World City Guide

Excursions

For a Half Day

Phillip Island: A 90-minute drive south from Melbourne, Phillip Island (tel: (03) 5956 7447; website: www.phillipisland.net.au) features a nature park and numerous attractions. Highlights include The Penguin Parade (tel: (03) 5956 8300; website: www.penguins.org.au), which takes place nightly at sunset, when the world’s smallest penguins emerge from the sea and waddle up the beach to their burrows for the night. The Koala Conservation Centre (tel: (03) 5956 8691) and Seal Rocks Sea Life Centre (tel: (03) 9793 6767), home to the largest fur seal colony in Australia, are open daily (1000-dusk). A three-park pass, costing A$22.40, covers the penguins, koalas and Churchill Island, with its historic homestead. Individually, the penguins cost A$14, the koalas A$5.60 and Churchill Island A$7.70. Admission to see the seals is A$11. Phillip Island is accessible by car on the Princes Highway (M1) southeast from Melbourne, then on the South Gippsland Highway (M420) and finally the A420 to San Remo and across the Phillip Island Bridge.

For a Full Day

Dandenong Ranges and Healesville Sanctuary: The hills of the Dandenong Ranges, east of Melbourne, are covered in vineyards, banks of flowers and distinctly Australian gum trees. The Dandenongs can be reached in an hour from Melbourne by car or by taking a train to Belgrave Station at the end of the Melbourne metropolitan line and then by Puffing Billy Steam Railway (tel: (03) 9754 6800) through forests and fern gullies to Emerald Lake Park. The return trip takes two hours and costs A$26 or A$36.50 depending on the distance travelled.

A car is needed to visit Healesville Sanctuary (tel: (03) 5957 2800; website: www.zoo.org.au), where rescued and orphaned animals can be seen in their own habitat. The sanctuary is open daily 0900-1700 and entrance costs A$15.30. The Moet & Chandon winery at nearby Domaine Chandon (tel: (03) 9739 1110) offers daily guided tours (1100, 1300 and 1500) showcasing the traditional ‘methode Champenoise’ and offering the opportunity to taste some of the wines.

Great Ocean Road: The Great Ocean Road is a spectacular drive along the coast to Adelaide, starting 72km (45 miles) to the west of Melbourne at Geelong. For much of the route, the road hugs the rugged coastline overlooking some excellent surfing beaches and passing through Otway and Port Campbell national parks to the spectacular rock formations known as the Twelve Apostles.

Sovereign Hill: This open-air museum tells the story of life in Ballarat during the gold rush. The streets of Sovereign Hill (tel: (03) 5331 1944; website: www.sovereignhill.com.au) bustle with people dressed in period costume going about their business in the shops, hotels and school. Visitors can still pan for real gold. The museum is located 110km (68 miles) from Melbourne and is open daily 1000-1700. Entrance costs A$25. It can be reached from Ballarat Station.