Top 7 Victorian weekend road trips: A Melburnian's guide
Ah, Melbourne – Melbourne has our heart. What can we say, it’s the best city in the world! Not only does it offer great coffee, a vibrant arts and culture scene, and oodles of public transport options, but Victoria’s state capital also happens to be nestled in a great location at the crown of Port Phillip Bay.
Melburnians have their pick not only of cafes and staycation options, but also of regional road trip routes, all of which you can embark upon from Melbourne’s metropolitan region.
If you’re planning to get out of the suburbs on your next weekend, then heed this list we’ve provided below of the top 7 most iconic Victorian weekend road trip routes. Time to pull out your maps and chart a new course in the idyllic Victorian countryside.
1. Great Ocean Road
No surprises that the top of this list is Victoria’s most renowned road trip route: the Great Ocean Road. Covering a whopping 243 km of Victorian coastline between Torquay and Allansford with stopovers including the Twelve Apostles, the Great Otway National Park, and the world famous Bells Beach, the Great Ocean Road is a rite of passage for all Melburnians.
The route itself is definitely picturesque, but the highlight for most road trippers is being able to take in all the unique cultures and attractions of the local towns that comprise the route. There are plenty of hotels in Torquay where you can enjoy a little luxury and pampering before you start on your journey, and then places to stay along the way can vary from glamping sites to forest retreats in the Otways, and even cabins and tiny homes in caravan parks that’ll let you wake up to the swelling sounds of the ocean. Just make sure you bring multiple sets of bathers, and some good hiking shoes and a camera for making the most of all the route’s scenic lookout points.
2. Melbourne to Mornington
The trip from Melbourne to Mornington is a favourite weekend pilgrimage for many hard-working Melburnians, promising both adventure and relaxation abound. For starters, Mornington is home to the Peninsula Hot Springs as well as the Alba Hot Springs, so a weekend getaway to Mornington is the perfect excuse for a spa day or two.
Alongside the thermal springs, Mornington is also home to some fantastic beaches, including Rosebud and Sorrento, where the whole family can enjoy a refreshing dip. Then there’s the Mornington Tourist Railway, the region’s only working heritage railway that takes you from Moorooduc Station to Mornington and back again.
And for those who love a good spot of golf or perhaps even a tipple, Mornington also boasts plenty of great greens in and amongst the region’s verdant wine country as well – and all just a stone’s throw from Melbourne too.
3. Penguins to Prom Drive
Another iconic road trip route, this one takes you from Phillip Island to Wilsons Promontory, covering a picturesque section of Victoria’s eastern coastline that also includes attractions like Wonthaggi, Venus Bay, Inverloch, and Waratah Bay and Sandy Point. Once you’re done witnessing the march of the fairy penguins at Phillip Island, drive back east over the bridge to San Remo and continue heading east until you get to Yanakie, the turn off point for Wilsons Promontory.
Truth be told, there’s just so much to see and do along this route that it may not even qualify as a ‘weekend getaway’ – for instance, there are plenty of multi-day hiking trails at Wilsons Prom alone, so you might even opt to spend an entire weekend there and then allocate a few extra days to all of the other fantastic destinations you can find along the way on this one.
Or you might just do a few different trips and focus on another destination with each consecutive weekend! They all have their own unique footprint, like Inverloch is definitely great for families travelling with dogs, whereas Waratah Bay and Sandy Point are an absolute must for travellers looking to enjoy a serene beach day or two.
4. Black Spur Drive
Heading up north now, let’s navigate ourselves to the heart of Yarra Valley, which includes iconic destinations like Lilydale, Warburton, Healesville, and Marysville. While all of these destinations have their own unique selling points, we’ll be focusing specifically on the mountain regions surrounding Marysville and the bucket list-worthy winding road that runs between them: the Black Spur!
This scenic roadway offers about 28-30 km of brilliant redwood forest views along the Maroondah Highway. The roadway is winding and hidden by dense canopies, which makes it a particularly tricky drive but one that offers mind-boggling views. The Black Spur is also the gateway to Marysville, which boasts unique attractions like Steavenson Falls, the tiered Keppel Falls, and Bruno’s Sculpture Garden and Art Gallery.
Between the many creek and river systems plus the waterfalls and lush forests, Marysville and the Black Spur are amongst Victoria’s greatest road trip routes for the cooler months, with mid-autumn to early winter being amongst the best times to make the trip.
5. Great Alpine Road
Spanning a whopping 339km of alpine roadways with varying cold weather driving conditions, the Great Alpine Road is a scenic road trip route through Victoria’s high country. The route will take you through some much-loved regional towns, including Wangaratta, Bairnsdale, Mount Hotham, Harrietville, and Bright. You can even take the Great Alpine Road as far down as the Gippsland coastline if you’re travelling from north to south.
There’s plenty to see and do at all times of the year along the Great Alpine Road, thanks in part to the sheer length of the route itself. In the warmer months, you can follow the route all the way down to the coastal town of Metung for a dip. Contrastingly in autumn, the Great Alpine Road becomes your pathway to witnessing the turning of the leaves in Bright. This road trip route is, in a nutshell, the best way to experience autumn in Victoria.
And what about in winter and spring? With the route taking you directly to Mount Hotham, you can easily turn your jaunt across the Great Alpine Road into a skiing or snowboarding getaway.
6. Daylesford to Grampians
Moving further west now, we’re trading in Bright and areas surrounding Mount Beauty to the fascinating landmarks and townships of Mount Macedon and its neighbouring townships. One of the most well-known towns in this region has to be Daylesford, which is known all over the state for its local Sunday market, plus its exceptional spa facilities. This artistic township is the perfect starting point for some R&R before heading further west to take on Halls Gap and the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park.
For fans of waterfalls and Indigenous rock art, the Grampians have plenty of adventure and enrichment to offer. The rugged sandstone mountains, boundless fields of wildflowers, and elusive forest wildlife make every inch of this destination utterly gorgeous. Plus, can you even call yourself a Victorian if you haven’t marvelled over the many cascading streams of MacKenzie Falls?
This road trip route doesn’t exactly follow a specific outlined pathway, but the contrast in experiences between Daylesford and the Grampians makes this a must-do for anybody looking to embark on a well-balanced weekend getaway to the Victorian upcountry.
7. Great River Road
Finally, this last road trip route is actually on the border between VIC and NSW, but we say it still counts as a great Victorian weekend road trip because it allows you to explore up and down the Murray River. Stretching 155km between Bellbridge and Lake Hume to the township of Khancoban in the Snowy Mountains, the Great River Road unearths some of Victoria’s best fishing spots and other riverside attractions, ranging from country cafes, pubs, and restaurants, to historical sites like the Bethanga Bridge in Bellbridge, the Man From Snowy River Museum in Corryong, and the 100 year-old Jingellic Pub.
The Great River Road also boasts plenty of walking trails and lookout points, including the Mount Alfred Gap Lookout that offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Murray River. Jim Newman’s Lookout in Tintaldra is another essential stopping point, boasting striking views of the Murray River Valley, plus an art installation of a Bogong Moth made of repurposed metal. Pack a picnic lunch to take in the view and enjoy a little shade under the wings of the metal moth.
See Victoria through your windscreen with these road trip routes
Victoria is a state of many faces, spanning from its brilliant coastline in the south to its rugged mountain ranges in the high country. In and amongst these two landscapes, you can also find lush rainforests, cascading waterfalls, and plenty of winding scenic drives that take you through some of the most picturesque regional towns. You can basically start with any of the routes on the list and be guaranteed a great time.
So set your sights on the open highway for your next weekend getaway. You may end up being surprised by the experiences that come your way while exploring Victoria.
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