Where's the Best Winter Weekend Escape Near Melbourne?

by Sue Williams (subscribe)

We all know Melbourne's considered one of the world's most liveable cities, but, honestly, were those judges ever here in winter? Now, don't get me wrong, I love Melbourne, but there are times when the lure of Victoria's wild places, quirky towns and rural landscapes just cannot be ignored. (And when a little dose of sunshine also wouldn't go astray). The trouble is, as you'd expect in a 'liveable' city, there's a huge array of weekend escapes.

So where exactly is the best winter weekend escape near Melbourne?

Escape to sunshine
If it's sun you're seeking, Mildura is one place that's hard to beat. This is a town that has more sunshine than it knows what to do with. They could bottle it and sell it, if they weren't so busy enjoying it all for themselves.



There's plenty to do in all those glorious rays, from walking by the river, going for a ride on a paddle steamer, visiting the local wineries or eating out at Stefano's world class restaurant.








Escape to snow
For anyone seeking softly falling snowflakes, Lake Mountain offers the closest snow slopes to Melbourne. It's a good spot for cross country skiing, snow-shoe walks or tobogganing but there are no downhill skiing trails. For a detailed review of Lake Mountain and nearby Marysville, click here.

Further afield, there's Mount Hotham with spectacular scenery, a good range of ski trails, a mountain-top resort and (can you believe this?) more than 20 restaurants. There's a review of Mt Hotham by a fearless Weekend Notes reviewer here.

If skiing seems too expensive, you could consider the cheaper option – snow-shoeing at Mt Baw Baw. Click here for details.

Escape to a quirky town
Top of the list interesting towns in Victoria would have to include:
historic Walhalla,(with a wealth of gold-mining history);
arty Fish Creek, full of galleries from award-winning botanical paintings to weird and wonderful metal sculptures, along with top-notch food in the Flying Cow cafe;
and the famous Dimboola (for anyone who hasn't heard of the play, click here. And Dimboola also has a pink lake. Yes, you read that right - the water's pink).



Just seeking an all-round pretty place
East of Melbourne, the Dandenongs offer relaxing gardens, forest walks and good restaurants. See reviews here and here. There's also a review of the Skyhigh observatory and restaurant on Mt Dandenong here.



And south of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula offers great wineries and cafes, along with panoramic sea views and walking tracks. See here and here for detailed reviews.

For yet more ideas on weekend escapes, click here for suggestions by Weekend Notes' intrepid Michaelie Clark.

So now it's over to you. When you're eager to escape the winter in Melbourne, do you have any favourite spots?

Please let us know, we'd love to hear your comments.

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