Stop 2: Victoria

Time to jump on over Bass Straight now to Victoria - my home state!

Victoria is the smallest mainland state in Australia, but also the most densely populated. It is a little more than three times the size of Tasmania and only 750km accross. Victoria consists of rugged coastline and both mountainous and desert regions - and is prone to bushfires in the Summer months.

Melbourne is the capital of Victoria. It is set around the shores of Port Phillip Bay, and the city centre itself is on the banks of the Yarra River. About 3.9 million of Victoria's 5 million residents live in the greater Melbourne region - making it the second most populous city in Australia.

Between 1901 and 1927 Melbourne was the seat of government for the Australian federation.

Melbourne is recognised as Australia's sporting and cultural capital and hosts many national and international sporting events.

The Yarra Valley is set at the foot of the Mount Dandenong Ranges, less than an hour East of Melbourne. It has some of the most beautiful countryside in Victoria. Rolling hills strung with vines around Healesville and Yarra Glen meet towering trees, green valleys and pristine rivers around Marysville and Warburton. (OK, so much of it is still heavily damaged by fire, but we WILL recover!) The region is famous for its wine, fresh food and breathtaking scenery.

Parks, gardens, native fern forests and nature trails define the Dandenong Ranges. We can climb aboard Australia's oldest steam train, Puffing Billy, and travel through thick forests and lush fern gullies. Watch carefully as we go and you may see some of our native birds, such as this kookaburra!

The Grampians are located in Victoria's western region - just west of Stawell, where an important running race, the Stawell Gift, is held each Easter (My Person lived there when she was a kid). They consist of a series of five sandstone ridges running north to south with steep and craggy slopes on the eastern side and gentler slopes to the west.

Here we find kangaroos, koalas, emus, wedge-tailed eagles and more. Please be careful of the animals - they are NOT tame. (My Person says she used to feed the Kangaroos at Halls Gap when she was really little, but stopped after one knocked her over - luckily it then jumped right over her and away, because they have sharp claws and powerful legs and tail. Could have been nasty! Oh - and it is NOT fun to have an emu walking along beside your car with its head inside, so please close all vehicle windows if you see one coming!)

Let's hop on up to Echuca. This historic town is set on the banks of the mighty Murray River (or maybe not so mighty just now, after so many years of drought - but still worth a look) The Murray river forms the border between Victoria and New South Wales.

Echuca is a heritage river town, home to a fleet of paddle steamers and a great base for waterskiing, swimming, cruising or taking a houseboat holiday. It derives its name from the aboriginal word meaning "meeting of the water".

The best and worst of this part of Victoria is the weather. While we can freeze down on the south coast, and even the Grampians have been known to have snow, the northern region has a more meditteranean climate. That means it never freezes in winter, but is VERY hot in Summer!