Melbourne and Victoria’s best post-lockdown day trips
The easing of health restrictions has provided Victorians with the perfect excuse to get out and experience more about our great state. This is what should be on your bucket list.
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Victorians are venturing out of isolation and making the most of the best daytrip options across the state.
The Queen’s Birthday long weekend offered the first taste of relaxed travel restrictions and resulted in many holiday hot spots being inundated with visitors. Tourism operators are hoping that momentum continues and are encouraging more people to hop in the car or catch public transport to enjoy a mini getaway.
With international flights grounded and some states’ borders still closed, the industry is banking on people exploring more of their own backyard.
Figures from Tourism Research Australia showed intrastate day trips in Victoria accounted for $6.4bn of visitor expenditure in 2019.
Visit Victoria chief executive Brendan McClements said day trips were “a wonderful way to discover Victoria and step back into the world of travel in a safe and considered way, in line with health advice”.
He said Victorians were spoiled for choice.
“We’ve got it all. From windswept coastlines to granite mountain ranges, vineyards producing every wine you could ever wish to savour, historic villages, rainforests, and so much more.”
As tourist drawcards gradually reopen, regional areas are likely to be increasingly appealing to people wanting a brief escape from the city.
Great Ocean Road Tourism project manager Jo Birley said now was as good a time as ever to head down to the coast.
“It’s the perfect antidote to being stuck inside for so long,” she said.
“Getting out in nature is the big-ticket experience in our region. You’ve got beautiful waterfalls, access to the Otways, there are so many good walks and things to do if you’re wanting to get out and get some fresh air and see some of Victoria.”
Ms Birley said the Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre and viewing platform in Princetown remained shut but there were other lookouts where you could get a good view of the famous limestone pillars. She said most tourist sites were back open and the region had enjoyed a “huge influx” over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. Central Victoria was another area that recorded a surge of visitors last weekend.
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City of Greater Bendigo tourism and major events manager Terry Karamaloudis said data collected at the region’s visitor centres indicated the majority were day-trippers.
“Interestingly, a lot commented that they were from the greater Bendigo area and they had not been to those attractions for many, many years if at all,” he said.
“That’s particularly pleasing for us because we have a ‘love your local’ campaign at the moment.”
He said the easing of stay-at-home orders offered a glimmer of hope to the tourism industry that has been battling during the pandemic.
He said there was a lot to look forward to, with the Bendigo Art Gallery showcasing its ‘Piinpi’ indigenous fashion exhibit from September and major sporting and cultural events still hopeful of being able to go ahead later in the year.
Mr Karamaloudis said that would help encourage more people to head up the Calder Freeway and check out the region’s cellar doors, restaurants, pubs and cafes.
He said the key to helping the tourism sector survive the crisis was to collaborate more and find innovative ways to entice visitors.
“The way forward now is how do we put together incentives and packages with neighbouring shires to create a point of difference,” he said.
“We’ve got to ask ourselves how do we motivate people from Melbourne to come out into the regions? I think we need to get a greater understanding and mine deeper into what they are interested in. We need to have a product that is appealing to the domestic market.”
Mr McClements said driving more intrastate travel was a focus for Visit Victoria.
“We know many Melburnians have not taken a trip to regional Victoria in the past 12 months so we’re encouraging people to make plans today to get out and experience something new within our great state.”
HIGHLIGHTS
GREAT OCEAN ROAD
Highlights: The Twelve Apostles, Great Otway National Park with lots of scenic walks and waterfalls
CASTLEMAINE
Highlights: Castlemaine Botanical Gardens, The Mill – a hub for wine, craft beer, food and arts
BENDIGO
Highlights: Bendigo Art Gallery, The Golden Dragon Museum
DAYLESFORD
Highlights: Lake Daylesford, and indulge in the area’s multiple day spas
MORNINGTON PENINSULA
Highlights: Peninsula Hot Springs, Mornington Peninsula wine region
HEALESVILLE
Highlights: Explore the Yarra Valley wine region
MARYSVILLE
Highlights: Walk to Steavenson Falls or fish at one of the trout/salmon farms
NAGAMBIE
Highlights: Wineries with impressive cellar doors, Lake Nagambie
josh.fagan@news.com.au
