Victoria is the smallest state on the mainland and is located in the south-east corner of Australia. The metropolitan city Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road and the penguin parade on Philip Island are the best known attractions of the state. A pleasant climate, combined with many national parks with untouched nature and unusual rock formations add to the attractiveness of this state. Victoria offers furthermore the second opportunity, besides New South Wales, to go skiing during the Australian winter (June to October).

Melbourne is famous for its variety of designer shops and excellent international restaurants. The tram is used as a mode of transport as well as a restaurant and belongs to Melbourne as well as the Yarra River, the Casino and the Royal Botanical Gardens. Melbourne is also home for big international sporting events like the Australian Open, a Grand Slam Tennis Tournament, the first Formula One Race of the season and many popular domestic sport events like cricket, Australian Rules Football, Rugby and the famous Melbourne Cup Horserace.The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art and the Melbourne Museum as well as many galleries, museums and theatres offer outstanding exhibitions. A special memory of your holiday will be a visit to the popular Christmas Concert Carols by Candlelight in the Sidney Myer Music Bowl at the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne.

Activities: Biking, Canoeing, Swimming, Golfing, Horse Back Riding, Roller Skating, Fishing, Boat Tours, Rock Climbing, Sailing, Surfing, Ice-Skating

On this week in Melbourne

Melbourne is a true multicultural mecca, with an eclectic blend of ethnic cultures from Mediterranean to Asian. Within its vibrant suburbs, you'll discover a host of ethic cultures and cuisines, a lively restaurant culture and hundreds of exciting shopping districts. Many of the inner city suburbs have been revitalised, in particular Carlton, Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond. There are plenty of boutiques and designer outlets to explore, especially at the shopping hots spots of Fitzroy and Richmond, or relax at one of the great cafes and soak up the colourful atmopshere. On the right side of the river, upmarket South Yarra and Toorak have some of the city's most exclusive shops. If you fancy a waterfront stroll, bustling St Kilda is the fashionable place to go. One of Melbourne's most diverse and characterful areas, it's also home to the National Gallery of Victoria's international collection. Historic Williamstown, south-west of the city, sits right by the sea. Catch the ferry across the bay to enjoy the historic maritime charm and al fresco cafes. Melbourne's trams cover the city and inner suburbs, and if you're heading out to the city fringes, Flinders Street train station is the main hub. Visitors to Melbourne will find the weather fine and mild and if you're planning to stay and explore, there is plenty to fill in your time in a city famous for its exceptional food and wine, great shopping and thriving arts scene.

Philip Island is about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south east of Melbourne and is the second most visited place in Australia due to the regular Penguin parade at sunset on Summerland Beach. You can also watch seals at Seals Rock on a boat tour or visit the Koala Conservation Centre and learn about the popular Koalas or watch them from close proximity.

Activities: Biking, Hiking, Swimming, Surfing

The Great Ocean Road is famous for 400 kilometres (250 miles) of magnificent coastal scenery, including coastal cliffs, beaches, caves, coves and small romantic coastal villages. Anglesea, Lorne, Apollo Bay or Port Campbell all invite you for a longer stay in this spectacular & unique region. You can see some of the impressing places on this pictures.

Activities: Surfing, Swimming, Hiking, Biking, Golf, Boat tours and Whale Watching (May – October)

Wilson’s Promontory National Park covers the southerly tip of the Australian mainland and is a paradise for people who want to get off the beaten track to enjoy nature. You will find hikes graded from easy to difficult, for one or several days long, ending with a picnic at one of the many idyllic beaches.

The Grampians National Park is a spectacular lime stone area with distinctive rock formations, awesome scenic views, roaring waterfalls, clear streams, rivers and the opportunity to see local wildlife. Mainly in springtime, (September – November) but also at other times of the year, the beautiful wildflowers are a colourful contrast to the rest of the environment.

Activities: Hiking, Climbing, Horse Back Riding, Swimming

The Murray River is the longest and most important river in Australia and stretches over 2500 kilometres (1560 miles) from the north east of Victoria to South Australia. All along the river are small villages like Echuca, Swan Hill, Mildura, Murrumbidgee, Goulbourn and Darling Rivers with interesting museums and heritage buildings. Restored Paddle Wheelers, invite you for a cruise along the river. Another relaxing way of exploring the mighty Murray is by Houseboat

Activities: Canoeing, Kayaking.

Victoria’s vineyards in the Yarra Valley, Rutherglen, Swan Hill and Mildura are much smaller than the Barossa Valley in South Australia or the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. However, the quality of the wines is excellent. The pleasant hospitality of these smaller, often family owned vineyards, is something of an extra personal touch that you won’t usually find with the larger operations.

The centres of the Victorian Alps are at Mt. Buller, Falls Creek, Mt. Hotham and Mt. Stirling. Although this region is not comparable with European or North American ski fields, it still offers an excellent variety of slopes for every skier, snowboarder or cross country skier. In the time without snow (November till May) you can go hiking, swimming, sailing, fishing, playing Golf or Tennis, canoeing, rock-climbing, water-skiing or horse back riding.

Victoria experienced a huge gold rush from 1837 till 1918 near Ballarat. You will find a rebuilt town of the gold rush time with interesting guided tours at Sovereign Hill. If you want to try your luck yourself, you can hire equipment and start digging for gold!

The Gippsland region is an extended lake system surrounded by the cities of Sale, Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance. This area is perfect for all sorts of water activities or alternatively a romantic or energetic walk along the beach. The Buchan Caves (lime stone caves) not far from Lakes Entrance add to the diversity of this region.

Activities: Surfing, Swimming, Fishing, Sailing, Boat Tours, Watching Birds and other Wildlife


Mornington Peninsula is located about an hours drive south of Melbourne and is a popular recreation area for Melbournians. You will find beaches with good surf, safe beaches to swim and a wide variety of water activities. There are also little coastal villages, vineyards, galleries, museums and good hiking trails spread over this pleasant peninsula.

Climate Tables:

Please note, that the following charts show average temperatures.