Backpacking Australia (Victoria)

Victoria is Australia’s smallest mainland state by some margin. It is also the most densely populated, and consequently – if you work it out ‘per square mile’ - has more to offer than anywhere else on the continent! Its capital (and Australia’s second largest city) Melbourne, is held up globally as a fantastic example of a multi cultural metropolis, and really is the epitome of cosmopolitan living. Melbourne’s lanes are a multi lingual phenomena and worth heading to Victoria for alone; although the state has much more to offer.

Victoria also has several iconic ‘sites’ (including the Great Ocean Road), and plenty of activity options: you can surf at world-class beaches and snowboard in the same day.... As a consequence of this, and the cultural diversity, it would be foolish to pass Victoria by (even if you might miss out on guaranteed scorching weather for a week or two).

Where is it and what’s there?

Victoria is squeezed onto the south eastern tip of Australia. It’s bordered by New South Wales to the north, and South Australia to the west, with the rest of its border made up by the Southern Ocean. Melbourne is a coastal city and sits on the edge of Port Philip Bay. If you head west from Melbourne then you reach Torquay (home to several world famous surf breaks), and from there you can take the Great Ocean Road to Warnambool.

If you head to the north eastern corner of the state, then you’ll get to the Great Dividing Range and the ‘Alpine Resorts’. There are several resorts which are popular with ‘Melbournites’ and they generally have snow between June and September.

The climate

Unless you’re in the mountains (where winter is cold enough for snow, and summer is cooler than the rest of the state), Victoria is the one Australian state where (as it is relatively small and all on a similar latitude), you can almost generalise about the climate. Generally speaking if you’re on the coast then expect the climate to be very seasonal and slightly cooler and damper than New South Wales. Temperatures can get up to 40° (although this is the exception rather than the rule) and summers are normally pretty perfect, but not boringly consistent.

The rest of the year can be damp, but rarely cold, and there’s always plenty to do if the weather’s not great!

Getting there

As Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne’s airport has good international links, and is becoming an increasingly popular starting point for backpackers. It is a great place to acclimatise and then either head north or west from.

Victoria is well served by a network of highways and – as the smallest state – you can be on your way within a few hours, rather than a few days! To the northern border of the state is only around three hours from central Melbourne, and then Sydney is a further six hours on from there.

Getting around

In terms of getting around Victoria, having a car gives you the most flexibility: if you’re based in Melbourne then you can do a lot and see a lot of you have your own wheels. Plus the state has the most developed road network so driving around can be a refreshingly straightforward experience (and you pass a town every hour or so, rather than every 5 hours!). Buses are also a viable option, with routes running up to the Alpine Resorts during their season, and running down to the coast. The state’s railway company, V/Line, links up the main towns within the state and is a reliable and relatively cheap way of getting around.

Melbourne has a well planned and integrated transport system, and travelling around can be a pleasure. The Metlink incorporates trams, trains and buses, and purchasing a ‘Metcard’ enables you to use all three forms of transport, and works on a Zone system.

Things to Do

Go Skiing. It may feel a bit wrong to be heading for the slopes when all you’ve got in your backpack is stuff for the beach, but that makes the mountains an even more enjoyable experience. Mt Buller is the closest resort to Melbourne (around 3 hours), it has over 80 runs, and a snow park for freestyle enthusiasts. The resorts rent out equipment and clothing, buy you’ll need to buy some gloves and goggles.

Bells Beach. Located around 60 miles south west of Melbourne, Bells Beach is a renowned surfing beach, and is home to the longest running surf contest in the world: the Rip Curl Pro, which has been held every Easter since 1960. If you want to truly sample the Australian surfing vibe, then get to Bells when there’s a good swell running.

Great Ocean Road. Probably one of the most famous roads in the world, the Great Ocean Road runs for 243km. It is famous for two reasons: firstly, it was built by servicemen returning from the First World War as a memorial to their fallen comrades, and secondly if follows an at times seemingly impossible route around the steep coastal mountains, and takes in some stunning vistas along the way. A stunning experience.

Melbourne’s lanes. Live music, great shopping and you could eat a different meal every day for a year. “The Lanes” exemplify everything that Melbourne is about: exciting, friendly and different. Take an afternoon just wandering around. And then go back the next day and do it again!

Sport. Melbourne is home to several iconic sporting events, including the Australian Tennis Open and the Australian Grand Prix. It also has the Melbourne Cricket Ground and a number of other sports grounds where you can catch an Aussie Rules game (and be glad you don’t play it).

Regarded by many as Australia’s cultural capital, Melbourne feels a bit familiar if you’ve done any travelling around Europe, and this makes it feel all the more alluring, because not only have you got a fantastic cosmopolitan city, but also Australian beaches and mountain resorts. It’s no exaggeration to say that Victoria really does have it all.


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