A beautiful temperate rain forest. Rolling hills covered with magnificent tree ferns and mountain ash (a form of Eucalypt and also Australia's tallest). The freshest air you could imagine and wildlife (including Lyre birds) to boot!

1.5 hrs drive from Melbourne. Take the train to Fern Tree Gully, Belgrave or Lilydale.

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At dusk daily numerous little penguins come in to rest, sleep and feed their young. It is a fabulous sight to behold. they are the smallest penguin species in the world and VERY cute.

Penguin Parade, Phillip Island, Melbourne.

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Just out of Melbourne. The best place in Oz for seeing Australian wildlife. The Healsville Santuary. Worth seeing just for the Tasmanian devil. Afterwards walk down Victoria Street. Richmond for great Vietnamese cuisine.

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The penguin parade at Summerland Beach on Phillip Island is a must. OK... so it's a bit touristy, but to be honest you forget that when you sit on the beach waiting for the little penguins to come up onto the sand.

At sunset the anticipation grows and suddenly you see one penguin running tentatively out of the water to check if it's safe. The penguin will run in and out of the water several times until a signal is given... and then thousands of penguins come running up the beach and the cliffs. It lasts a couple of hours - and it's a great sight to see.
There is a visitors' centre there which is OK - and you can buy photos of the penguins as you are not able to take photos of the event itself... unless you happen to find one or two in the carpark like I did. The basic admission is about AUS$17, and you will be there for most of the evening.

Phillip Island is 90 mins drive from Melbourne City. Driving by car is easy, but it is probably easier to join one of the coaches to get there. www.penguins.org.au

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Cape Bridgewater, part of the Discovery Bay Coastal Park provides shelter for Victoria's largest colony of seals and just to the east, Bridgewater Bay.

Cape Bridgewater is a headland formed by volcanic action and exposed to all the forces of the ocean. Apart from the seal colony, there are blowholes and 'the petrified' forest to see.
The kiosk on the beach at Bridgewater Bay serves great fish and chips!

18km from Portland in the SW corner of Victoria. Get there via the Great Ocean Rd.

www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=102

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Cowes, main town on Phillip Island. Use it as a base for visiting the penguins or Seal Rock ... or maybe the Phillip Island motor racing circuit, home of the Australian motorcycle GP.
Or while at Cowes, buy the best fish'n'chips and go eat them on the beach!

Cowes, Phillip Island
1½hrs drive from Melbourne

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Range of beautiful mountains. There is an information centre on the Burwood Highway where you can collect details of the trail walks. Plenty of gum trees and tree ferns and spectacular bird life-king parrots, crimson rosellas, cockatoos. Also gardens to visit and nice places to eat or picnic.

Less than 1 hour drive to NE of city centre, also accessible by bus.

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Take two to three days to travel the Great Ocean Road - turn off the beaten track and find wild koalas in the trees. Also, head the opposite direction out of Melbourne and drive down the Mornington Peninsula then across to Wilson’s Promontory for some spectacular camping, bush walks and beaches. At the main campsite on Wilson’s Promontory you will have wombats snuffling around your tent at night. It's one of the most beautiful and unknown places in Australia.

www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=217

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Rated one of the best 10 zoos in the world. Wonderful butterfly room with millions of butterflies landing on your head.

Centrally located in Parkville; www.zoo.org.au

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Approximately 90 minutes east of Melbourne, you can cross by bridge to the island and visit the koala sanctuary before being amazed by the sight of 30-40,000 tiny fairy penguins waddling in from the sea to feed their young at dusk at the Phillip island penguin parade.

Despite the made-for-tourists viewing platform at the beach (so many people!) and photography restrictions (none permitted whatsoever) it’s a fantastic natural sight and well worth the trip.

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