From specious food and wine regions like the Yarra Valley to the spectacular coastal gems of Mornington and Bellarine Peninsula, we look to our neighbouring state to inspire future travel plans.

So, clip in those seatbelts and come for a drive with us through Victoria.

Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges

1. Healesville Sanctuary

Following the Victorian bushfires in late 2019 and early 2020, the Healesville Sanctuary played an integral part in nursing many injured animals back to health. Now, they’re releasing many of them back to the wild.

You can visit the sanctuary just one hour from Melbourne and meet the vets and nurses who care for the sick, injured or orphaned wildlife.

Walk through the park and see koalas, platypus, dingoes, wombats and more. Watch the Spirits of the Sky Bird Show and be wowed by birds of prey and majestic parrots.

2. Puffing Billy

Jump aboard the historic Puffing Billy steam train and make your way through the heart of the Dandenong Ranges.

The open-side carriages offer beautiful views of the valley and forest as you travel from Belgrave to Gembrook Station.

Make your way through temperate rainforest, brushing past lush fern gullies and towering mountain ash trees.

If you’re looking for something a little different, try the Train, Museum and Morning Tea experience. The Puffing Billy leaves Belgrave and makes its way to Menzies Creek where you can visit the museum and enjoy morning tea.

3. Yarra Valley Dairy

The Yarra Valley is a world-famous wine region, but it also has a long history of dairy farming, making it the perfect destination for cheese lovers.

At Yarra Valley Dairy, you’ll find handmade French and Italian style soft cheeses. Discover the goat and cow cheeses on offer paired with local wines.

There’s so much variety, you won’t know where to start. Taste the chevre – a fresh goat milk cheese paired with dill. If you’re looking for something with a bit more of a kick, try the fresh cow milk cheese marinated in chilli.

Mornington Peninsula

4. TWØBAYS Brewing Co

Are you coeliac or gluten intolerant, but like a brew? Or maybe you’re just a craft beer aficionado.

TWØBAYS Brewing Co caters for everyone, with a range of gluten-free beers, including a pale ale and lager, made using ancient grains.

If you’re feeling a bit peckish, they also serve delicious gluten-free wood-fired pizzas.

5. Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens

Want a puzzle that’ll challenge the entire family? If you do, visit Australia’s oldest hedge maze.

Ashcombe Maze is made up of more than 100 cypress trees and thousands of metres of pathways.

With the hedges now more than 3m high and 2m thick, your whole family will have a blast weaving and winding their way through the maze.

After making your way out of the labyrinth of pathways, take a walk through the lavender garden or enjoy some scones and cream at the café.

Phillip Island

6. Phillip Island Chocolate Factory

Visit Phillip Island’s very own Wonka Chocolate Factory and see these mouth-watering sweets made right in front of your eyes.

Eat smooth, sweet chocolate, see how it’s made, and explore Panny’s Amazing World of Chocolate.

Panny’s celebrates the confectionary through interactive displays, including a village made completely of chocolate and a choccie waterfall.

You can watch chocolatiers working their magic and even create your very own sweet creation.

7. Phillip Island Penguin Parade

You can’t take a day trip to Phillip Island without seeing the largest little penguin colony in the world. Watch these birds waddle along the beach from the ocean to their homes in the sand.

You can go on a self-guided tour or have a guide show you around, with the little penguins making their way up the beach at sunset.

For an up-close and personal experience during the penguin parade, there’s an underground viewing area. From this spot, you’ll be able to see the penguins shuffle along the sand only a couple of metres away.

8. Wildlife Cruises

Beyond the famed penguins, Phillip Island is also home to over 40 different native wildlife species. Playful fur seals laze about the island while dolphins flip in and out of the water, and whales come to visit between May and September. And then there are the flocks of bird species that perch themselves around the south-southeastern island.

Jump on an expedition with Wildlife Coast Cruises, and witness the intriguing behaviour of Australia’s largest colony of fur seals while crested terns and sooty oystercatcher birds feather about. If you’re lucky, they may even come up to the boat to say hello. The two-hour scenic cruise includes morning tea, fact sessions on marine mammals and their habitats, and an underwater viewing.

Geelong and Bellarine

9. Geelong waterfront art trail

Melbourne may have dozens of stunning art galleries, but Geelong has a waterfront art trail. Enjoy picturesque sea views while you discover the wealth of public art.

You’ll find more than 100 sculptured bollards that represent Geelong characters from the city’s past and present.

There are also cargo boxes depicting imported and local items, fin-like objects towering 3m above the horizon, and a barcode fountain showcasing local soft-drink maker Noddy’s.

Are you looking for something indoors? Geelong Gallery is one of Australia’s oldest regional art galleries. Home to over 6,000 works from the 18th to 21st century, including iconic Australian, colonial and European paintings and decorative arts.

After you’ve visited the Geelong Gallery, stroll down Little Malop Street and look for a place to catch a bite to eat. You’ll find a cocktail bar with a prohibition-era theme and a cafe dedicated to cakes.

10. The Bellarine Taste Trail

The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the tastebuds, with nearly 50 food and wine destinations. Loosen your belt a little as you make your way along this route, tasting world-class mussels and crayfish, award-winning cheeses and some of the freshest produce on the planet.

Drop into Bellarine Distillery, well-known for its hand-crafted Teddy and the Fox gin and Bad Boy Bill single malt whisky – the first to be made in the Geelong region since 1980.

If you want to have a glass or two of wine, you’ll be spoilt for choice along the Bellarine Taste Trail. Wineries in this region produce cold-climate varieties like riesling, chardonnay and shiraz.

There isn’t just wine, though. Enjoy a paddle of ciders at the retro-inspired Flying Brick Cider House.