From natural wonders to historical sites, we’ve rounded up Victoria’s most epic icons that deserve a place on your itinerary.
Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park
Mount William is the highest peak in the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park. (Image: Matt Donovan)
From towering mountains to crystal cascades and ancient rock art sites, the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park is a playground for both outdoor adventurers and nature lovers. Don’t miss the views from the highest peak Mount William or the iconic Pinnacle.
Murray River
The wonders of the Murray are best experienced on board a paddle steamer. (Image: Visit Victoria)
A natural icon of majestic proportions, the Murray River flows for a staggering 2700 kilometres, making it one of the world’s longest navigable rivers. Meandering through Victoria before flowing out to sea at Goolwa in South Australia, the river is home to diverse wildlife, picturesque towns and secluded creeks and beaches.
Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell
The Twelve Apostles are a star attraction on the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)
These limestone sea stacks are arguably Victoria’s most famous icon . After an $8-million upgrade to its lookout, The Blowhole near Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool (meaning breath of the whale) has recently reopened. A brand-new Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre, complete with rooftop lookout, will open in 2026.
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You Yangs, Geelong
Kangaroos enjoy dusk in the You Yangs. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Rising 300-plus metres from the flat volcanic plains between Melbourne/Naarm and Geelong, the You Yangs are massive granite boulders named for the local Wadawurrung word ‘Youang’, meaning ‘big hills’. Hiking, biking, rock climbing and horse-riding are popular within this regional park.
Near the town of Warburton, an extraordinary forest of some 1500 Californian Redwoods stands among native orchids, eucalypt trees and rich birdlife. Planted in the 1930s, these 55-metre-plus trees can live for 2000 years and will grow to be some of the world’s tallest.
Wilsons Promontory, Gippsland
Wilsons Promontory is home to the incredible Skull Rock formation. (Image: Tourism Australia)
The Prom, as it’s known locally, is the southernmost tip of mainland Australia. This 50,000-hectare reserve comprises granite mountains and forest, fringed by sandy beaches and surrounded by a marine park rich in marine biodiversity. It’s also home to the incredible and imposing Skull Rock formation.
Hanging Rock Reserve, Macedon Ranges
Enigmatic Hanging Rock. (Image: Visit Victoria/ Rob Blackburn)
This six-million-year-old volcanic rock was thrown into the national spotlight thanks to the 1967 novel and consequent 1975 film based on the fictional disappearance of schoolgirls in 1901. Mystery aside, visitors can walk the steep 105-metre summit, fish for trout and go twitching.
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Sovereign Hill, Ballarat
Step back in time at Sovereign Hill. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Cry ‘eureka!’ at Sovereign Hill , a living museum to the prosperous Gold Rush era of the 1850s, during which Ballarat produced the most gold in the world. Visitors to this much-loved attraction can walk historic streets, enter a gold mine and try panning for the good stuff, too.
The Great Stupa, Bendigo
The Great Stupa in Bendigo. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Who’d have thought the largest Buddhist temple in the Western world would be tucked away in Bendigo’s bushland? Welcoming visitors to explore, this sacred Buddhist pagoda is an epicentre for Tibetan culture, architecture, art and interfaith harmony.
Ensuring the safe passage of ships in the notoriously treacherous Bass Strait since 1859, this heritage-listed lighthouse overlooks dramatic volcanic coast and wild beaches. The surrounding reserve is home to a plethora of wildlife including little penguins, seals and echidnas.
Megan Arkinstall is a freelance travel writer who you’ll often find at the beach, bushwalking or boating with her young family. She loves reliving travel memories through writing, whether that be sipping limoncello in a sun-drenched courtyard of Monterosso or swimming with green turtles in the aquamarine waters of Tropical North Queensland.
From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.
I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.
For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland , and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.
Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.
The best coastal hikes in Gippsland
Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)
Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.
Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)
The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit , which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.
Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)
You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk , even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.
George Bass Coastal Walk trails for seven kilometres along clifftops. (Image: Visit Victoria/Time Out Australia)
Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk , usually done over seven days.
Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)
The best bush hikes in Gippsland
The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)
Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.
Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.
Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.
Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.
The best cultural hikes in Gippsland
Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)
Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.
As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park , along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.
Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)
The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail , a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.
The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)
Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park , known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.
A traveller’s checklist
Staying there
Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)
Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.
Eating there
Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)
Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.
Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.
The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.
