For a Half Day

Phillip Island: A 90-minute drive south from Melbourne, Phillip Island (tel: 1300 366 422; website: www.visitphillipisland.com) features a nature park and various attractions. Highlights include The Penguin Parade, which takes place nightly at sunset, when the world's smallest penguins emerge from the sea and waddle up the beach to their burrows for the night. The Koala Conservation Centre is open daily 1000-1700, while the Nobbies Centre, home to the largest fur seal colony in Australia, is also open every day (summer 1000-2000, autumn 1000-1700, winter 1100-1600, spring 1000-1800). A three-park pass is available, and covers the penguins, koalas and Churchill Island, with its historic homestead. Information on all these attractions is available from Philiip Island Nature Park (tel: (03) 5951 2800; website: www.penguins.org.au). Phillip Island is accessible by car on the Princes Highway (M1) southeast from Melbourne, then on the South Gippsland Highway (M420) and finally the A420 to San Remo and across the Phillip Island Bridge.

For a Full Day

Dandenong Ranges and Healesville Sanctuary: The hills of the Dandenong Ranges, east of Melbourne, are covered in ferns, banks of flowers and distinctly Australian gum trees. The Dandenongs can be reached in about an hour from Melbourne by car or by taking a train to Belgrave Station at the end of the Melbourne metropolitan line and then by Puffing Billy Steam Railway (tel: (03) 9754 6800; website: www.puffingbilly.com.au) through forests and lush fern gullies to Emerald Lake Park. You will need a car to visit Healesville Sanctuary (tel: (03) 5957 2800; website: www.zoo.org.au), where Australian animals, including some rescued and orphaned ones, can be seen in their native habitat. The sanctuary is open daily 0900-1700.

Great Ocean Road: The Great Ocean Road (website: www.greatoceanrd.org.au) is a spectacular drive along the coast to Adelaide, starting 72km (45 miles) to the west of Melbourne at Geelong. For much of the route, the road hugs the rugged coastline overlooking some excellent surfing beaches and passing through Otway and Port Campbell national parks to the breathtaking rock formations known as the Twelve Apostles (one collapsed in 2005 leaving just eight standing).

Sovereign Hill: This giant open-air museum tells the story of life in Ballarat during the gold rush. The streets of Sovereign Hill bustle with people dressed in period costume going about their business in the shops, hotels and school. Visitors can still pan for real gold. The museum is located 110km (68 miles) from Melbourne and is open daily 1000-1700. It can be reached from Ballarat Station. You'll need at least a day to see all the attractions. Sovereign Hill (tel: (03) 5337 1100; website: www.sovereignhill.com.au).