The best spots to explore outdoors in Victoria

YOU’LL be surprised by how refreshing a nature getaway can be. Here are Victoria’s best weekend and week-long getaways.

The Grampians has spectacular views and plenty of fun activities.

DITCH the computer and grab your pack, because you’ll be surprised by how refreshing a nature getaway can be.

Whether it’s a weekend trip from Melbourne or a week-long commitment, Skyscanner Australia is here to set you on the right (walking) track with Victoria’s best campsites and hiking trails.

1. THE CATHEDRAL RANGES

The Cathedral Ranges is an easy day trip from Melbourne, about a two-hour drive northeast of the city. Featuring a towering 7km ridge of rock with a birds eye view of the forest below, it’s perfect for day walks.

The tracks range in length and difficulty, but most are challenging enough to cause experienced hikers to break into a sweat. Wells Cave Track leading onto the Razorback Track provides great views of the surrounding craggy peaks, while the steep circuit around Sugarloaf Peak will land you at the highest point on the range.

The hour long climb (some might say hands and knees scramble) to the summit offers 360 degree views to make it all worth the effort.

While the trails can easily be done in a day, the campgrounds here are easily accessible if you’d like to make it an overnight trip — advance bookings are required for Neds Gully and Cooks Mill but Farmyard campground charges no fees.

Cape Schanck offers a picturesque lighthouse.

2. CAPE SCHANCK

Situated at the tip of Mornington Peninsula and a mere 90 minute drive from Melbourne, Cape Schanck is a quick city escape.

The walks here are great for all seasons — in fact, winter might make for a more dramatic viewing of the waves crashing against volcanic basalt cliffs. The Cape Walk will take you from the carpark along a boardwalk, leading to the base of the lighthouse. It’s hardly a strenuous circuit, and you’ll get excellent photo opps out of the lookout points featuring Devils Desk and Pulpit Rock. Bushrangers Bay, on the other hand, is a walk that takes around two hours. It provides sweeping views of some of the best coastal scenery Victoria has to offer, with rock pools, towering cliffs and abundant wildlife.

The Grampians has world-class rock climbing, as well as plenty of easy walks.

3. THE GRAMPIANS

Pick a trail and spend a day in the Grampians, or pack a swag and make a long weekend of it! Just a three-hour drive out of Melbourne, the national park boasts a stark contrast between the rugged sandstone mountains and the flat farmland that surrounds.

Day Walks

The Balconies Lookout is a great trail for beginners. It’s a fairly flat and easy 2km walk to a panoramic lookout point over the Victoria Valley, with plenty of rock formations and vegetation to keep things interesting along the way. Minimum effort for maximum reward — perfect!

The trail down to McKenzie Falls is best appreciated in off-peak season and springtime, when the waterfalls are flowing in full force. Get up close and personal by walking 600m down the stairs to the bottom of the falls, but there’s also a longer walk to a lookout point.

The 5.5km circuit to the Pinnacle is incredibly scenic and takes about two to three hours at a comfortable pace. Wear shoes with good grip to help navigate your way round slippery steps, rock hopping and water crossings (pending season). Starting at the Wonderland Carpark, the track winds its way past the Grand Canyon before opening up to magnificent views atop the Pinnacle.

If you’d like to squeeze in more than one walk and camp overnight, Grampians Paradise campground has great facilities — including a community lounge room equipped with heating, air conditioning and table tennis! The real selling point though, is the amazing views of the mountain range from the campsite, all while being 20 minutes from Halls Gap township.

Overnight hike

The Major Mitchell Plateau is a three day and two night trek suited to more experienced hikers. A classic mountain trail linking the two highest summits in the national park, the journey covers 42km and elevation changes as much as 850m. Climbing the ridge lines through eucalypt forests toward the summit of Mount William affords awe-inspiring views of the adjacent peaks and valleys. This is followed by a trek through the rocky Boundary Gap and an exhilarating climb to Major Mitchell Plateau, a spot with an unparalleled vantage point of the parklands.

Lake Eildon is perfect for camping with a family.

4. LAKE EILDON

While Lake Eildon National Park is better known for water-based activities like waterskiing and fishing, its bushland remains criminally underrated. From gentle lakeside strolls to steep inclines, the area features several rewarding hikes. For a moderate day walk with killer views over Lake Eildon and Mount Buller to the east, try the Blowhard Circuit walk. Beginning at Wallaby Bay Carpark, wander along to Merlo’s Lookout Track, where the real work begins. One tough and steep climb up a ridge later, the track joins with Blowhard Spur Track where you can will your legs to take you a tad further to the Blowhard Summit. Here, you’ll be greeted by unbeatable panoramas that’ll make it well worth the effort!

The lake itself is most easily accessed via Alexandra, and features three campgrounds for overnighters — Lakeside, Candlebark and Devil Cove. Located right on the water’s edge, it’s gorgeous and tranquil, and provides amenities like an ablutions block, treated water and fireplaces.

Refuge Cove in Wilson’s Promontory offers white sand and clear water.

5. WILSONS PROMONTORY

Wilsons Prom is the perfect long weekend hike in summer. Think unspoilt beaches, rainforests and wildlife to spare. The national park is located in Gippsland, about 157km from Melbourne. Featuring a number of secluded beaches that can only be accessed by foot or boat, hikers can explore the paradise that is Wilsons Prom — a place where mountain meets the sea.

A three day and two night hike is all you need — especially since a maximum two night consecutive stay applies to all campsites within the national park. Starting at the Telegraph Saddle, follow the track to Sealers Cove, a bay with glassy turquoise water and a campground. Be sure to check tide times as getting to the campsite requires crossing Sealers Creek, which reaches up to 1.5m in depth at high tide. The facilities are basic, with untreated water and composting toilets. After spending your first night there, continue on to Little Waterloo Bay where you can set up camp for the night. On the third day, take the shorter 4WD track back to Telegraph Saddle, but if you have ample time, opt for the more scenic route to Tidal River. In the busier months, a convenient little shuttle bus transports hikers back and forth between Tidal River and the Telegraph Saddle carpark.

The Great Ocean Road is something every Australian should do.

6. THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD

No Melbourne article is complete without mentioning Victoria’s most iconic road trip — the Great Ocean Road. We’ve all heard about the coastal drive down to the Twelve Apostles, but for the more adventurous out there, it’s possible to walk it too! The overnight hikes start at four days and three nights from Shelly Beach to Johanna Beach, with alternate routes culminating in a mammoth eight day and seven night hike from Apollo Bay down to the Twelve Apostles. All routes wind through the lush forest of Cape Otway and include heathland, deserted beaches and coastal walks. With breathtaking landscapes that change on day to day basis, sleepy coastal town stopovers and Melbourne’s famously unpredictable weather, it’ll be a trip for the books!

Doing the Great Ocean Walk does require a bit of planning, so check out their website for more information on the various routes, camping sites and tide times.

This article originally appeared on Skyscanner and was reproduced with permission.