Best Day Trips from Melbourne

Gold was discovered in Victoria in the 1850s and soon after hundreds of people rushed to this area to make their fortune... some did as evidenced by the grand hotels and homes in the area, but many went home poorer than before. At this time there was also an influx of Chinese miners and the area has a couple of beautiful old Chinese Joss Houses you can explore.

The main attraction here though is Sovereign Hill . I have visited twice in the last few years and really enjoyed it. It's about an hour and a half by car from the city or you can take a train and shuttle bus. Once here you can experience what it was like to live in the 1850s, visit the reconstructed camp sites, try a little gold panning - they say you can keep what you find - all I found was dust ;-) and after that wander down the old main street visiting some of the shops and village businesses like the blacksmith and the school house. I found Sovereign Hill really interesting and think it's well worth your time if you like living history museums.

You can do this trip in a day or stay overnight either at the hill complex or one of the grand old pubs in the area. We chose to stay in a pub and it was a really good experience. At night Sovereign Hill have a show called Blood on the Southern Cross which I have not seen but have heard is very good.

The Great Ocean Road is breathtakingly beautiful - I was worried that the real sight would not live up to all the beautiful post card images of rocks bathed in sunlight or beautiful ocean sunsets.. but it does. And because of those sunrises and sunsets I really recommend you don't try to do this in a day. If time and money allow stay overnight in the area - we chose Port Campbell about 6-10km from the 12 Apostles allowing us to watch sunset, head to town to eat and sleep and then head back out early in the morning for sunrise. If you are a photographer you will kick yourself if you do not do it this way.

Possible Itinerary
Great Ocean Road Itinerary

If you have no option but to do it in a day choose a small coach company - I recommend Autopia Tours I have done a tour with them years ago and have had lots of friends do the tour also and love it. I have also heard really good things about Go West

The Puffing Billy Steam train runs through the Dandenong Ranges from Belgrave to Glenbrook. It is over 100 years old and the whole railway, carriages, engines and station is maintained by very enthusiastic volunteers. This is an easy day trip from Melbourne that can be done by public transport or as part of a longer day out if you have access to a car. It's a fun journey for families but a nice day out for couples too. As the steam pours from the front engine and the whistle blows it's easy to feel like you have been taken back in time to another era.

Once you board the train try to get a seat on the right hand side as it has the best views. You are allowed to dangle your legs from the train which has no glass in the windows so can get really cold in winter. Stop at Emerald if you are short of time or Lakeside where there is a lake and picnic area. If you want to make a full day of it continue the journey to Glenbrook where their is a pub and some shops.

If you are planning on public transport you take the train from Flinders St Station

The Phillip Island Penguin tour is one of the best known day/afternoon tours out of Melbourne but I don't think it's for everyone. I have been twice, once with young kids and once without. If you are travelling with children I think it's a good choice but if you are not a huge animal lover or have seen penguins before its a long way to go to watch them run up the beach. Don't get me wrong they are amazing and the area is nice but if you have limited time I think it would be better spent doing other tours instead.

Having said that there are several other things that can be combined with a visit to the penguins to make it a full day out. Check the official Phillip Island Tourism page to explore more about the area.