As the home of Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, Victoria has long been a popular travel destination. But beyond the well-known Melbourne and the self-driving paradise of the Great Ocean Road, Victoria has many other niche experiences that you can’t miss.
Keyword 1: Modern & Classical
Generally speaking, you can judge the modernization of a city by looking at its night view and nightlife. Melbourne has the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere. The viewing platform on the 88th floor of the Eureka Tower offers a panoramic view of Melbourne. It is a very worthwhile experience to watch the sunset and the lights gradually light up the night view here. Here you can also pay extra to experience the feeling of being suspended in a fully transparent glass room and pushed out of the building. It’s pretty exciting.
Eureka Tower exterior
Overlooking Melbourne CBD from the viewing platform of Eureka Tower
Overlooking Melbourne’s night view from the viewing platform of Eureka Tower
The suspended glass room experience at Eureka Tower
In contrast to modernity is the classical and historical. It’s less accurate to say that Melbourne is a historical city than to say that Melbourne is a city with a very classical temperament. To be honest, the history of Melbourne is only about 200 years old, so it really can’t be called ancient. In front of our civilization that has lasted for 5,000 years, it is just a young man. This classical temperament is actually an imported product from distant Europe for Australia and Melbourne. It benefits from the large number of buildings and cultures left over from the British colonial period.
Actually, the name Victoria comes from the name of the British Queen. So if you’ve been to England and then Australia, you might think that many places are familiar, such as the State Library of Victoria, the exterior design is very similar to the National Gallery in London. The main entrance of the British Museum is also quite similar. These museums and art galleries in Commonwealth countries are all in this style, and the National Gallery of Singapore is also like this. Melbourne’s Royal Arcade is very similar to London’s various arcades and markets.
State Library of Victoria
Melbourne Royal Arcade
Melbourne Central Station
Keyword 2: City of Arts
Melbourne is the real art capital of Australia, full of artistic atmosphere everywhere. There are many theaters, museums and art galleries in Melbourne’s city center. It is part of local people’s daily life to see art exhibitions and listen to operas in their spare time. In addition to these “elegant” arts that we may call higher-grade, Melbourne’s street art is also very rich.
When the weather is good, you can often see all kinds of street performers in pedestrian streets, stations and other places. And Melbourne’s street performers are different from those in other places. They can’t just do it if they want to. The Melbourne City Government regards street performers as part of the city’s image, so they must pass the assessment to obtain a license before they can perform on the streets.
In addition, graffiti has become an important representative of street art in Melbourne. Melbourne’s graffiti alley [Hosier Lane] has now become one of the most famous attractions.
The origin of graffiti alleys is actually because Melbourne’s anti-graffiti policy regulations are very strict. In order not to violate, graffiti artists all went to alleys to create, so there are not only Hosier Lane in Melbourne’s graffiti alleys, but the graffiti of Hosier Lane is the fastest-changing place in the whole Melbourne. Sometimes you will see the whole alley completely different from the next day, and sometimes you can see some graffiti artists creating live.
Keyword 3: Coffee Culture
Coffee is an indispensable and very important tag in Melbourne. It can be said that Melbourne is a city addicted to coffee. You can take a look at various messy lists, such as the world’s top ten coffee cities, the eight major coffee cities, Melbourne is definitely on the list, but it is strange that the obsession with coffee in Australia seems to belong only to Melbourne, and other cities do not have the same strong coffee feeling as Melbourne. To put it a little exaggeratedly, you can smell the aroma of coffee in any place in the center of Melbourne, and there is a coffee shop every ten meters. There are more than 5,000 coffee shops in the city, including well-known chain stores and small shops opened by themselves. These coffee shops have become places for local people to eat, socialize, date, and even work. Melbourne is also the birthplace of Flat White coffee. When you come to Melbourne, remember to find a delicate coffee shop and order a Flat White to spend your time leisurely.
Auction Rooms, the best coffee shop in 2017 according to The Age in Australia
Auction Rooms, the best coffee shop in 2017 according to The Age in Australia
Auction Rooms, the best coffee shop in 2017 according to The Age in Australia
Keyword 1: One of the Most Beautiful Coastal Roads in the World
The Great Ocean Road is located on the southwest coast of Victoria and was built by the Australian government for the soldiers who died in World War I. It is known as one of the most beautiful coastal roads in the world for its steep terrain and dazzling scenery along the way. The Great Ocean Road starts in Geelong, the second largest city in Victoria, and runs westward along the coast to Warrnambool, a city in southwest Victoria.
The main scenery of the Great Ocean Road can be divided into three sections.
The first section, Blue Line, is about 92 kilometers long from Torquay to Apollo Bay. This section of the road runs along the coast, passing through towns such as Anglesea and Lorne, with many beaches suitable for surfing along the way. There will be a world surfing competition held annually in Torquay during Easter each year.
The second section, Green Line, is about 80 kilometers long from Apollo Bay to Princetown. This section of the road leaves the coastline and runs through inland forests, and will pass through the Otway National Park. We are talking about the light green line below, not the dark green line above. The dark green line is the highway from the starting point of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong, directly to the end point of the Great Ocean Road, Warrnambool. If you take the wrong road, you won’t even see the edge of the Great Ocean Road.
The third section, Yellow Line, is the most representative and essential section of the Great Ocean Road. It is about 30 kilometers long from Princetown to Peterborough. This section returns to the coastal road from the inland section. Landmarks of the Great Ocean Road, such as London Arch, Twelve Apostles Rock, etc., are all on this section of the road.
Twelve Apostles Rock
London Arch
Keyword 2: Twelve Apostles Rock
As we just mentioned, the Twelve Apostles Rock is the most representative landscape of the Great Ocean Road and even the whole of Victoria. Many Australian travel promotional videos and documentaries will have the shadow of the Twelve Apostles.
The Twelve Apostles Rock was originally connected to the mainland. Due to long-term erosion and weathering by seawater, it became twelve independent giant rocks and sea pillars in the sea. In the last century, people gave religious colors to these natural landscapes, linking these 12 rocks to the twelve apostles of Jesus, hence the name Twelve Apostles Rock. It is also for this reason that the popularity of this place has greatly increased.
There is also a saying that there have only been eight Twelve Apostles Rocks since there are records. There have never been twelve, it’s just the embellishment of religion and art. However, we have no way to verify these things. The formation of the Twelve Apostles Rock benefits from the magic of nature, but also due to the continuous action of seawater and sea wind. The Twelve Apostles Rock currently only has 7 remaining. The last collapse occurred in 2005, and one day the Twelve Apostles Rock will disappear completely. There are many attractions in the world that will eventually disappear like the Twelve Apostles Rock, such as the nearby London Bridge. London Bridge was originally like this, a very iconic arch bridge shape. In 1990, this London Bridge collapsed and became London Broken Bridge. So we still have to see these attractions early.
The best season to visit the Great Ocean Road is from October to May of the following year. This time period is relatively good weather. People who often watch the sea know the importance of weather to the sea view. When the weather is good, we see the blue sky and the sea, which is very pleasant, but when the weather is bad, the color of the sea we see is gray and has no vitality. If the weather is good, it is highly recommended to stay here for half a day and watch the sunset. The afterglow of the sunset will dye the cliffs and rocks red, which is especially beautiful.
Phillip Island is located south of Melbourne, a place famous for its animals. It can be called a real-life version of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”.
Phillip Island Chinese website: http://www.penguins.org.cn/
Churchill Island
Australia has always been called “Tuo Ao Tuo Ao” by everyone, because compared to the exquisiteness of Europe, most of Australia appears to be full of rustic charm. It’s earthy like a farmer, even the Australian English accent is mocked as being from the countryside. But I think rusticity is the true meaning of Australia. The natural scenery, rural life and various kinds of magical animals are the real attractions of Australia. It’s less accurate to say that Australian cities are not prosperous enough, the buildings are not exquisite enough, it’s better to experience authentic Australian rural life.
Churchill Island Traditional Farm is located in the entrance area of Phillip Island. It is the first farm in Victoria’s history. It can be said to be very prestigious. It used to be a pure farm that mainly focused on agriculture and animal husbandry, but now its focus has gradually shifted to tourism attractions. However, various facilities in the farm are still well preserved. There are many animals on the farm, especially suitable for family trips. If you are going to go, it is recommended to arrive before 2 pm, because there will be fixed program performances almost every afternoon, such as milking sheep, shoeing horses, training sheepdogs, shearing sheep, etc.
Koala Conservation Centre
The Koala Conservation Centre on Phillip Island is also a very popular place to see koalas. Compared to zoos, the koalas seen here are closer to their natural state. And compared to completely wild koalas, most of them sleep in tree trunks that are a little high. This conservation center allows you to see koalas up close. However, it is only limited to watching. Victorian law stipulates that you cannot hug koalas. Only in Queensland, Australia, can you hug koalas.
And koalas just eat and sleep. They sleep 18-20 hours a day, so in many cases, when we go to see koalas, we end up watching koalas’ charming sleeping posture. If you see a fully awake koala, it means you are very lucky.
Penguin Parade
Watching the penguin parade is the most representative activity on Phillip Island, also for this reason, Phillip Island is also known as Penguin Island.
We can see little blue penguins here, which are only 30 centimeters tall and are the smallest penguin species in the world. They are unique to Australia. As early as thousands of years ago, little blue penguins began to build nests in the sand dunes of Phillip Island, leaving and returning every day. They left Phillip Island to go to the deep sea areas hundreds of kilometers offshore to forage during the day, and every evening, after sunset, a group of little blue penguins will return to their nests with food along a fixed route to feed the penguin chicks. No matter when they leave in the day, they will come back at a fixed time every night, day after day.
Because the little penguins are very timid and afraid of strong light, it is required that everyone keep quiet when watching the penguin parade, and they are not allowed to take pictures or videos. Then there are three different seats for watching the penguin parade. The first one is the general view in the upper right corner of the picture, which is the ordinary ticket, which is a bit far from the penguin parade’s landing route. The second one is the penguin plus upgraded seat in the lower left corner, which is very close to the penguin parade’s route. If you grab the front row seats, the penguins may walk directly from your feet. The third VIP seat is an indoor viewing area located below the upgraded seat, through transparent glass, the little penguins will walk directly in front of you.
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula area located south of Melbourne, and because of its beautiful environment and geographical location, it has become the first choice for Melbourne people’s short trips. The vacation life on the Mornington Peninsula is not the kind of luxurious vacation style that enjoys high-end hotels, mansions, and yachts. It is more about enjoying a peaceful rural life and rural scenery.
Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm
Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm is a very famous orchard on the Mornington Peninsula. Although the name is Strawberry Farm, you can pick strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries in different seasons. The strawberry picking season is the longest, from November to April of the following year. Blueberries are only available in January and February each year. Blackberries are very similar to our mulberries, but they are actually different. Blackberries are available here from January to March. Raspberries are actually raspberries, and the raspberry picking season is also very long, from December each year to June of the following year.
However, the main target of picking in this farm is still strawberries, so the open picking season is from November to April each year. The farm is still open in other times, but it is not allowed to go to pick by yourself. The picking rules are also very simple, they will give you a plastic box, each person is allowed to take away 500g, which is 1 pound of strawberries. If you exceed the limit, you will need to pay for them, but you can eat as much as you want while picking.
In addition to picking, the farm also has its own restaurant and shop. The restaurant has a variety of strawberry desserts, which are quite delicious. People who like to eat desserts should like them very much. The shop sells various by-products produced by the farm, such as strawberry jam, strawberry sparkling wine, and so on.
Website: https://sunnyridge.com.au/
Fruit picking season
Peninsula Hot Springs
Peninsula Hot Springs is a geothermal hot spring resort, but it does not provide accommodation, only hot springs plus meal packages. This hot spring has a wide variety of choices, such as foot bath pools, spas, rooftop open-air hot springs, Turkish baths, saunas, etc. There are also private hot springs suitable for families. But I recommend this place just for this rooftop open-air hot spring, which is the hot spring pool in this picture. The view is very wide and the photos are very beautiful. It is also a net red spot near Melbourne.
If you want to go, you need to plan your time well, because if you go at the wrong time, there may be a lot of people. So it is still recommended that you go when there are fewer people, such as going to the top of the mountain to soak in the hot springs at sunrise or sunset. There will be fewer people at sunrise, or you can soak in the hot springs while watching the stars at night. Both are very good experiences.
Website: https://www.peninsulahotsprings.com/
The Yarra Valley is located northeast of Melbourne’s city center. The first grape vine in Victoria’s history was planted here, and the first winery was also established here, so it is also the wine country of Victoria. Now there are more than 80 wineries of all sizes in the Yarra Valley. Anyone who loves wine or knows wine must stay here for a few days when they come to Victoria.
Winery
There are so many wineries in the Yarra Valley, each one is different and has its own unique characteristics. Yering Station is the first winery in Victoria. Their Yarrabank sparkling wine is recognized as one of the best sparkling wines in Australia. There are also many restaurants in the winery where you can enjoy food while tasting wine. Local people also often choose this place as the shooting location for wedding photos or the place to hold wedding ceremonies.
Website: https://www.yering.com/
Hot air balloon
Even if you don’t drink, the Yarra Valley is still a very worthwhile place to visit, because the natural environment and scenery of the Yarra Valley itself are very good. Taking a hot air balloon is also a special activity here. Because the climate here is good and the weather is also good, the probability of the hot air balloon flight being cancelled is relatively low. Generally, hot air balloon flights are chosen to be carried out at sunrise in the morning. At this time, we can watch the sunrise during the flight and fly over large hills and vineyards. There will be morning mist around the mountains in the morning. In addition to self-driving and group tours, most people get up early and are picked up from Melbourne to the Yarra Valley. After the hot air balloon flight, they drink champagne and have breakfast at the winery, and then return to Melbourne.
Image from Melbourne Tourism website
Image from Victoria Tourism website
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