Victoria is Australia's southernmost mainland state, tucked into the bottom righthand corner of the country. Bordered to the north by New South Wales and South Australia to the west, it lies along the South Pacific Ocean, across the Bass Strait from Tasmania, Australia's island state.
Although we don't particularly like Melbourne, the capital of Victoria and one of Australia's two biggest cities (alongside Sydney), the rest of Victoria has made it one of our favourite states in the country.
We're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, and exploring Australia, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country). I first visited Australia in 2019, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport. This time, with the freedom of our campervan, we're trying to hit the lesser known spots and go slower.
Australia is the perfect place to undertake van life; the country is very well set up for it. Along the way, true to our promise to ourselves of visiting some of those lesser-visited places, we've driven through some adorable towns across the country. Here are our favourites in the state of Victoria, ones we have loved exploring, discovering their histories, browsing their shops and local businesses and enjoying their quiet, slow pace of life.
Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about Australia can be found in my Australia | Ultimate Map!
This is a digital map featuring hundreds of my favourite restaurants, campgrounds, accommodations, shops, photo spots, museums, beaches, lakes, animal spots, bridges, viewpoints, hikes and SO much more in Australia, including its three external territories.
Each pin includes exact locations, images, detailed information, the ability to open and save the spot in your Google Maps and a link to my relevant blog post to read more.
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Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Victoria. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In Victoria, there are 12 registered Aboriginal Parties, each with their own traditional language.
→ Learn more about the Aboriginal people of Victoria.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
We travel with a Starlink in our campervan which enables us to have unlimited WiFi wherever we are, even in places without coverage.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Victoria, the southernmost mainland state in Australia, can get hot and busy in the summer, especially around school holidays, and quite wet and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.
Length of stay: We spent one or two days in each of the towns below, as well as time in Melbourne and along the Great Ocean Road. Two weeks would probably be a sufficient amount of time to properly explore the main highlights of Victoria.
By flight: The main international airport in Victoria is in Melbourne, the state's capital.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting Melbourne!
By car: The easiest way to explore Victoria is with your own wheels. The most popular way of exploring Australia is by camping - whether with a motorhome, campervan, caravan or a roof tent on top of a car. This gives you the ultimate freedom of going as fast or as slow as you like.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Melbourne.
You might want to start in Melbourne as your base for renting a campervan to explore Australia.
→ Rent a campervan in Perth with Apollo, Camplify, Indie or Juicy.
By public transport: Depending on where in Victoria you're headed, you might be able to get there by bus or train.
→ Plan your trip with Transport Victoria.
By guided tour: There are many guided tours around Victoria, often departing from Melbourne, a great option if you don't have a car or simply want to go the guided route. I have included specific guided tour recommendations per town below, where relevant.
Australia is the perfect place to undertake van life; the country is very well set up for it. Along the way, true to our promise to ourselves of visiting some of those lesser-visited places, we've driven through some adorable towns across the country.
Here are our favourites in the state of Victoria, ones we have loved exploring, discovering their histories, browsing their shops and local businesses and enjoying their quiet, slow pace of life. I have shared them in the order that we visited them.
Orbost
Orbost is located in southeastern Victoria, about two hours from the border with New South Wales. It's home to the historic Snowy River Rail where you can go visit the Orbost Trestle Bridge, a really interesting old bridge and what remains of the railway.
→ Check out my complete guide to roadtripping the south coast of New South Wales plus Orbost.
Sassafras
Sassafras is in the Dandenong Ranges, a famous low mountain range to the east of Melbourne, home to little villages straight out of fairytales, historic steam trains, gardens, art and restaurants of all kinds. It's truly one of my favourite areas in all of Australia. Sassafras is one of these little villages on a winding road lined with trees stuffed with cute boutiques, vintage bookshops and delightful cafes to peruse.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting the Dandenong Ranges.
→ Book a guided tour of the Dandenong Ranges.
Camping: While visiting the Dandenong Ranges, we camped at Magazine Track, a great free campground nestled into the trees of Kurth Kiln Regional Park. There is a short dirt road to access it but totally fine for any vehicle (we did it in our Mercedes Sprinter campervan). There are no facilities aside from a basic long-drop toilet.
Marysville
Marysville is another town in the eastern side of the Dandenong Ranges, a famous low mountain range to the east of Melbourne. Drive the Acheron Way from Warburton through lush eucalyptus and fern to reach this beautiful town. When you get to Marysville, make sure to visit Bruno's Art and Sculpture Garden with over 180 statues of different fairytales handcrafted entirely out of clay. Stop for lunch at the colourful Keppel Cafe.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting the Dandenong Ranges.
Keppel Cafe
Port Campbell
Port Campbell is on the Great Ocean Road, one of Australia's best scenic drives stretching hundreds of kilometres along the south coast. Make sure to grab breakfast from the Grassroots Deli Cafe and ice cream from the Port Campbell Ice Creamery. The Port Campbell Scenic Lookout is the best place to be at golden hour for panoramic views over the town and the beach is darling, too.
→ Check out my complete guide to roadtripping the Great Ocean Road.
→ Book a guided tour of the Great Ocean Road.
Camping: While visiting Port Campbell along the Great Ocean Road, we camped at NRMA Port Campbell, a great paid campground with all the facilities you might need including powered and unpowered sites, laundry, a kitchen and hot showers. It's in walking distance to the beach as well as a beautiful suspension bridge with great panoramic views over the town and the ocean. You can hear the waves off in the distance lulling you to sleep!
Grassroots Deli Cafe
Ballarat
Okay, this one is a city, but I'm only going to recommend a fabulous antique warehouse outside the city limits in Warrenheip.
The Ballarat Vintage & Collectibles Market is a massive collection of vintage and antique stalls inside a barn-like structure. You can wander through at leisure; it's like having loads of different antique shops under one roof, each with their own focus. Well worth a stop if you're passing through this way.
Daylesford
There is another antique market in Daylesford. The Amazing Mill Markets house a massive collection of vintage and antique stalls inside two huge buildings. You can wander through at leisure; it's like having loads of different antique shops under one roof, each with their own focus. Well worth a stop if you're passing through this way. There is also a cute cafe on site for a pick-me-up to fuel your browsing.
We loved Daylesford so much that we plan to come back to explore much more!
Yarrawonga
Yarrawonga is a delightful town right on the border with New South Wales and on the shores of Lake Mulwala. Stop in at the Rich Glen Provedore, an artisanal grocery store of dreams. Our mouths watered from the moment we stepped in - full of local, organic, yummy produce from all sorts of suppliers, every single food product was enticing. There are samples beautifully displayed for taste testing and food of all kinds for purchasing. We picked up honey, chocolates, pesto and some refreshing sparkling drinks (and could have easily walked out with the whole shop)!
We had dinner at The Terminus, a sweet little pub open late enough as we pulled in in our campervans and we were so pleasantly surprised with both the service and the food. I can highly recommend the crunchy noodle salad, so refreshing! The coffee and chai lattes at Hardluck Coffee Co. were some of the best in the state in a delightful, colourfully-decorated cafe on the main street.
The Terminus
Hardluck Coffee Co.
Lake Mulwala
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
