Victoria: Melbourne

Melbourne: sports mad, stylish, multi-cultural and green, Melbourne is the beating heart of Australia's creative scene. There is always a festival going on and you can see live music every night of the week. With people from over 140 nations living here, it is a melting pot of culture. Not to mention a variety of restaurants to suit every palate. Australia's city of art, fashion, live music, festivals, sport and a mix of European and Asian lifestyles. It is also the gateway to the Great Ocean Road. Two of the best ways to see the city involve going on a walking tour or jumping on a free city circle tram. Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world. Hop off at Flinders St Station or Federation Square where you can see how old and new architecture merge. Take a walk down to Southbank and check out Crown Casino with its fine boutiques, restaurants and cafes all located along the Yarra River. If you love fresh food then there are loads of markets in Melbourne selling cheap and delicious produce. None more so than the Queen Victoria Market which also has live music. Afterwards, enjoy a lovely dinner on Lygon Street, Melbourne's answer to Little Italy where Australian meets Italian cuisine.

To see

Melbourne Cricket Club

Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum

Parliament House

the Shrine of Remembrance

Fitzroy Gardens

Captain Cook's cottage

Crown Casino, Australia's largest casino complex

Chapel street, shopping

Queen Victoria Market

Federation Square

Great Ocean Road

Torquay

Bells beach, international surfing destination

St Kilda: this bayside suburb is now one of the main backpacker destinations which is renowned for its picturesque bayside setting close proximity to the city, beaches, music venues, restaurants and cafe lifestyle. In the summer it hosts numerous festival and street parties. It is also the best place to learn to kite surf.

Yarra Valley: this area has some of Victoria's greatest wineries. You can also go bushwalking and cycling in the surrounding national parks. And for some face-to-face wildlife experiences, check out the Wildlife Sanctuary in Healesville which has birds of paradise, cute koalas and kangaroos, big snakes and sleepy wombats. This is Victoria's oldest wine region with over 3600 hectares under vine. It is also Victoria's most visited wine area located just one hour drive from Melbourne. From elegant sparklings, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc to complex pinot noir and rich cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and more, the Yarra Valley has a wide selection to choose from.

Mornington peninsula: a favourite holiday and weekend getaway place for Melbournites, a drive along the Nepean Highway will take you to this beautiful peninsula which has placid family beaches and rugged surf beaches. Its maritime climate makes the area a good place to grow grapes and there are plenty of wineries in the area. Visit places like Dromana and Sorrento which is allegedly the home of Melbourne's best vanilla slice and is the place where you can catch a ferry over to Queenscliff.

Phillip island: home to the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and the V8 Supercar Championships, this place is also famous for its penguin parades, its New Year music festivals and gorgeous scenery. This is a small island which has fantastic swimming beaches in the north and surfing ones in the south. At Seal Rocks you can say hello to the world's largest seal colony and later at night sit on the beach and watch fairy penguins waddle to shore. Visit the Koala Conservation Centre and charter a fishing boat to catch your dinner. If you are around for New Year then check out the Pyramid Rock Festival which comprises two stages of local and international acts.

Wilsons Prom: the southernmost point of the Australian mainland, this is a place of wildlife while quartz sand and wonderful coastal views. And it is only a three-hour drive from Melbourne. Wilsons Prom is one of Australia's most popular national parks with fantastic walking tracks, awesome beaches and interesting wildlife. Check out the sandy beaches along Tidal River at Noman Bay before heading down to Squeaky Beach with its white quartz sand.

Great Ocean Road: Victoria's most famous road that takes in sweeping coastal views and is an access point to lush places like Otway National Park. From sandstone rock formations to surf to sandwiches by the sea, this is a great place to spend two or three days. A windy stretch of asphalt with beautiful ocean views on one side and some great national park on the other. There are lots of coastal and bushwalking tracks as well as caves where you will be surrounded by glow-worms. Lorne is a happening town popular with backpackers and Melbournites alike, and Torquay is the surf capital of Australia. Bells Beach is where the world surfing championships are held every Easter. Stop at the Twelve Apostles and take a walk along the limestone cliffs to get a closer look at these amazing rock formations which have been here for 20 million years. Explore Cape Otway lighthouse, the oldest one in Australia's mainland where you can enjoy the romantic sunset. If you are in the area between June and September head to Warnambool, Australia's nursery station for southern right whales.

Grampians: situated 260km northeast of Melbourne, the Grampians are a place of mallee scrub and sandstone formations. There are also over 60 ancient indigenous rock art sites to explore in this outdoor-lover's paradise. This area is renowned for its jagged sandstone mountains and colourful wild flowers. There is also plenty of wildlife and outdoor activities here. Try rock climbing, abseiling, cycling, canoeing, hiking, horse riding and that's just to get you started. The region is abundant in Aboriginal culture and visiting cave rock art sites is a must.

Healesville sanctuary: here you can experience Australia's unique wildlife, showcasing more than 200 Australian animal species amid stunning bushland, only one hour from Melbourne. Nowhere else will visitors from overseas gain such a rich understanding of the Australian environment, its wildlife and what Australians are doing to preserve it.