Whichever direction you strike out from Melbourne you will find a host of family adventures, whether you are trying to expand your kids’ palates with a seaside Greek feast, or tire them out with river rafting and bike riding.
Here is our list of short trips that are big on family fun.
Warburton
Float down one of the most picturesque bends of the Yarra River in an inflatable ring at Warburton, a relatively undiscovered corner of the very popular Yarra Valley.
Bike and Hike (bikeandhike.com.au) can arrange a river adventure or organise e-bikes to climb the hill to the O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail that carves through the mountainside parallel to the Warburton Rail Trail.
Ben Savage
Abseiling at Seven Acre Rock, Yarra State Park.
You can caffeinate for your active day out at Silva Coffee Roasters (silvacoffee.com.au) a local coffee roaster.
The Alpine Hotel is a remodelled masterpiece from Warburton’s logging heyday – with 32 rooms, including family options – and great country hospitality if you need a filling lunch (alpineretreat.com.au). See visityarravalley.com.au
Phillip Island
The View From Here
Penguin Parade, Phillip Island.
Even if you don’t stay around for the nightly march of cuteness that is the Penguin Parade (and you really should!) in the recently revamped penguin centre, shaped like a wing of the flightless birds, Phillip Island has plenty of kid-friendly fun.
The Koala Conservation Centre has treetop boardwalks where you can view the dozy marsupials, Churchill Island gives you a glimpse into the farm life of yore with whip-cracking displays and a historic homestead and you can visit the local sealife on a Phillip Island sea cruise. See penguins.org.au
Nagambie Lake
Supplied
Mitchelton Winery features vintage modernist architecture from the 1970s.
Just over an hour north of Melbourne, the town of Nagambie has a huge lake that has been offering up aquatic fun for the family for years.
The area is also a mecca for horse breeding and you will see a statue of Black Caviar on the Nagambie main street next to the lake, grab lunch here too on the lakeside deck at the Nagambie Brewery and Distillery (nagambiebrewery.com.au) and head to nearby Mitchelton Winery (mitchelton.com.au) where the kids can play on the lawn while parents have a quick tipple. See nagambie.com.au
Mornington Peninsula
Chris McConville
Hit the thermal pools at Alba Springs.
“The Ninch” has long been a quick-and-easy Melbourne getaway just an hour’s drive away but there is a host of new activities to keep families busy.
Hit the thermal pools at the Alba Thermal Springs and Spa (albathermalsprings.com.au) the latest retreat to tap into the peninsula’s calming, naturally warm water, have a relaxed lunch overlooking the vines at Rare Hare at Jackalope (jackalopehotels.com) – where the kids will lose it over the wood-fired chocolate-chip cookie that is nearly the size of their heads – or grab an early rock ‘n’ roll dinner at Loosie’s Diner (loosiesdiner.com.au). See visitmorningtonpeninsula.org
Ballarat
Laura Celine Haughey
Sovereign Hill, Ballarat.
Most Aussie kids make the school trek to Sovereign Hill for a “gold camp” (and it is still a great place to visit) but there is so much more to unearth on a day trip to this former gold mining hub.
Start with a morning coffee at Eclectic Tastes café (eclectictastes.com.au) on Lake Wendouree then head off for a walk around the lake filled with black swans.
Older kids will enjoy the Art Gallery of Ballarat (artgalleryofballarat.com.au), one of the best regional art galleries around, and learn about the mining rebellion at the Eureka Centre.
For lunch there are craft brews for the parents and awesome pizzas for all at Aunty Jack’s (auntyjacks.com.au) and call in to Sovereign Hill shop for some raspberry drop lollies for the trip home. See visitballarat.com.au
Point Addis
This massive marine park, the third-largest in Victoria, is also one of the best family-friendly beaches to visit on the Surf Coast (albeit not patrolled).
Heading down the giant staircase, past chalk-coloured cliffs, you find one of the widest expanses of beach around with plenty of room for families to set up games of beach cricket, footy or even volleyball.
On the return journey stop into the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie (gorci.com.au), a Wonker-esque wonderland of sweet treats, or head further down the road to Lorne and the modern Greek seaside taverna that is Ipsos (ipsosrestaurant.com.au). See visitgreatoceanroad.org.au
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