Melbourne Attractions Nearby: Melbourne, Victoria - VIC, Australia

• National Wool Museum - dedicated to the history of Australia's important wool industry
• Barwon Grange - a large house overlooking Eastern Beach, with neo-Gothic style architecture
• The Heights - a historic house, full of exceptional period features
• Naval and Maritime Museum - brimming with local maritime memorabilia and shipping artefacts
• Geelong Art Gallery - with a good collection of modern and more traditional Australian art works
• Geelong Performing Arts Centre - home to some of the state's best theatre companies
• Ford Discovery Centre - celebrating the city's Ford motor industry, with many interesting historic exhibits
• Eastern Beach - recently renovated at a cost of millions, this is now a particularly trendy area
• Geelong Botanic Gardens - splendid landscaped gardens, incorporating sizeable collections of exotic and native Australian plants
• Eastern Park - with large expanses of grassland, mature trees, shrubs and flower borders

Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is around one-hours' drive from central Melbourne and is located to the north-east. With high-quality beaches, strong waves for surfing and many attractions for tourists, the peninsula regularly attracts locals, who head to:

• Sorrento - the oldest town in the area, with an enchanting seaside atmosphere and fine beaches
• Portsea - with some exceptional beaches and tall cliffs, which have become popular with hang-gliders
• Mornington Peninsula National Park - providing an important home for much native wildlife and filled with natural attractions
• Flinders - a charming village with a busy fishing fleet, golf course and excellent surfing opportunities

Bellarine Peninsula
Located on the western side of Port Phillip Bay, the Bellarine Peninsula is situated just beyond Geelong. This is a particularly popular holiday destination and is full of things to see and do, such as:

• Queenscliff - a small town with a wealth of history from the Gold Rush in the 1880s
• Queenscliff Historical Centre - exhibiting various local Bellarine Peninsula artefacts and historic documents
• Bellarine Peninsula Railway - featuring lovingly restored steam locomotives, run by local railway enthusiasts
• Marine Discovery Centre - offering local boat trips and snorkelling excursions
• Point Lonsdale - a small, relaxed and charming coastal town with a large lighthouse, built in 1902
• Ocean Grove - popular with surfers and scuba divers, this small town is located on the ocean side of the peninsula
• Barwon Heads - a quiet and attractive resort next to the mouth of the Barwon River
• Torquay - ranking amongst the most popular surfing and summer resorts in the region
• Great Coastal Road - without doubt one of the most spectacular coastal routes in the world, featuring breathtaking views of the coast, cliffs and lush rainforests

Daylesford and Hepburn
Daylesford and Hepburn are situated to the north-west of central Melbourne and are set amongst some wonderful scenery, including hills, forests and lakes. This peaceful area has become known as the 'spa centre of Victoria' and is a popular retreat from busy city life. Tourists may like to visit:

• Wombat State Forest - with scenic views, interesting nature trails and a large amount of local wildlife
• Katteminga Lodge - an established horse-riding ranch where you can hire horses by the hour
• Hepburn Spa Resort - a health spa with excellent facilities, residing within the Mineral Springs Reserve
• Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens - beautiful landscaped gardens with mature trees, seating areas and picnic facilities

Ballarat
Full with thousands of eager diggers during the 1850s, when plentiful gold was discovered here, Ballarat has a fascinating past. This large town boasts a huge amount of outstanding Victorian architecture and an interesting visitors' centre. Located to the north-west of central Melbourne, the main attraction at Ballart is Sovereign Hill, an elaborate reconstruction of a gold-mining town in the mid-19th century. Other highlights include:

• Lydiard Street - widely believed to be one of the best examples of Victorian streets in the whole of Australia
• Ballarat Fine Art Gallery - an excellent provincial art gallery, full of paintings and sculptures
• Lake Wendouree - edged by the glorious Ballarat Botanic Gardens
• Ballarat Wildlife Park - full of local flora and fauna
• Macedon Ranges and Hanging Rock - a scenic area, popular with hikers, cyclists and bird-watchers
• Mount Macedon - an enormous extinct volcano, measuring more than 3,280 feet / 1,000 metres
• Hanging Rock - a popular spot for picnics, with a number of excellent walking trails offering superb views of the surrounding countryside

Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley, to the north-east of Melbourne, is one of the most stunning areas in Victoria, being full of natural beauty. Featuring walking and cycle trails, numerous vineyards, a visitors' centre and much more besides, other notable attractions in the Yarra Valley include:

• Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary - with a natural bushland setting, this is one of the best places to see some native Aussie wildlife
• Warrandyte State Park - a tranquil setting, full of native flora and fauna
• Gulf Station - a National Trust-classified farm dating back to the mid-19th century
• Upper Yarra Historical Museum - with many local valley artefacts and important historic documents
• Kinglake National Park - the largest national park near Melbourne, also known as the Forgotten Ranges
• Dandenong Ranges - a peaceful setting, with tall mountains overlooking the nearby city of Melbourne
• William Rickets Sanctuary - set in damp fern gardens, with waterfalls and many impressive sculptures
• Puffing Billy - a restored steam train regularly travelling between Belgrave and the Emerald Lakeside Park

Phillip Island
Phillip Island is located to the south of Melbourne, where it is a rugged and slightly windswept island with good conditions for surfing. This popular holiday resort is most famous for its friendly penguins, who have become a major attraction in their own right. Look out for:

• Penguin Parade - the resident wild penguins march from Summerland Beach to their nests, some of which are located in the back gardens of locals living on Phillip Island
• Seal Rocks - a large group of rocks, known as the Nobbies, which have become home to Australia's biggest colony of fur seals
• Sea Life Centre - with glass walls, offering exceptional views of seals in their natural environment
• Koala Conservation Centre - featuring elevated boardwalks, providing excellent views of the local koala population
• Phillip Island Wildlife Park - full of native animals and birds, with large expanses of wetlands and marshy areas