Most visitors to Victoria start out exploring Melbourne's cosmopolitan streets before taking a few day trips to the wineries or the gold fields around the historic city of Ballarat. Many experience only a fraction of what Victoria has to offer, but this wonderfully diverse region is worth a closer look.
Australia's southernmost mainland state has 35 national parks, encompassing every possible terrain, from rainforest and mountain ranges to sun-baked Outback desert and a coast where waves crash dramatically onto rugged sandstone outcroppings.
Melbourne may be the heart of this rugged state, but the Murray River, which separates Victoria from New South Wales, has been its lifeblood, providing irrigation for vast tracts of semidesert land. In recent years, as Australia's drought has worsened, the state of the once-mighty Murray has been a focus of concern which is likely to still be making headlines during your visit.
Visitors might head inland to the mountains (perhaps for skiing or bushwalking at Mount Hotham or Falls Creek), or seek out the wilderness of Snowy River National Park. Others head to the Outback, to Grampians National Park, and to Mildura through deserts and past pink lakes and red sand dunes.
Lots of options await, and because many of them are rural, prices for accommodations are very affordable. Whatever itinerary you choose, you're sure to find dramatic scenery -- and friendly locals.
