Melbourne is a Gem in Australia, as it is a small State, and pretty much everything is just a few hours’ drive, Let’s discover some of the most sought natural wonders in the area and we’ve rounded up the best 8 for you;
- The Pinnacle Lookout, Halls Gap
Explore Victoria’s own version of the Grand Canyon – The Pinnacle Lookout. Just a little 2.1km hike can get you to stand on the most unimaginably good panoramic views to match, the Grampians’ crowning glory.
The easiest and the best route to reach the pinnacle is from the Sundial car park, it includes some water crossings, rock hopping, and winding through some bushlands. Well, if you’d like to test your fitness levels, there’s also a harder climb that starts from the Wonderland car park leading to the same destination.
Looking at the magnificent vistas from the top will leave you breathless and make the whole trip with a few rugged roads super-worthy!
Make sure to get some sturdy shoes for this trip
- Buchan Caves, Buchan
Discover an underground limestone wonderland. These spectacular limestones are said to be formed almost 400 million years ago, carved by out by underground river formations. Gippsland’s Buchan Caves are known to be the largest of their kind in Victoria.
There are also professionally guided daily tours of Royal Cave or Fairy Cave, both caves are lit and have walkways. At the Royal Cave, you will see calcite-rimmed pools, and the Fairy Cave will demonstrate stalactites and Stalagmites. Caves are on a constant 17 degrees Celsius, it will be a comfortable tour all year round.
My Vivid Victoria tip: a short walk in the surrounding bushland and the nearby River national park will make it an ideal camping holiday with the native wildlife of wallabies, kangaroos, and over 60 bird species.
- Lake Tyrrell
Known as the sky mirror, one of the most spectacular spots in all of Australia; Your best bet to capture the most amazing sunset and sunrise. It’s Victoria’s largest Salt Lake covering 20,860 hectares, and the salt is controlled mostly by weather changes. The best time to visit is during clear winter’s evening when the shallow water covers the lake, where it creates a vast reflection of the sky, perfect for star grazing.
- Organ Pipes National Park, Keilor North
Just 30 minutes out of the CBD, with its row of cylindrical columns that look like organ pipes, it seems like it can just produce a tune. the distinctive design was naturally created back in ancient times by cooling lava, now working as a constant reminder that this region is on the edge of one of the world’s largest ancient volcanic lava flows. This geological national park is of 121-hectares and is named after its star attraction. How beautiful nature can actually be?
- The Big Drift
This track is a must-see and an adventurous hike up in an extensive series of sand dunes, it’s easy to get lost so, be very careful to mark your path to find your way back. This is the kind of place where you will most likely leave only footprints in the sand. A perfect peaceful moment to experience and feel the vast expanse of golden sands.
Just after the Wilsons Promontory, to the left-hand side of the Promontory Road, national park entrance you will locate the Stockyard campsite, which is the start of the walk. Note, it’s not possible to access the beach from the Big Drift.
- Twelve Apostles
One of Victoria’s most visited tourist attractions, The name comes from the high limestone stacks that sit out from the Port Campbell National Park were once connected to the mainland cliffs, Waves and wind carved them into caves, then arches, and eventually battered them down into 45-meter (150-foot) tall columns. There are only eight Apostles at the moment.
It’s a 4.5-hour scenic drive from Melbourne. If you enjoy long walks, arrive at the Twelve Apostles from Princetown. Stunning coastal views and you will also see kangaroos and birds.
Oh, and to take the full panoramic view off a stunning bird’s eye view through a heli-tour will definitely be a great date!
- Great Otway National Park
This national park is one of the most unique Victorian parks known for its rainforests, waterfalls, and coastline which stretches inland from the Great Ocean Road. It’s home to many exotic animals and trees. This is known to be home to the Aboriginal people for thousands of years, archeologists have discovered numerous relics, artifacts, and dinosaur fossils found in the area, with the largest being a femur the length of 43 cm, which was discovered in 1991 in Dinosaur Cove. The femur belonged to an ostrich-like dinosaur, known as Timimus hermani. If you are keen to know about aboriginal history in the area, you can check out the Mia Mia indigenous cultural Centre.
From the many activities in the park, treetop trails and ziplines over the forests and waterfalls are significant favorites by all travelers. The Fly tree top is a platform suspended 25 meters above the trees. This 600-meter-long walk is the tallest in the world and gives you the best views over the rainforest.
- The Hanging Rock, Newham
The name Hanging Rock is derived from a prominent formation on the path to the summit where a large rock is wedged firmly between two vertical columns. it has fitted into local indigenous people to, backdrop to Joan Lindsay’s book Picnic at Hanging Rock and Peter Weir’s film of the same title, to a colorful host of music concerts, markets and popular horse races, and more. Apart from walking up to the trail, it’s a great place for a picnic and play, while you enjoy the nature walk and discover the flora and fauna in the area. And if you are lucky, you will spot a koala too.
Time to pack your gear and bags to explore these beautiful places. Oh, and don’t forget to share this on your socials and travel mates.
