellarine embody Level Lonsdale and Ocean Grove – the biggest city on the Bellarine and the closest browsing seaside to Melbourne!
If you end up heading south from Melbourne in direction of Geelong and Nice Ocean Highway, take into account exploring the Bellarine Peninsula.
We stayed on the BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Queenscliff Beacon for 3 weeks, and it had change into considered one of our favorite caravan parks and base for exploring the Bellarine.
8. The Grampians
- Distance from Melbourne: 257 km (160 miles) by way of Nationwide Freeway M8
- Drive time: 3 hours
- The place to remain: Grampians Eco YHA
The most effective strolling and mountain climbing locations in Victoria is merely three hours from Melbourne.
The Grampians Nationwide Park is a rugged mountain vary and is famend for its breathtaking rocky views, wealthy tradition and gorgeous wildflower shows.
The primary we’d heard of the Grampians was from a Swedish backpacker in Thailand who stated it was his favorite place on this planet to rock climb. Simply one other lovely place in Victoria that not often will get talked about.
We conquered the summit of the 4km Pinnacle’s Stroll with our women, aged 6 and a pair of on the time, and it was considered one of my favorite days of our Australia journey.
Halls Hole is a good city to base your self within the coronary heart of the Grampians, we stayed on the Grampians Eco YHA, which was family-friendly and an eco-retreat.
9. Canberra
- Distance from Melbourne: 669 km (415 miles) by way of Nationwide Freeway M31 and Hume Hwy/M31
- Drive time: 6-7 hours drive (however flights are one hour)
- The place to remain: Quest Canberra
Canberra is the capital of Australia and chances are high, you’ve most likely by no means heard of it! Although it’s the capital metropolis, it doesn’t get the identical advertising and marketing that massive cities like Sydney or Melbourne do.
I imply, how can Canberra compete with the Melbourne Cricket Floor (MCG) or Melbourne Zoo?
Though it doesn’t get the fanfare that Melbourne does, Canberra has some sights of its personal which might be properly value taking a weekend journey to see.
For one factor, it has some outstanding, world-class museums. The Nationwide Gallery of Australia is among the finest artwork galleries within the nation to see aboriginal and Australian artwork in its everlasting assortment.
It has two buildings, the NGV Australia and NGV Worldwide – one shows worldwide art work and the opposite, native. Each buildings are a marvel of recent structure.
Canberra is well accessible by direct flight which takes only one hour. Try Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas for flight occasions. In the event you drive, it’s going to take round 7 hours, which isn’t very best for a day journey.
Since Canberra is within the New South Wales state, you’ll must plan forward to incorporate this in your weekend getaway from Melbourne.
10. Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is a area simply exterior the town of Melbourne that surrounds the Yarra River. It’s identified for its wine cultivation and mountain climbing trails.
In the event you’re searching for enjoyable locations to go to close to Melbourne, you’ll be able to’t go incorrect with a go to to wine nation in Yarra Valley. There are 90 vineyards and 35 wineries right here, so you would simply spend a day or weekend hopping between them.
One other distinctive factor to do in Yarra Valley is take a dawn scorching air balloon trip. There’s something so magical about watching the dawn from the air and seeing its rays glisten over the vineyards beneath.
After all, you can even discover river cruises that take you into the Yarra Valley area in the event you’re not trying to spend a lot time right here.
11. Healesville
- Distance from Melbourne: 64.2 km (40 miles) by way of Nationwide Freeway M3 and Maroondah Hwy
- Drive time: 1 hour drive
- The place to remain: Healesville Flats
Positioned simply exterior Melbourne is the city of Healesville. The city is surrounded by lovely nature, parks and mountain climbing trails. The primary purpose to go to Healesville although is for the Healesville Sanctuary.
This can be a zoo devoted to Australian wildlife. It’s a small zoo and can solely take 2-3 hours to see all of it, nevertheless it’s the perfect place to see native species to Aus similar to Koalas, Kangaroos, Wombats, Wallabies, Dingos and Platypuses.
The zoo is devoted to animal conservation and serving to animals who face extinction.
In the event you’re searching for a household pleasant vacation spot for a weekend getaway, this may be our best choice.
12. St Kilda Seaside
- Distance from Melbourne: 6.8 km (4 miles) by way of Princes Freeway
- Drive time: quarter-hour drive
- The place to remain: The Prince
Okay, so St Kilda isn’t precisely exterior Melbourne, however we perceive that some individuals don’t wish to spend all their time travelling, so if you wish to be inside an inexpensive distance of Melbourne CBD, then we suggest spending a weekend staycation at St Kilda Seaside.
That is Melbourne’s seaside resort space and is known for its cafes and eating places alongside St Kilda street and the gorgeous St Kilda Pier.
It’s additionally the place you’ll discover Luna Park, the primary theme park in Melbourne with rollercoasters and fairground rides.
If you wish to escape the hustle and bustle of the town with out escaping the town, it is a excellent spot to go to close to Melbourne CBD.
Getting round Melbourne and Victoria
In the event you’re undecided methods to get to all these wonderful locations, then one of the best ways is by automobile. Since numerous these sights are nationwide parks or positioned within the wilderness, you’ll must drive round them both means, so it’s not value attempting to do it on public transport otherwise you’ll waste your treasured time.
In the event you’re arriving internationally and don’t have a automobile, then yow will discover nice offers utilizing DiscoverCars.com. It’s the world’s largest automobile rental reserving service and it compares all the key manufacturers like Hertz, Avis, Alamo, and Europcar.
Inside Melbourne itself, it’s very easy to get round. Melbourne has a tram service that connects many of the high vacationer sights.
It even has the Metropolis Circle Tram, which is a free tram service that connects the highest sights. Listed here are all of the sights you’ll be able to entry by taking this line:
- Melbourne Museum and the Royal Exhibition Constructing
- Melbourne Aquarium
- Docklands
- Parliament Home
- St Paul’s Cathedrale
- Flinders Avenue Station
You possibly can both change to a paid tram service to get to different sights (or stroll). It’s not removed from the Metropolis Circle Tram to sights just like the Australian Centre for the Transferring Picture, the Nationwide Gallery of Victoria, Queen Victoria Market or any of the parks similar to Carlton Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Melbourne may be very walkable and also you don’t actually need to pay for public transport.
Earlier than You Go
So there you’ve got it, these are the highest locations close to Melbourne for a weekend getaway. As you’ll be able to see, there’s numerous selection to select from.
From seeing penguins of their pure habitat to exploring small, quaint cities, to basking within the wine nation – you’ll discover one thing for everybody on this checklist.
Earlier than you go, ensure to take a look at our different guides on Melbourne beneath. The town is considered one of our favourites in Australia and shouldn’t be skipped, so do be sure you plan a while exploring the inside metropolis, too.
Different Melbourne Ideas
Do you want extra inspiration that can assist you plan your subsequent journey to Melbourne? Check out these different assets:
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Which of those getaways from Melbourne would you most wish to take? Tell us within the feedback.
