Melbourne and area advice for late Feb. 2025

I have seen multiple zoos and animal sanctuaries in Oz. Healesville is my absolute favorite - despite thinking every other place was also very good! It seemed as if there were more of the unique Aussie animals. There was a platypus presentation when I visited in 2019. Fascinating- other presentations were also very fine.

Phillip Island was another unique experience for me. Very much enjoyed it.

I’m burned out on wineries - didn’t visit any, but was encouraged to do so by locals “in the know”. I researched GOR, but didn’t end up doing it. I decided the California and a couple other coastlines would be similar enough that I choose other activities and sites. I know both of above are popular, but I have no personal regrets in skipping.

I enjoyed Melbourne quite a bit, preferring it to Sydney. (Others have different opinions, I know.) I think I was there 6 or 7 nights as a base. This was late 2019.

Thanks, ORDTraveler! You helped cement my change of heart. I also went back and re-read JILL’s thread that had a ton of good information. I think I will just make Melbourne my base - and enjoy all that it has to offer.

We loved the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island.
Also, we did a day trip to the Yarra Valley vineyards. That was good. Also, we took a great tour of Melbourne.

Hi TTM.
I would suggest spending a couple of nights in or around Healesville.
This gives you a good chance to explore the beautiful Yarra Ranges area. Maybe Tarra Warra winery, also Healesville Sanctuary. A drive over the beautiful Black Spur then the Acheron Way to Cement Creek and a stop in pretty Warburton then back to Healesville over Mt Donna Buang. Great scenery, beautiful forests of giant Mountain Ash and Tree Ferns.
It is about the same travel time from Healesville to Phillip Island as from Melbourne (2 hrs).
I would suggest booking accommodation at Phillip Island. The penguins come out of the sea at dusk so a return drive to Melbourne after is not ideal.
So perhaps drive from Healesville to Phillip Island, quite a few things to see and do there before the evening "show".
By the way even a hot Feb day can turn into a pretty chilly evening Penguin Parade.
Cheers.

The GOR is a lovely journey. In Feb you will miss school hols but it will still be pretty busy (lots of grey nomads pulling caravans I'd reckon).
The scenery is both coastal and lush forest.
Tour buses often turn at Port Campbell but I'd recommend going through to at least Warrnambool or impossibly cute Port Fairy.
A side visit to Tower Hill will normally get you some close encounters with emus, roos and maybe an echidna or two.
You could head back inland possibly visiting the Grampians on the way back.

Thanks, Eatsrootsandleaves! That helps with logistics. I am now wishing I had 3-4 more days in this area and struggling to keep believing my mantra of “you can’t see everything so be good with what you do see”. I will get to work on the lodging piece of this puzzle asap. I also have to keep in mind I am not typically “a city girl”, so some of these other spots might have to take precedence over Melbourne itself with my limited time.

I am also going to circle back around to your trip report for NZ with a question or two soon. I won’t have a camper but I AM set for quite a few of the same areas. It precedes Melbourne (in January), so I worked on it first.

We rented a car at Melbourne in early February, drove to Healesville Sanctuary, then checked into a motel near Philip Island. Went to the Penguin Parade that night and then spent a few nights along the GOR. We enjoyed it. We continued on to the Grampians and spent a few nights in a cabin at an RV park. The Grampians were nice but not super impressive as we've been to some spectacular places. But the RV park was in a valley with a large field that had emus and kangaroos hanging out. That was really fun. On the drive back we did a tour of an old lunatic asylum and a a church that has been turned into an art gallery. Melbourne itseIf was nice==we were there for the Australian Open. We continued on to spend a month in NZ. I can write more about our itinerary if you're interested.

Cindyeb I am assuming the "lunatic asylum" was in the town of Ararat either Aradale or the notorious J Ward. I worked psych services until very recently and many of my colleagues had worked in both facilities.

cindybg, thanks! I am doing my trip in the opposite direction - I will have a touch over 5 weeks in NZ prior to arriving in Melbourne. And yes, tips are welcome! I haven’t done much more about the Australia portion of this trip but need to soon (as in ASAP). I don’t arrive till evening (but no jet lag) so I will have to decide where to base.

But yes, you should write up a trip report!

Well I have an idea for you for a few hours... which I just know you will love as much as I did!

The Melbourne Skydeck!
https://www.melbourneskydeck.com.au/

If I did it, you can do it! Well, maybe ;-)

Good grief, CW! You know me and heights! LOL! I will look and see if it’s something I can do with my eyes shut. Ha!

I had to walk on the parts of the glass floor that were above the metal supporting beams. I wasn't brave enough to walk on the bare glass floor, the visual was too much for me!

But I did it!

One thing I should mention is traffic hazards when driving in Victoria
The main hazards are grey/brown in colour with long tails. Roos are maniacs around cars, they will never ever do the logical thing. Just tonight I had to drive my last km home at about 15 kph as a dozen of them darted every which way on and beside the road.
They are most prevalent beside roads at dawn and dusk.

I just posted the trip report for GOR. It was too long to include stuff we saw in Melbourne. We spent most of our time there at the Australian Open but did see some city sights and it was nice, but we tend to enjoy countryside more than cities. Maybe someday I'll finish the NZ trip report and post it!

Ok, cindy - off to read it! Thank you!

Eatsrootsandleaves, that did make me laugh, even though I know you were serious. It’s almost that bad with deer at sunrise and sunset in West Texas. I have about quit driving at either of those times if not forced to. But a ton of unpredictable kangaroos has the deer beat by a mile. Usually it’s just one deer shooting out across the road and you didn’t even see it coming.