Victoria has an incredible coastline with beautiful sweeping beaches and dramatic rock formations. The Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island and Wilsons Promontory National Park are three of the best places to take in the views.

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Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is a 243 kilometer segment of road that was completed in 1932 along Victoria’s southern coast. The road was dedicated as a war memorial to soldiers killed during World War I. The name of the road conjures up images of rocky cliffs with blue waters and crashing waves. That is exactly what you will see with the Great Ocean Road; however, you will not see these images from your car since tall grass and forests obstruct your view for most of the drive. To see the key rock formations requires you to drive off the main road and to take short walks out to the viewing points. This may sound tedious, but the views are so spectacular that you won’t regret the effort. The ‘Twelve Apostles’ is the most popular and famous viewing point, but there are numerous other stops that are equally as spectacular.

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Phillip Island

Phillip Island is a small, picturesque island south of Melbourne. It has great natural beauty that is a balance between rocky shorelines and rolling farmlands. Most notable are its wild animal populations with ocean birds, seals, and little penguins inhabiting its coasts. I was not able to see the seals, but the penguin march is one of the main attractions on the island. Every night, the penguins will return from the ocean and bring food to their young who are waiting in holes in the sandy dunes on the shore. The penguins are only about a foot tall, so it was beyond cute watching them wave their fins in the air as they ran, trying to fight the waves onto the beach.

 

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Wilsons Promontory National Park

Wilsons Promontory, in south-eastern Victoria, is a remote wilderness area with mountains, hiking trails, and a beautiful coastline. I had a bit of trouble getting to the park since I arrived there after dark, and wombats kept running in front of my car (more like a casual stroll). I eventually found a camping area, and the next morning, I was able to hike out to view Tongue Point. The orange lichen on the rocks was really cool, and added a very ‘Australian’ touch to the views.

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