If you love the great outdoors...
Great Otway National Park
First on any nature lover’s Victorian itinerary should be the Great Otway National Park.
This impossibly lush patch of cool-climate rainforest lies alongside the Great Ocean Road and stretches from Torquay in the east to Princetown in the west. Within this 150km arboreal playground, you’ll find plenty of hikes, nature walks, rocky and sandy beaches and trickling waterfalls.
Try the Melba Gully walk for a gentle foray into the forest. If it’s a real challenge you’re after you can’t beat the Great Ocean Walk, which starts at Apollo Bay, winds through dense forest and finishes at the Twelve (or is it seven?) Apostles on the coast. Unlike TLC, we’re all for chasing waterfalls, with some of our favourite including Erskine Falls, Beauchamp Falls and Triplet Falls.
Wilsons Promontory
On the other side of the state is another, equally sublime slice of nature. There’s a reason every school kid and their dog visits Wilsons Promontory. The national park is the southernmost point of mainland Australia, with the wild winds straight off Bass Strait carving a landscape of granite mountains, eucalypt forest and postcard-perfect beaches.
The prom is one of Victoria’s best camping locales. Pitch your tent at Tidal River, where you can make use of the general store, then head out on a short, day or overnight walk.
Squeaky Beach (2km from Tidal River) is an eternally popular walk for its audibly squeaky sand, but if you’ve got time embark on an overnight hike to the Wilsons Promontory
Lightstation. You’ll be rewarded with glorious views of the coastline and cottages to stay in (bookings are a must).