Victoria is a state in southeast Australia. It encompasses mountains, national parks, wineries and surfing beaches. Melbourne, the state capital, has a warren of 19th-century ‘laneways’, and a central arts precinct. The Great Ocean Road follows the coast west to Port Campbell National Park, where the Twelve Apostles are limestone stacks on the edge of the ocean.

Vineyards in the Mornington Peninsula and the Yarra Valley offer tours and tastings. Daylesford and Hepburn Springs are inland spa towns. Tours explore the former Central Deborah Gold Mine in Bendigo, and Ballarat has a recreated 1850s mining town.The Dandenong Ranges are forest-covered hills that are popular for bushwalking, and Wilsons Promontory National Park has coastal campsites. There are ski resorts in the inland High Country. Port Phillip bay and Queenscliff are known for scuba diving. Bell’s Beach has a renowned surf break, and Torquay and Lorne are popular places to learn.

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