The Victorian countryside makes a wonderful trip away for the whole family. Here, we pay a visit to the breathtaking Mornington Peninsula and the spectacular Grampians region.
The Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is just an hour's drive from Melbourne and offers a host of activities to enjoy amongst the beautiful natural surroundings that offer everything from sandy beaches to fertile hills.
A visit to the natural Peninsula Hot Springs is a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Take a spring bath, rich in healing minerals, before enjoying a treatment such as a lavender milk bath or massage. There is also a café.
For those who favour a more active outdoor experience, head out on the water for a spot of fishing with Relax, Go Fishing! The kids will love catching their very own dinner with mum and dad — there's a variety of fish to be caught in Port Phillip Bay, especially flathead.
Then, when it's time to sleep, check in to Cape Schanck Lighthouse for accommodation with a difference and a view to die for. You'll love your stay at the original lighthouse keeper's cottage, which dates back to the mid-19th Century. Climb the lighthouse itself for an amazing view.
The Grampians
Grampians National Park is a rugged mountainous area of Victoria, full of bushland, flora and fauna. With pretty wildflowers and birdlife abounding, as well as ancient aboriginal artwork, it's not hard to see why this is one of the most popular holiday regions in the state.
You can choose to see explore the region on foot, by bike or vehicle. Grampians Personalised Tours & Adventures offers abseiling, rock climbing, four-wheel drive adventures, and guided bushwalks in the National Park. You can even join a night walk and spot koalas, possums, gliders, owls and bats.
For accommodation that respects the environment, stay among the trees in comfort at Aquila Eco Lodges in the Southern Grampians. Its' eco-friendly design means it blends with the surrounding native bushland, and you might spot a variety of birdlife, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas or emus!
