towns to visit near melbourne

Got a day and a set of wheels? Try Daylesford for mineral springs and bakery raids, then wander the art-laden streets of Bendigo or Ballarat for gold-rush bragging rights.

Head east to Healesville and the Yarra Valley for wineries and wombats, or cruise south to the Mornington Peninsula—Sorrento, Red Hill, hot springs, the whole lot.

Feeling coastal? Aim for Torquay or Lorne on the Great Ocean Road; the views do most of the steering.

Family in tow? Phillip Island’s penguins will bail you out, and Macedon Ranges towns like Woodend and Kyneton are perfect for slow lunches and fast scenery.