There’s a reason Grampians National Park brings bushwalkers back time and time again. Rough and rocky on first glance, it surprises visitors with hidden waterfalls, hollow mountains and incredible natural amphitheatres. The walk towards the Pinnacle is arguably the must-do walk in the region.

Budj Bim (meaning “big head” in Gunditjmara) is in southwestern Victoria, about an hour’s drive inland from Port Fairy. In 2019, The Budj Bum cultural landscape was formally recognised on the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the first world heritage property in Australia to be recognised solely for its Indigenous heritage.

The beautiful Organ Pipes National Park can be found just off the Calder Freeway, about 20 kilometres north of Melbourne. The 121-hectare park is named after its star attraction: 2.5 million-year-old basalt columns that look strikingly like organ pipes. This type of structure is known in the geological community as trap rock.

Visiting this national park is a no brainer if you’re driving the Great Ocean Road, especially if you like waterfalls. The park stretches from Torquay towards Princetown and up towards Colac, and it is one of the best places in Victoria to embrace a cool temperate rainforest. Head out on one of the many coastal walking trails and you’ll discover lush forests, quiet sandy beaches and more than one koala poking its head through the gum trees.

Did you know there are sand dunes only two and a bit hours south of Melbourne? You’ll find them on your way into the beautiful Wilsons Promontory National Park, located southeast of Melbourne. Named the Big Drift, this extensive series of sand dunes is pretty hidden from the main tourist track, and it’ll take you a bit of bush bashing to get there.

Head less than an hour east from Melbourne and you’ll find lush mountain ranges, cute little villages and a growing food scene. The region boasts plenty of exquisite fauna and flora, which you can explore at destinations like the picturesque Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens and the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden. Head over to the Sherbrooke Forest for a ferny walk amongst the ferny greenery.

Near the end of the Great Ocean Road you’ll find one of Victoria’s most visited tourist attractions: the famous Twelve Apostles. The name comes from the high limestone stacks that sit out from the coast, though only seven remain. Loch Ard Gorge is one of the most popular spots, but the view from back at the end of the Great Ocean Walk is quieter but still as scenic.

Hanging Rock is a former volcano and geological formation located in central Victoria near Woodend. It's a sacred place for the local Dja Dja Wurrung, Woi Wurrung and Taungurung people, who have been occupants of the area for thousands of years. Explore the area and learn about the area's history and geology, and take a walk on the trails and paths that weave around plenty of native plants and cool rock formations.

Californian redwoods are distinguished by their extreme height (they can reach up to 115 metres tall) and their somewhat horizontal branches. The bark is a bright red-brown colour, and as the name suggests, they are indigenous to coastal California and the southwestern corner of Oregon in the US. Hop out of the car and take a walk through the grid-like plantation – it includes more than 1,400 trees, up to 55 metres tall.