Australia by Car

The port city of Geelong is one of the largest cities in the state of Victoria, coming a close second behind the capital, Melbourne. Nestled on the shores of Corio Bay and the mouth of the Barwon River, Geelong emphasises a strong focus on waterfront living, combined with a trendy, cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Geelong’s location just 75 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, means that you can find suitable car hire there and then adjust to your new driving conditions by taking the short drive out to the heart of Geelong.

Waterfront Geelong is the best place to start your exploration of the city. It is one of Australia’s best waterfront developments and is home to superb restaurants, beautifully landscaped gardens, walking tracks and public art attractions. From here, venture into the city, where you will find some of the country’s most fascinating cultural attractions. One of the most interesting of these would no doubt be the National Wool Museum. Here you will find many displays and exhibitions that demonstrate Geelong’s past and present prominence in the Australian wool industry. This experience will educate you and give you a greater understanding of the processes that go into producing one of the country’s best exports.

The Geelong Art Gallery is another interesting place to visit. The gallery has an outstanding collection of paintings, sculptures and decorative arts that depict Australian times from the colonial days to the present. This experience will be any art fanatic’s dream and will also leave the untrained eye more apt when it comes to Australian art.

Geelong is the perfect place to visit if you are seeking to enjoy a relaxed lifestyle with the benefits of the city. Encompassing a cosmopolitan city, semi-rural and diverse, urban communities, along with endless kilometres of white, sandy beaches, you are sure not to be disappointed with what the amazing city of Geelong has to offer!

The historic city of Shepparton is the fifth largest city in Victoria. Located just 180 kilometres north of Melbourne, Shepparton is the perfect place to escape to for the weekend, all year round. The dynamic and diverse community enjoys a strong and prominent dairy industry and is the producer of some of Australia’s highest quality fresh and processed fruits.

The Shepparton area features magnificent food and wine and several wineries can be found within a one hour’s drive of the city itself. Visit some of Australia’s finest wineries and vineyards and sample the delicious tastes of this stunning region.

The city of Shepparton enjoys glorious weather all year round, which makes it the perfect place for fishing, boating and water activities. The city is adjacent to the Goulburn River and the Broken and Murray River’s also flow through and around the city fringe. There is also an abundance of natural wetlands, which are the home to some of Australia’s most unique flora and fauna. Take some time to discover these natural highlights which are guaranteed to take your breath away.

The regional status of Shepparton allows it a vibrant diversity of cultural, outdoor and sporting activities. The city transforms with each changing season, which is most evident through the rows of fruit trees that line the surrounding hills and valleys. The colour and vibrancy of this stunning area offer picturesque sights that will be embedded in your memory forever.

Shepparton is the perfect place to escape to on your next driving holiday adventure. Car Hire will make your driving experience simple and easy so all you have to do is enjoy the drive and the stunning scenery on offer!

St Kilda is a unique place situated on the most picturesque points of Port Phillip Bay. It is one of the largest inner city suburbs of Melbourne and is the most densely populated within the Bay region. St Kilda is home to many safe and sandy beaches and is known as one of the trendiest places to be in Melbourne. The busy cafe and shopping lifestyle make it an area of sharp social contrasts. The colour and vibrancy of this continuously emerging suburb gives it a unique arts culture that rivals that of Brisbane’s Southbank and the Melbourne CBD.

The next time you are visiting Melbourne, you simply have to check out some of St Kilda’s highlights. Perhaps the most famous of these is Luna Park. This historic fun fair is most recognisable for its famous clown face entrance and draws in thousands of tourists each year without fail.

Acland Street of one of Melbourne’s most stylish food precincts. The street is lined with busy cafes and restaurants which makes it the number one hotspot for tourists to the area. The busy cafes and nation-famous cake shops are close to St Kilda’s beaches which makes it one of the area’s most popular hotspots!

It is also worth taking a drive along the Upper and Lower Esplanades. Car Hire will make it easy for you to enjoy the stone buildings and architectural highlights that line the streets. The Upper Esplanade is also home to the St Kilda Baths and the Royal Yacht Squadron, which makes it a must-do on your list of St Kilda activities.

Discover the trendy and modern lifestyle of Melbourne’s most thriving suburb and you won’t leave disappointed. St Kilda offers a pleasant blend of art, culture and seaside living that is sure to keep you coming back for more.

Pictures of the attractions on the Great Ocean Road grace the covers of tourist brochures across the world. But, beautiful as the images are, they still do not do justice to the majestic sights and scenery that this coastal drive takes you past. The only way to experience the true wonder of the Great Ocean Road is to make the drive yourself. And as it is only just under 100 kms from Melbourne to the start of the drive at Torquay, it is an easy and accessible road trip with extremely satisfying rewards.

As it is part of the Limestone Coast the rock structure of the shoreline is malleable, and over the years has been shaped by the ocean into intriguing geological features such as the ‘Twelve Apostles’, which attract tourists from all over the globe. These are situated close to the small town of Port Campbell, where this is plenty of accommodation available, and next to the Apostles is a large visitor centre and viewing platform. This article will give you more idea about things to see and do on the Great Ocean Road.

Before you reach Port Campbell however you will pass Apollo Bay, a serene coastal settlement situated on a picture perfect wineglass shaped bay. Primarily a fishing village, Apollo Bay is also close to the lush yet rugged Otway Ranges, a haven for nature lovers and bushwalkers alike. There are a number of stunning waterfalls in these mountains, with the Erskine Falls being especially popular amongst tourists.

Another popular town on the drive is Lorne, but if its classic beaches and surf you are after then spend a bit of time in Torquay. Here you will find Bells Beach, the infamous home to the annual Rip Curl Pro.

If you need a safe and reliable car booking for your Great Ocean Road adventure, then try out car hire. Enjoy the ride!

An hour and a half drive from Melbourne, just east of Geelong and on the tip of the Bellarine Peninsula lies the historic township of Queenscliff. Its colourful past is well represented in sailors cottages, grandiose Victorian-era architecture and a very large military fort overlooking the ocean, and its easy to see why this has been a popular escape for Melbourne-ites for over a century now.

Today Queenscliff elegantly combines sophistication with popularity, a rare combination that does not work in most seaside tourist resorts. Its beautiful ocean views and its beaches which have a distinctly untouched feel are complemented by heritage architecture, stately hotels, art galleries, museums, restaurants, trendy cafes and a lush golf course.

Adding to the old world character of the town are horse and cart rides and the Bellarine Peninsula Railway, a 16 kilometre long historic steam railway running from Queenscliff to Drysdale. A journey on this is a great way to see the coast from a beautifully preserved steam carriage.

In the last weekend of November the ever popular Queenscliff Music Festival takes place, attracting crowds from all over the country. It showcases emerging Australian talent and has special guests from overseas as well, so the variety and depth of artist on display is remarkable. Family friendly and in a beautiful location, this is one festival you don’t want to miss.

If you are looking for some home grown produce, some local arts and crafts or your perfect Queenscliff souvenir then head to the markets held every Sunday, where you are sure to pick up a bargain. To brush up on the history of the area, you can visit one of several museums, including the Queescliff Historical Centre, the Queenscliff Maritime Museum and the Marine Discovery Centre. Your best means of exploring Queenscliff and the surrounding region is with a car hire.

The Yarra Valley is where wine production in Victoria first found itself. That was in 1838, when the first vines were planted, and today more than 55 wineries have established themselves in the beautiful lush expanses of the Valley. Just 60 kilometres north east of Melbourne, it has turned into a prime destination for wine connoisseurs, culinary fanatics or anyone after a relaxing break in a stunning environment.

The valley is only 25 kilometres long, and measures 15 kilometres wide at its widest point, so everything is within easy reach of itself. The largest town is Healesville, with a population of about 5000 people, and this is where most people choose to stay. If there the Healesville Sanctuary is worth a look if you want to experience some Aussie wildlife!

A smaller place that will appeal to history buffs as its the site of Victorias first vintage is Yering, a small parish in the heart of the valley. If you want to treat yourself then the Chateau Yering is an opulent five star hotel where you can indulge all your senses!

A great time to visit the Yarra Valley is in February, when the Grape Grazing Festival is on- a festival that not only celebrates vintage but also the cultures and traditions of the Yarra. This article will give you more ideas of things to do in the Yarra.

A rental car is a comfortable and safe way to see the Yarra Valley. The rolling hills criss crossed with perfect clear rivers make for great driving country, and there are lots of interesting spots you can stop off and visit, such as Victorias highest waterfall, Stevenson Falls. The region has its cool climate to thank for its wine productivity, so remember to pack some warm clothes!

Phillip Island is best known for its Grand Prix racing circuit, the 4 kilometre long track where the Australian Moto GP is held each year. But the rest of this island is a far cry from thudding motors and pit girls- in fact its a serene, very scenic haven with sweeping landscapes, friendly locals and plenty of wildlife.

There is 100 kilometres of coastline to explore, coastline that boasts quiet secluded bays, swimming beaches, rocky cliffs and waves that many surfers claim to be better than those even at Bells Beach. The population of 7000 residents is spread between small townships such as San Remo and Cowes, and in these you will find a variety of accommodation to suit every budget.

Phillip Island is often referred to as Nature Island, and its wildlife attractions have helped put it on the tourist map. The most popular of these is the ‘Penguin Parade’, located on Summerland Beach. Every evening the resident colony of Little Penguins make the march from the oceans waves, up the beach and to their sandy burrows. This has become quite the attraction, and there is a marine centre, Nobbies, built next to the beach. Read this article for more info on the attractions of the island.

Other wildlife attractions are the Koala Conservation Centre, and Seal Rocks, where a colony of 16000 fur seals has made their home. You can follow up a morning of nature watching with a trip out to Churchill Island. Accessed by a bridge from the mainland, this small island is home to a complete working farm complete with all its original equipment- a fascinating insight into history.

Just over a two hour drive from the centre of Melbourne, Phillip Island could just be the perfect weekend retreat. For a great deal on a car to get there and back, check out car hire.

As winter sets in and things begin to cool down the ski resorts of Victoria and New South Wales begin to heat up! As usual the name on the tip of everyones tongues is Falls Creek, Victoria’s largest alpine village and one of the state’s most prominent tourist destinations. Whilst offering a range of activities throughout the year, its in winter that this snow resort really comes alive. With the snow season starting on the Victorian Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend and running through to October, now is the time to get booking that snowboarding holiday!

Falls creek is a true self contained resort village, so everything you may need or want to make your stay comfortable is easily available. The lodging throughout the resort is ski-in ski-out, and the ski lift takes you to the top of the slopes. There are a wide range of skiing and snow boarding terrains available that cater to beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers or snow boarders. And at Falls creek the fun doesnt stop when the sun goes down- in fact thats when it truly begins, as the bars and nightclubs open their doors to snow-weary holiday makers.

The great thing about this ski resort is that if the snowfall isnt adequate, they just make their own! Ideally situated next to a large lake that provides all the water they need for snow making, Falls Creek can guarantee that there will be snow.

Getting there involves a 4 and a half hour drive from Melbourne, or an easy days drive from Sydney. Alternatively you could fly into Albury, and pick up a car rental there. Coaches and buses also run into Falls from a number of destinations.