Melbourne is ringed by some of Victoria's best escapes, most within a couple of hours by car or train.
The Mornington Peninsula is the easiest, less than an hour south — calm bay beaches on one side, surf and cliffs on the other, plus cool-climate wineries and the Peninsula Hot Springs. Phillip Island, about 90 minutes southeast, is famous for its nightly penguin parade and rugged surf coast. To the east, the Yarra Valley wine region pairs cellar doors with the excellent Healesville Sanctuary native-wildlife park.
For a bigger day out, the Great Ocean Road begins at Torquay and runs spectacularly along the coast to the Twelve Apostles. Inland, the gold-rush cities of Ballarat — home to the Sovereign Hill living museum — and Bendigo are each around 90 minutes away by train, and the bayside city of Geelong sits on the way to the Great Ocean Road.
