Six reasons you have to visit Warrnambool

You may never have even heard of this quaint, family-friendly seaside town, but after a visit to Warrnambool, you’re not likely to forget it.

As we drive the three-hour inland route from Melbourne airport to Warrnambool, on Victoria’s south coast, my husband and I note the sprawling acreage and lush greenery that lines the freeway and it feels like a suitably relaxing start to the journey.

Upon arriving at the Best Western Olde Maritime Motor Inn , we meet the owner and our host, Raj, a lovely guy hailing from the UK who managed to go from humble hotel employee to owner in just a few short years. Raj’s sense of pride towards Warrnambool is unmistakable as he speaks to us over dinner at the inn’s signature restaurant, Clovelly. He opens up about starting a new life in the small Australian town he’d never heard of with his new Australian bride – and how it has been a wonderful place to raise a family.

I get the sense that Warrnambool has the type of community you want to be a part of, the kind where you can rely on your neighbour to bring in your mail when you’re away. It felt comforting, and a little like being on the set of Neighbours.

The next 48 hours are a wonderful, marvellous blur in which we see some of the most naturally beautiful vistas we’ve ever clapped eyes on, learn more about the history of Australia than we did in any classroom, and eat some of the most supremely beautiful produce available.

Here are six reasons you need to plan a trip to Warrnambool:

1. Relive History at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village

As we wander across the road from our Best Western apartment to Flagstaff Hill, we are thankful that our destination is so close on such a brisk evening. Being so close to the south coast of the country, Warrnambool can certainly catch a breeze in the wintertime; beanies advised. After a short wait in the gift shop we are ushered downstairs, through a corridor with hanging panels, which in an instant comes to life with the face of a fisherman from the 19^th century. He tells us about the ghosts of the Shipwreck Coast, right here in Warrnambool, and that we are in for quite a tale.

We then make our way down to the Flagstaff Hill village, which, for all intents and purposes resembles a fully functioning township from the 19^th century. During the day, the blacksmith and various stores are roaring with life, but at night it’s less about the village – and all about the Sound and Light show.

The multi-million dollar experience takes audiences back through time to visit the Shipwreck Coast when whale oil was one of the most precious commodities a man could come across, and many died in a bid to get it. Careful of the moving set, you won’t see the wobbles and splashes coming, but they’ll happen.

Beachfront at Warrnambool, at the iconic location where the movie ‘Oddball’ was filmed.

2. Dine at the Clovelly Restaurant

The shining gem of the Best Western Olde Maritime Motor Inn , Clovelly, is the sophisticated dining offering for guests and locals alike. Hotel owner, and our host, Raj chats with locals as they sit down to dine with their families, in an elegant and soothing space.

I wrestle over the menu, eventually settling on the Surf ‘n’ Turf, and am subsequently treated to some of the most satisfying prawns and sumptuous steak I’ve ever had. My only regret? Not asking for more of that sauce. The wines we sample with dinner are also of a high quality, the shiraz a standout, especially with the steak. However, for a usual non-dessert eater, I throw caution to the wind and order the sticky date pudding. Well, it may just be one of the best decisions I make throughout the whole trip – potentially in the last few months. And what I missed by way of sauce with the steak, I more than make up for in the form of butterscotch gooey golden syrup. I’m not drooling, you are.

3. Take a Stroll Through Port Fairy

In 2012 humble Port Fairy was voted the world’s most liveable community of towns with a population of under 20,000. The accolade was awarded by the UN-recognised LivCom Awards and it took everyone a little by surprise.

Though, perhaps it shouldn’t. The quaint seaside town feels like the type of place you might have holidayed with your family as a child, which makes for a feeling of calm of nostalgia as you wander its streets. It has a certain ‘way back when’ feel about it, probably due to the stores, which despite keeping up with the times, have also maintained a degree of small-town charm. The cosy local cafes, ice-cream parlour and clothes and shoes boutique If the Shoe Fits & Isabella’s, are a few standout options. Cuter than Christmas.

Bay of Islands Coastal Park, Warrnambool.

4. Get Some Whale Watching in

Winter is an incredible time to see the whales on the south coast of Victoria. As they migrate down ‘whale corridor’, the region from Warrnambool to Portland, you can often catch a glimpse from one of the many lookout spots scattered along the coast, however the best place is Warrnambool’s ‘whale nursery’.

The strip received its name because during the winter months whales from the Antarctic make the journey to warmer waters along this coast, in order to breed, birth and nurse their young. In early July we are probably just a few weeks premature, with the prime time for whale-spotting being mid-July to August.

5. Explore Secret Beaches and Cliffs

Rocks along the Great Ocean Road — ‘The Grotto’, located just out of Warrnambool, along the Great Ocean Road.

On our first full day in Warrnambool, we are introduced to a man called Bob, who Raj assures us knows everything there is to know about this magical place. Bob has raised his family in the town, and worked as the principal of the local high school. He now runs local tours for residents and tourists – and is even booked solid for large groups until November.

Bob is the kind of guy you just want to sit down with over a cup of tea and listen to. His passion for Warrnambool is contagious and the glint in his eye as he ferries us around to some of the most naturally awe-inspiring landscapes I’ve ever seen shows me just how pure his passion is. The Bay of Islands Coastal Park takes a little walking from Bob’s humble Southwest Explorer bus, but once we make it to the cliff face, the view is just phenomenal. Some of the most miraculously formed cliff edges make you feel as though you are standing on the edge of the world.

However, the best sight we were to see that day was yet to come. Bob instructs us down a path, that after weaving through some intense foliage, ushers us down a sand bank to find a completely isolated secret beach – one of Bob’s favourites – with what looks like two of the 12 Apostles lurching out of the sea. It is truly one of the grandest views I’d ever seen.

6. Try to Stay at the Caravan Park

During our tour, Bob also takes us down by the sea to an area that’s alive in summer, filled with families who stay for weeks on end, either in the caravan parks of the seaside accommodations. I clap eyes on the paddle boats on the small river and the putt putt golf range and am exclaiming to my husband how much I’d love to bring our future children here when I am interrupted by a laugh.

Raj says that the big problem with the BIG4 Warrnambool Figtree Holiday Park is that out-of-towners can rarely get in, because the locals who live just 500 metres up the road all shuffle down for summer. It seems life is so good down here, they’ve got no reason to leave.

Planning a road trip along the Great Ocean Road? Then check out our curated guide for everything you need to know.

Winding down in the Yarra Valley, where ‘work from home’ becomes ‘work from wine country’.

Steam from my morning coffee curls gently into the cool valley air, mist-veiled vineyards stretch out in neat rows below me. Magpies warble from trees, and the morning’s quiet carries the soft bleating of lambs from a nearby paddock. Midweek in the Yarra Valley has its own rhythm. It’s slower, quieter, with more empty tables at cafes and cellar doors, and walking trails I can claim all to myself. It’s as if the entire region takes a deep breath once the weekend crowd leaves.

walking trails in the Yarra Valley — You’ll find walking trails are less crowded during the week. (Image: Visit Victoria)

I haven’t come here for a holiday, but to do a little work somewhere other than my home office, where I spend too much time hunched over my desk. Deadlines still loom, meetings still happen, but with flexible work evolving from ‘work from home’ to ‘work from anywhere’, I’m swapping the view of my front yard to the vineyards.

A quiet afternoon at Yarra Valley Dairy

holding a glass of wine at Yarra Valley Dairy — Wine time at Yarra Valley Dairy, where you can enjoy a toastie or bagel in the cafe. (Image: Visit Victoria)

With the Yarra Valley just over an hour from the CBD, many Melburnians could drive here in their lunch break. I arrive late in the afternoon and am delighted to discover the Yarra Valley Dairy still open. On weekends, I’ve seen queues spilling out the door, but today there’s only one other couple inside. There’s no need to rush to secure a table; instead I browse the little store, shelves stacked with chutneys, spices, artisan biscuits and gorgeous crockery that would look right at home in my kitchen. It’s hard not to buy the lot.

a cheese tasting plate atYarra Valley Dairy — A cheese tasting plate at Yarra Valley Dairy.

I order a coffee and a small cheese platter, though the dairy has a full menu, and choose a wooden table with bentwood chairs by a wide window. The space feels part farm shed, part cosy café: corrugated iron ceiling, walls painted in muted tones and rustic furniture.

Outside, cows meander toward milking sheds. If pressed for time, there’s the option of quick cheese tastings – four samples for five dollars in five minutes – but today, I’m in no rush. I sip slowly, watching a grey sky settle over the paddock. Less than an hour ago I was hunched over my home-office desk, and now my racing mind has slowed to match the valley’s pace.

Checking in for vineyard views at Balgownie Estate

Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate has views across the vines.

As my car rolls to a stop at Balgownie Estate , I’m quietly excited, and curious to see if my plan to work and play comes off. I’ve chosen a suite with a spacious living area and a separate bedroom so I can keep work away from a good night’s sleep. I could have booked a cosy cottage, complete with open fireplace, a comfy couch and a kettle for endless cups of tea, but as I am still here to get some work done, I opt for a place that takes care of everything. Dinner is served in Restaurant 1309, as is breakfast.

oysters at Restaurant 1309, Balgownie Estate — Oysters pair perfectly with a crisp white at Restaurant 1309.

On my first evening, instead of the usual walk about my neighbourhood, I stroll through the estate at an unhurried pace. There’s no need to rush – someone else is preparing my dinner after all. The walking trails offer beautiful sunsets, and it seems mobs of kangaroos enjoy the view, too. Many appear, grazing lazily on the hillside.

I wake to the call of birds and, after breakfast, with the mist still lingering over the vineyards, I watch two hot-air balloons silently drift above clouds. Perched on a hill, Balgownie Estate sits above the mist, leaving the valley below veiled white.

kangaroos in Yarra Valley — Spotting the locals on an evening walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Exploring the Yarra Valley on two wheels

the Yarra Valley vineyards — Swap your home office for a view of the vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria/Cormac Hanrahan)

Perhaps because the Yarra Valley is relatively close to where I live, I’ve never considered exploring the area any way other than by car or on foot. And with a fear of heights, a hot-air balloon is firmly off the table. But when I discover I can hop on two wheels from the estate and cycle into Yarra Glen, I quickly realise it’s the perfect way to step away from my laptop and experience a different side of the region.

COG Bike offers pedal-assist e-bikes, and while the bike trail and paths into town aren’t particularly hilly, having an extra bit of ‘oomph’ means I can soak up the surroundings. Those lambs I heard calling early in the morning? I now find them at the paddock fence, sniffing my hands, perhaps hoping for food. Cows idle nearby, and at a fork in the bike path I turn left toward town.

It’s still morning, and the perfect time for a coffee break at The Vallie Store. If it were the afternoon, I’d likely turn right, in the direction of four wineries with cellar doors. The ride is about 15 kilometres return, but don’t let that put you off. Staying off the highway, the route takes you along quiet backroads where you catch glimpses of local life – farmers on tractors, weathered sheds, rows of vines and the kind of peaceful countryside you don’t see from the main road.

A detour to the Dandenong Ranges

legs hanging over the sides of the train, Puffing Billy Railway — The iconic Puffing Billy runs every day except Christmas Day.

The beauty of basing myself in the Yarra Valley is how close everything feels. In barely half an hour I’m in the Dandenong Ranges, swapping vineyards for towering mountain ash and fern-filled gullies. The small villages of Olinda and Sassafras burst with cosy teahouses, antique stores and boutiques selling clothing and handmade body care items.

I’m drawn to RJ Hamer Arboretum – Latin for ‘a place for trees’. Having grown up among tall trees, I’ve always taken comfort in their presence, so this visit feels like a return of sorts. A stroll along the trails offers a choice: wide open views across patchwork paddocks below, or shaded paths that lead you deeper into the quiet hush of the peaceful forest.

The following day, I settle into a quiet corner on the balcony of Paradise Valley Hotel in Clematis and soon hear Puffing Billy’s whistle and steady chuff as the steam train climbs towards town. Puffing Billy is one of Australia’s most beloved steam trains, running through the Dandenong Ranges on a narrow-gauge track. It’s famous for its open carriages where passengers can sit with their legs hanging over the sides as the train chugs through the forest. This is the perfect spot to wave to those on the train.

After my midweek break, I find my inbox still full and my to-do list not in the least shrunken, just shifted from one task to another. But I return to my home office feeling lighter, clearer and with a smug satisfaction I’d stolen back a little time for myself. A midweek wind-down made all the difference.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Balgownie Estate offers everything from cellar door tastings to spa treatments and fine dining – all without leaving the property.

Playing there

the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Yarra Valley — Visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Wander through Alowyn Gardens, including a stunning wisteria tunnel, then explore the collection of contemporary artworks at TarraWarra Museum of Art . Cycle the Yarra Valley with COG Bike to visit local wineries and cellar doors.

Eating and drinking there

Olinda Tea House offers an Asian-inspired high tea. Paradise Valley Hotel, Clematis has classic pub fare, while the iconic Yering Station offers wine tastings and a restaurant with seasonal dishes.

seasonal dishes at the restaurant inside Yering Station — The restaurant at Yering Station showcases the best produce of the Yarra Valley. (Image: Visit Victoria)

6 reasons to visit Victoria’s friendliest seaside town: Warrnambool