Top 10 Victorian coastal getaways

SUMMER is on the run so it’s time to consider a quick getaway to a Victorian holiday gem. Here are 10 of the best regions to visit, all within three hours of Melbourne.

Mornington Peninsula shoreline is a great place to visit. Picture: Roberto Seba/Tourism Victoria

OFFICIALLY, summer is on the run, but there’s still plenty of warm weather ahead.

Now is the time to consider a quick getaway to any one of the dozens of holiday gems scattered along the Victorian coast. Here are 10 of the best regions to visit, all within three hours of Melbourne.

The Mornington Peninsula

From Frankston to Portsea, the Mornington Peninsula is Melbourne’s most accessible beachside holiday playground. With the post-Christmas crowds gone, the peninsula still has loads to offer. Take in the views at Arthurs Seat, explore the gun emplacements at the Point Nepean National Park, paddle in bay beaches or head to the back beaches for the surf, watch an old-fashioned drive-in movie at Dromana or tour the wineries and fine food providores for which this picturesque region is famous.

Photo showing beach huts at Port Phillip Bay, on the Mornington Peninsula Picture: Al McGlashan

People enjoying the views at Point Nepean National Park and Quarantine Station.

Sunrise at Portsea, Point Nepean National Park

Geelong

Only an hour from Melbourne’ you’re a world away in Geelong. Eastern Beach, in the heart of town, features art deco-style sea-bathing pools. Visit waterslide heaven at the Adventure Park in Norlane, try a cleansing ale at the Little Creatures Brewery, experience a touch of culture at the renowned Geelong Art Gallery, visit the Geelong Museum of Motoring and Industry to explore the region’s car-making past, and enjoy a world of fine food and wine spread across the region.

Sunrise at Geelong Waterfront. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Sunrise at Geelong Waterfront. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Portarlington — Timestamp 7:50pm Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

The Bellarine Peninsula

Quiet bay beaches in towns like Portarlington and Indented Heads and the churning surf at Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove make this region ideal for anyone seeking a little sun, sand and sea. You can cycle the Bellarine Rail Trail from Geelong’s outskirts to historic Queenscliff, and indulge in the best gourmet food and wine on the Bellarine Tastes Trail. Take a tour to see the seals and dolphins that abound in Port Phillip. You can even swim with dolphins if you like.

Boating in Barwon Heads. Picture: Alison Wynd

Lorne and the Surf Coast

With this summer’s devastating bushfires around Wye River and Separation Creek, some traders along this section of the Great Ocean Road. Use nearby Lorne as a convenient base to explore the region’s attractions, including the host of scenic lookouts along the spectacular Great Ocean Road from Torquay to Cape Otway. There are 10 waterfalls within 10 minutes of Lorne, all surrounded by verdant rainforest. Take the Surf Coast Walk for a stunning new take on the region’s stunning scenery, wander the 2.5km Mosaic Walk at Anglesea if mosaic art floats your boat, or try the Otway Fly near Apollo Bay for a treetops view of the rainforest. All the main towns along the Surf Coast offer a range of eateries to satisfy hungry travellers.

A runner on a pre-dawn run beach at Lorne.

Surfers and swimmers enjoying the ocean at Lorne Beach. Picture: Mark Stewart

Warrnambool and the Shipwreck Coast

Head down the Princes Highway, bypass the Otway Ranges and use Warrnambool or coastal villages like Port Campbell or Peterborough to explore the 12 Apostles, Lord Ard Gorge and all the ragged coastal cliff and rock formations that make the Shipwreck Coast so special. Enjoy a chopper flight along the coast, try your luck at Warrnambool’s Logans Beach whale watching platform, explore the region’s shipping and whaling past at the Flagstaff Hill maritime museum, drop into historic Port Fairy, wander inside a dormant volcano that’s now a haven for native wildlife at the Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve or swim at Lady Bay or a host of surf beaches.

Warrnambool Flagstaff Hill.

Phillip Island Chocolate Factory is a chocoholic’s heaven.

Phillip Island

It’s a perennial favourite, but there’s so much more to the island than penguins and seals. Take a pit stop at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Visitors Centre, pay your respects at the National Vietnam Veterans Museum, indulge your appetite at the San Remo fish co-op for the freshest seafood around, back that up with a trip to the Rhyll Trout and Bush Tucker Farm and Panny’s Phillip Island Chocolate Factory, then work it all off with an afternoon swimming in the surf at Woolamai Beach before you head down to the penguin parade.

Marc Marquez at the Australian Moto GP at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Picture: Stephen Harman

Inverloch

This seaside resort and fishing port lies where sheltered Anderson Inlet meets Bass Strait, making it a perfect spot for windsurfing, wakeboarding and beginner’s surfing. There’s a range of coastal walking and cycling trails to explore the region’s natural beauty such as the Bass Coast Rail Trail, the only coastal rail trail in the state. There’s plenty of shopping and food in Inverloch, and nearby Venus Bay offers visitors a friendly and relaxed hideaway. Inverloch is an ideal central location to explore the coast from Phillip Island to Wilsons Promontory.

People relaxing at the beach at Inverloch.

Camping Two Ways: Glamping tent accommodation on Wilson Island. Picture Supplied. Picture: Supplied

Wilsons Promontory

The Prom is the granddaddy of environmental tourism in Victoria. It’s craggy granite outcrops, lush rainforest and pristine wetlands make it one of the jewels of Victoria’s national parks system. It offers visitors everything from basic camping facilities across the national park right through to Parks Victoria’s five-star “glamping” experience, available at Tidal River, the main centre on The Prom. Gorgeous beaches, wild coastline, windswept peaks and hikes to suit almost all abilities make The Prom the ideal place to get back to nature.

The Seaspray surf lifesaving club on the 90 mile beach.

The 90 Mile Beach

This almost untouched stretch of sand arches along the Gippsland coast from Corner Inlet, behind Wilsons Promontory, to Lakes Entrance and features coastal villages that are far more simple and relaxed than better known areas of Victoria’s coast. Walking trails, sandy tracks suitable for many cars and a lush, unspoilt marine environment and sleepy villages including Loch Sport, Golden Beach and Paradise Beach will allow you to ease into your Gippsland getaway

Gippsland Lakes

This vast system of inland lakes is a paradise for boating, fishing and birdwatching. Accommodation ranges from isolated camping spots to rooms in quiet resort towns like Paynesville and Metung through to luxury hotels. Down here, you get the best of everything — exploring natural marine attractions, touring gourmet food producers in the hinterland and enjoying all the dining, recreation and shopping opportunities major centres including Sale, Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance have to offer.