Weekend Escapes across Australia

Surf Coast, wine country and cool-climate day trips within 3 hours of Melbourne.

VICFamily

Great Ocean Road in a Weekend

Twelve Apostles, Bells Beach, koalas at Kennett River — the classic Victorian coastal drive.

Great Ocean Road3h

VIC

Mornington Peninsula Hot Springs

Soak in geothermal pools, pick your own strawberries, and lunch on peninsula wine.

Mornington Peninsula1h 15m

VIC

Yarra Valley Cellar Doors

Day trip through Healesville's best wineries, cheese producers and a panoramic balloon ride.

Yarra Valley1h

VICFamily

Phillip Island Family Weekender

Penguin Parade, Churchill Island farm, and a windswept surf lesson at Cape Woolamai.

Phillip Island2h

VICFamily

Dandenong Ranges in a Day

Puffing Billy, tall ferns, a stop at Sassafras tea-rooms and sunset at Sky High.

Dandenong Ranges55m

VIC

Wilson's Prom Overnighter

Squeaky Beach, Mount Oberon summit, wombats at dusk. Australia's southernmost tip.

South Gippsland3h

VIC

Daylesford Spa Town Weekend

Mineral springs, bookshops, farmers market and the famous Lake House dining.

Central Highlands2h 35m

VICFree

St Andrews Beach with the Dog

Off-lead all day, pub lunch at the Fingal Pizza Shack, bush trails just behind the dunes.

Mornington Peninsula2h 30m

VIC

Beechworth Heritage Trail

Ned Kelly country, Bridge Road Brewers, historic streetscapes and gold-rush caves.

High Country4h 30m

VICFamily

Anglesea Family Beach Break

Safe surf, riverside BBQ, golf-course kangaroos at dusk. An easy hit-and-reset weekend.

Surf Coast2h 40m

VIC

Lake Eildon Boating Escape

Houseboat for the weekend, quiet coves, and fresh-caught Murray cod on the grill.

North East Victoria3h 30m

VICFree

Melbourne Laneway Food Crawl

No car needed — coffee at Patricia, dumplings in ACDC Lane, rooftop bar at Siglo.

Melbourne CBD0m

Blue Mountains, Hunter cellar doors and the white-sand South Coast from Sydney.

NSWFamily

Blue Mountains Day Escape

Three Sisters, Scenic World, village tea rooms and a cliff-top sunset at Echo Point.

Blue Mountains2h 30m

NSW

Hunter Valley Wine Weekend

Australia's oldest wine region — Semillon, long lunches and a hot-air balloon over vines.

Hunter Valley3h 30m

NSWFamily

Jervis Bay White-Sand Weekender

The whitest sand in the world (claimed), dolphins off Hyams Beach, bushwalks at Booderee.

South Coast3h

Sunshine Coast beaches, Gold Coast family parks and sand-island wildlife from Brisbane.

QLDFamily

Noosa & Hinterland Weekend

Hastings Street boutiques, Noosa National Park dolphins, and a Eumundi market run.

Sunshine Coast2h 50m

QLDFamily

North Stradbroke Wildlife Escape

Ferry from Cleveland, beach-drive to freshwater lakes, kangaroos on the headland at dawn.

Moreton Bay2h 30m

QLDFamily

Gold Coast Family Weekend

Theme parks, patrolled surf, and a hinterland detour to Tamborine's rainforest walks.

Gold Coast1h 15m

Rottnest's quokkas and Margaret River wine country, reachable in a weekend from Perth.

WAFamily

Rottnest Island Quokka Day

Ferry from Perth, bike around the island, quokka selfies and 20 snorkel bays to choose from.

Rottnest Island45m

WA

Margaret River Wine & Surf Weekend

Cellar doors, limestone caves, giant karri trees and a surf check at Surfers Point.

Margaret River4h 30m

Barossa Shiraz, Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island wildlife within reach of Adelaide.

SA

Barossa Valley Food & Wine

Penfolds, Seppeltsfield and Farm Shop picnics in Australia's most historic wine region.

Barossa Valley1h 10m

SAFamily

Kangaroo Island Wildlife Weekend

Sea lions at Seal Bay, Remarkable Rocks, koalas in the gums — Australia's Galápagos.

Kangaroo Island3h

MONA, Cradle Mountain and waterfront oysters — a weekend island escape.

TAS

Hobart & MONA Weekend

Ferry to MONA, Salamanca Market, kunanyi summit drive and a Constitution Dock oyster.

Hobart0m

TAS

Cradle Mountain Overnighter

Dove Lake in the morning mist, wombats at dusk, Tasmania's most iconic alpine silhouette.

Cradle Mountain3h 30m

Autumn galleries, Lake Burley Griffin and national-institution weekends in the capital.

ACT

Canberra Autumn Weekend

NGA galleries, Lake Burley Griffin cycle, and a Mount Ainslie sunrise over the capital.

Canberra0m