With our partners at Nissan, we’re highlighting VIC locations that create the ideal weekend road trip from Melbourne.
In a sentence: With a sunny disposition and a rich heritage, this vibrant Murray River city offers the perfect weekend escape.
The drive: The 340km path heads northwest and soon trades suburbia for scenic country surrounds, snaking past several lakes nearing its end point.
Top attractions in Swan Hill
What’s nearby: Lake Boga Flying Boat Museum is not to be missed, Nyah Vinifera Park is filled with visual treats, or head further afield to world-famous Lake Tyrrell.
Stay at: BIG4 Riverside Swan Hill or BIG4 Swan Hill.
In a sentence: The inviting small town enjoys one of the most scenic settings imaginable, backdropped by the imposing and ever-present peaks of Grampians National Park.
The drive: A 255km route in a northwest direction, passing prominent Goldfields locations and revealing the Grampians’ rugged beauty from afar to abrupt.
Top attractions in Halls Gap
What’s nearby: Just a short drive away is Pomonal Estate, a delightful winery, microbrewery, and cidery all rolled into one.
Stay at: NRMA Halls Gap Holiday Park, Breeze Holiday Parks - Halls Gap or Breeze Holiday Parks - Grampians.
In a sentence: This vibrant Goldfields city offers an effortless yet rewarding escape from Melbourne, mixing trendy dining options and first-rate modern attractions with visible signs of its heady gold-rush days.
The drive: It’s an easy 115km highway-dominated path that quickly trades city limits for pleasant countryside. There’s no need to stop – you’ll be at your destination in no time.
Top attractions in Ballarat
What’s nearby: Venture further north to explore the gorgeous historical township of Clunes; its streetscape seems to have been forgotten by time.
Stay at: NRMA Ballarat Holiday Park, BIG4 Ballarat Windmill Holiday Park or BIG4 Kryal Castle Holiday Park.
In a sentence: Dotted with heritage buildings, Port Fairy is an attractive seaside village with a pleasant ambience that allows visitors to unwind with ease.
The drive: There’s a choice between two direct inland paths of about 280km or a 370km route that encompasses the stunning scenery of the Great Ocean Road.
If heading inland via Colac, the town has pretty botanical gardens by the lake. If taking the scenic route, Great Otway National Park, the Twelve Apostles, and Loch Ard Gorge are among a litany of must-stop sites.
Top attractions in Port Fairy
What’s nearby: Check out the many attractions of neighbouring Warrnambool, stopping halfway at the nature lover’s playground of Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve.
Stay at: BIG4 Port Fairy Holiday Park.