SurfingSurfing in
Australia has become more of a culture than a sport, the long coastline providing countless beaches with a diverse spread of wave scapes, from giant storm to perfect point breaks at Kirra and Ragland in
Western Australia, and fun beach breaks. No matter what time of year, there will be good waves somewhere in Oz, whether it be on the big-city beaches of
Sydney, a seaside town in Victoria, along the
Queensland Gold Coast or somewhere more remote like in the north west.
Vintage trainThe 'Puffing
Billy Railway' is Australia's Oldest Steam Railway. A century
old, the train still follows its original mountain track in the scenic
Dandenong Ranges, offering spectacular mountain views and winding through cool fern gullies between Belgrave, Emerald Lake and Gembrook. The whole trip takes two hours in each direction. Tickets can be bought before boarding the train, which departs several times a day, but bookings are essential for the special luncheon or dinner trips, which include a meal in the first class carriage.
SkiingJune is wintertime in Australia, and the start of the ski season. While
New South Wales is usually considered the ski capital of the country, Victoria comes a close second in the ski stakes with some great resorts spread out northeast of
Melbourne, most within easy reach of the city. Some of the country's best cross-country skiing can be found at Falls Creek, while the village resort of Mount Baw Baw near the town of Noojee is great for beginners. Closest resort to Melbourne is Lake Mountain, about 75 miles (120km) from the capital, a top cross-country ski destination that is rated as the third most visited alpine resort in the world. Mt Hotham in the northeast of Victoria offers Alpine skiing, off-piste with narrow valleys.
Wine tastingDespite humble beginnings, Australia's Victoria wine region now produces some of the finest wines in the world. Located at the southernmost part of the main continent, Victoria plays off a favorable coastal and subtropical climate to host three principle wine growing regions,
Mornington Peninsula,
Yarra Valley and the Macedon Ranges Shire. Mornington Peninsula features secluded beaches and golf opportunities, as side activities to the wine tasting of course. Yarra Valley, with the
Yarra River running through it, is a slightly colder but very green and picturesque region which produces exceptional chardonnays. Yarra Valley also boasts Australia's most prolific wineries, the De Bortoli and
Domaine Chandon. Australia's most prolific and favored wineries, while the Macedon Ranges Shire boasts vast uninhabited rolling fields of green and a family-oriented culture of wine-making. The shire currently holds the highest quality of life standards in Australia. Victoria's strength may lie in her relative anonymity as this currently regarded as the place to find one-of-a-kind wines at a reasonable price. The thriving heart of Victoria is Melbourne, Australia's second biggest city and a good base from which to head into the five main wine regions.
