How to sell Melbourne & Victoria, Australia

HOW TO SELL

Melbourne & Victoria, Australia

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Road trip Victoria

VibeVictoria GET SET FOR MELBOUR NE & BEYOND

Published by BMI Publishing Ltd 2014 Suffolk House, George St, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1SR, UK T 020 8649 7233 F 020 8649 7234 E enquiries@bmipublishing.co.uk W www.bmipublishing.co.uk; www.sellingtravel.co.uk

Publishing Director/Managing Editor: Alan Orbell Publisher: Sally Parker Editor: Steve Hartridge Journalist/Writer: Julie Baxter Advertisement Manager: Lisa Merrigan Creative Director: Matt Bonner Art Director: Dan Franklin Senior Designer: Tina-Lee McDougall Junior Designer: Louisa Horton Production Manager: Clare Hunter Managing Director: Martin Steady • Members of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Visit USA Association, LATA, PATA, MENATA, SATOA, the Foreign Airlines Association and the Institute of Travel & Tourism. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, BMI Publishing cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. © 2014.

Images courtesy of Tourism Victoria and Qantas Airways Limited

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visitmelbourne.com visitmelbourne.com

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Road trip Victoria

“Victoria: a small state packed with all the big must-do Australian experiences. Compact and manageable on even the tightest time-scale or budget”

Map key Aboriginal Culture Airport Beaches Golf Heritage/Gold Mine Paddlesteamer

Rock Formation Scenic Attractions Spa Whale Watching Wildlife Wineries

Top Touring Routes 1 2 3 4 5

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elbourne! City of style, city of adventure. The gateway to Victoria and the obvious start to endless Australian possibilities.

A must-see, iconic destination in its own right, Melbourne is full of surprises and makes an unbeatable gateway thanks to convenient daily Qantas flights from London Heathrow operated by the state-of-the-art A380 via Dubai.

The Aussie experience begins the moment your clients board the plane and will continue whether they want Down Under road trips and tours of discovery or access to the unrivalled Qantas domestic network.

Do encourage them to explore and remember they can experience Australia like a local and go 'walkabout' with the Qantas Walkabout Pass. Use this to customise their trip and offer them a great deal, on over 20 destinations within Australia and New Zealand, when you book it with their

Great Ocean Road - 243km/151 miles Melbourne to Sydney Coastal Drive -1380km/857 miles Sydney Melbourne Heritage Drive -1117km/694 miles Great Southern Touring Route 842km/523 miles South East Touring Triangle - 301 km/187 miles Qantas A380 flights daily from London Heathrow

international Qantas ticket sale.

Set at the heart of the compact yet diverse state of Victoria, Melbourne puts your client at the heart of a stunning region of incredible coasts and world-class wineries, up-close wildlife experiences and bucket-list adventures. Its food and wine offerings are among the very best in Australia (if not the world), and easy, stress-free itineraries and self-drive touring routes from here lead on to amazing regional experiences and top-class authentic Australian adventures.

EXPERIENCE IT, SELL IT • Must see Melbourne - stylish and buzzing • World-class food and wine • Iconic road trips and diverse experiences closeby • Top for value – so much accessible from one hub • Easy access with Qantas • Great onward connectivity & cost-effective passes

visitmelbourne.com visitmelbourne.com

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Marvellous Melbourne

City buzz

VIBRANT GATEWAY ON THE EDGE OF NATURE

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elbourne buzzes. It is an iconic Australian city that puts your client at the heart of Australia's greatest experiences and it is a gateway to the best of experiences and adventures Down Under.

Stylish and chic, it is a cosmopolitan, go-getting city which combines the elegance and grace of a classic metropolitan hub with the cool vibe and excitement of a dynamic, modern destination at the cutting-edge of innovation, creativity and style.

FOODIE HEAVEN Check out its famous laneways and choose from over 3000 cafés and trendy restaurants, the flourishing arts scene and the indigenous culture, and your clients will soon see that this is a grand old city with a fun and funky spirit running through it.

As the food capital of Australia, here they can eat over 75 different ethnic cuisines served by innovative chefs using incredible fresh local produce combined with passion and flair. Delve into basements or discover rooftop terraces and they’ll find some of the locals' best-kept secrets.

Did you know, for example, that coffee is such an integral part of the city’s lifestyle that it hosts an annual coffee expo, runs café culture tours and has a local special, the Piccolo latte – made with less milk so the espresso tastes stronger?

And then, when it comes time for something stronger, there are vibrant bars and stylish

 Experience it Flying Qantas puts Victoria’s renowned foodie culture in front of your clients the moment their journey begins.

The airline’s food and wine is among its greatest assets as Qantas works with leading Aussie restaurateur Neil Perry to create unique menus in First, Business and Premium Economy. His contemporary ground-breaking cuisine reflects the nation's bounty and Perry's award-winning Rockwell, Spice Temple and Rosetta restaurants in Melbourne. Available for pre-ordering in Business and Premium Economy and served with style at a time to suit, every meal is complemented by award-winning wines. Qantas won the prestigious Best Overall Cellar in the Sky at the 2013 Cellars in the Sky awards, and many of the crew are even accredited sommeliers.

visitmelbourne.com

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rooftops serving the wonderful world-class wines produced right on the city's doorstep.

LINGER LONGER Easily explored on foot or bicycle, by free ‘circle’ tram or even on the back of a Harley Davidson, Melbourne has many parks and gardens plus the Yarra River at its heart, giving it a green, clean feel; while the traditional architecture and city trams add stately style. Linger longer and there’s more: hip and happening precincts such as bayside St Kilda, bohemian Fitzroy, trendy Prahran and cosmopolitan Carlton. They’ll find street art and funky laneways – interconnecting traffic-free arcades and alleyways crammed with quirky shops and al fresco dining, eclectic galleries and one-off boutiques. In Melbourne historic sights and grand traditions happily rub shoulders with

Melbourne's funky laneways

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Marvellous Melbourne

Rooftop drinks at Transit Bar

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Federation Square celebrations

“Melbourne’s a buzzing city surrounded by nature. Mix and match vibrant nightlife, fab foodie culture with iconic sights and wildlife” INSIDER'S TIP: Qantas is an easy sell when you focus on its classy service and costeffective deals. It was awarded Best Airline Australia-Pacific in the 2014 Skytrax awards in recognition of its unrivalled service Qantas A380 Economy

the funky, the new and the most innovative design.

This is a city full of surprises; full of possibilities, of passion and of charm. It’s a place worth getting to know and one which really rewards a longer stay.

SENSATIONAL EVENTS Study the city’s calendar of events and your clients will soon be making a date with all manner of world-class events too. Melbourne as a city is sports mad, hosting top-ranking international events such as the Australian Open tennis ( January), Formula 1 Grand Prix (March) and the Melbourne Cup horse race (November). Cultural must-do events such as the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (March) and red-letter events such as New Year’s Eve in Federation Square. All events are held in the city, are easy to access tickets and have an excitement that visitors will remember forever.

And if they are still not completely convinced that Melbourne should be their starting point, encourage them to look beyond the city skyline, beyond the events and the exciting vibe and simply show them that perhaps the best is yet to come. This is a city which leads to so much more.

Perfectly positioned for access to the ocean and natural Australia, this leading Qantas gateway puts your clients at the hub of an extensive domestic airline network and also leads locally to effortless itineraries exploring the very best of Australia – right on its doorstep.

In just an hour’s drive from the city they'll find beautiful beaches, incredible wildlife, iconic natural attractions and authentic Aboriginal insights and interactions. They'll be able to link cultural and scenic assets neatly together with plenty of time to chill out and relax. They’ll tick off all their Australian ‘musts’ and find time to really experience the laid-back Aussie lifestyle too.

In short, Melbourne is just a beginning but it’s a great beginning. Your clients' incredible Australian journey starts here.

SELL IT...

Lanesways: Book a Hidden Secrets Lanes and Arcades Tour • Events: Secure tickets to world-class events • Sports: Get under the city's skin with Melbourne Sports Tours • Food with a view: Make a reservation at the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant • Beyond the city: head out to the kangaroos and koalas with Echidna Walkabout

visitmelbourne.com

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South East Touring Triangle

Touring trio MELBOURNE - YARRA VALLEY - PHILLIP ISLAND - MORNINGTON PENINSULA

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ines, wildlife, water – Victoria has the lot and it's all available in an instant – well, within an hour's drive of vibrant and buzzing Melbourne. Begin an Australian adventure in Melbourne and with a succession of easy day trips, or a round trip self-drive tour on the South East Touring Triangle, your clients can join the dots on Victoria’s map to spectacular effect combining urban colour and the laneways, with the vineyards and wildlife of the Yarra Valley, the Penguin Parade of Phillip Island and the unspoilt beaches of the Mornington Peninsula.

EASY COMBINATIONS This compact state offers gourmet highlights wherever your clients roam but head east of Melbourne, out into the Yarra Valley and they'll gather the behind-the-scenes secrets and stories of wineries such as Yering Station, or boutique breweries such as White Rabbit, where tours and tastings ensure they experience first-hand the flavours and finesse upon which the state has built its culinary reputation. Base them in a classic historic hotel like Chateau Yering; wine connoisseurs will revel in the region's 55 wineries, 40 of which offer tastings, but if your clients don't know their tannins from their acids, flag up experiences beyond the cellar doors such as a memorable hot air balloon ride with Global Ballooning at sunrise, or simply a peaceful nature walk in an unspoiled landscape.

The Yarra Valley's flora and fauna credentials

 Experience it Qantas is committed to showcasing the diversity and quality of Australian wine and a panel of industry judges and respected winemakers lend specialist expertise to its award-winning position.

Among these is Tom Carson from Yabby Lake on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, past holder of 'International Winemaker of the Year' title. Qantas sources more than 250 different wines each year from more than 150 different producers but serves both the 2010 Yabby Lake Pinot Noir and the 2008 Yabby Lake Single Vineyard Chardonnay, in Business class. Carson says: "We just try to get winemaking out of the way so the wines taste natural."

visitmelbourne.com

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rank as highly as its wines for many, especially when linked with the nearby Dandenong Ranges.

Beyond the wineries, the valley is defined by fern glades and forests, rugged bushlands and stunning lookouts and also offers top wildlife experiences.

At the Healesville Sanctuary, for example, visitors walk through the Australian native setting to meet bush babies and wombats, red kangaroos and platypuses, dingos and koalas – it's a real MUST. The drive through the Dandenong Ranges adds in breathtaking views of towering mountain ash trees and magical areas of tree ferns, waterfalls and serene lakes. Even a half-hour stroll will take them into a land that time forgot, an unspoiled oasis of amazing sights, unexpected birdsong and heady natural scents. Drop into the William Ricketts Sanctuary where incredible sculptures are fused with the forest and the quiet reflection it inspires may well give their world a whole new order.

Yarra Valley

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South East Touring Triangle

Penguins on parade

Mornington Peninsula beach boxes

“You can have it all in Victoria. So many diverse Australian experiences so close to the urban buzz of amazing Melbourne” INSIDER'S TIP: The Mornington Peninsula connects seamlessly with the Great Ocean Road with a 40-minute ferry ride from Sorrento to Queenscliff with Searoad Ferries (and they can watch for dolphins on the way) Qantas A380 Business

BUCKET-LIST STOPS Some 90 minutes south of the Yarra Valley, they will find themselves on Phillip Island, for a bucket-list encounter with penguins, seals and koalas. The 26,000 little penguins who live here ‘parade’ every day at sunset and your clients need to pre-book, especially in peak season (recommend the Ultimate Tour). The parade area is just one of four parks in this area, so they can also meet koalas in the treetop boardwalk at the Koala Conservation Centre, check out the famers' market at the Churchill Island Heritage Farm and visit marine-focused Nobbies Centre – all dedicated to conservation and offering beautiful recreational areas. There are whalewatching and birdwatching opportunities here too and then beyond the wildlife, the island is a great seaside destination. It has its own top-notch food and wine credentials plus stunning boutique properties such as Clifftop, plenty of family attractions and sheltered bays for picnics or beach cricket.

The route back to Melbourne takes in the spectacular Mornington Peninsula. Here, pristine white sandy beaches meet a green hinterland strung with vineyards and olive groves and accommodation

comes in the form of incredible boutique hotels and B&Bs. Your clients can stop off at bayside beaches, swim with dolphins with local operators such as Polperro, or check out more award-winning wineries (such as Yabby Lake which produces the pinot noir served on Qantas). A Wine Food Farmgate trail lists 75 top tasting stops, or there are the walking and cycle trails, horseback winery tours and geo-thermic hot-springs. The peninsula is also home to eight of Australia’s top 50 golf courses plus wild, often deserted, beaches.

By the time they are back in the city, they will have notched up true-blue Aussie experiences by the score and may have moved their belts a notch or two as well! Check out detailed itineraries and more information at visitmelbourne.com.

SELL IT...

Wine Tours: Book Australian Wine Tour Company trips into the Yarra Valley • Ballooning: Over the Yarra Valley • Penguin Parade: Ultimate Tour on Phillip Island • Mornington Peninsula Horseback Winery Tours • Chateau Yering: Historic overnight • Clifftop: Boutique stay with a view on Phillip Island • Flinders Hotel: Gourmet stay on the Mornington Peninsula

visitmelbourne.com

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Great Southern Touring Route

Rock on

MELBOURNE - BELLARINE PENINSULA - GREAT OCEAN ROAD - GRAMPIANS - DAYLESFORD

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t's hard to beat the freedom of the open road and the sense of genuine discovery it can bring. While distances can be daunting in parts of Australia, in Victoria they are easily manageable and your clients can have the drive of their life linking a diverse combination of stunning landscapes in a way rarely achieved elsewhere in Australia, travelling on the Great Southern Touring Route.

GREAT OCEAN ROAD Whether they self drive it or join a group tour, the Great Ocean Road puts them at the heart of some top Australian tourism assets. It's an iconic, bucket-list drive that could have been purposebuilt for road trip pleasure, and can be effortlessly combined with the scenic Bellarine Peninsula, the mountainous Grampians and Daylesford – Melbourne’s spa and gourmet Mecca.

No need for false modesty here, the Great Ocean Road is without question Australia's greatest coastal drive and a ‘must do’ in Australia.

Best known for the famous 12 Apostles rock formation, the drive takes in some of Australia’s top surfing beaches, stunning clifftop views, wildlife galore and natural eco-tour experiences too.

To join the iconic route, the drive first cuts through the Bellarine Peninsula, known for its food and wines thanks to wineries such as the Jack Rabbit Vineyard, speciality producers

 Experience it QANTAS FIRST: A private world with 14 suites, á la carte dining and long flat, wide beds.

QANTAS BUSINESS: A dedicated upper deck of 64 full-flat Skybeds reclining to almost 2m long with mattress and duvet.

Plus, onboard lounge, Select on Q-Eat menu & complimentary chauffeurdrive transfers.

PREMIUM ECONOMY: Offers 35 extra-wide seats with extra leg room plus self-serve snacks and Select on Q-Eat dining.

ECONOMY: Friendly service, comfortable ergonomic seats with lumbar support, foot and head rests plus four selfserve snack bars available around the clock.

visitmelbourne.com

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and the exceptional, fresh local mussels.

The Great Ocean Road officially begins at Torquay, where the waves crash spectacularly and your clients can check out the finer points of Aussie surfing culture at Surfworld and try out their cutbacks and kickouts on Bells Beach, host of the annual Rip Curl Pro competition every Easter.

MAGNIFICENT VIEWS There are magnificent coastal views all the way on this route, combined perhaps with koala spotting at Kennett River, fish and chips on the beach at Lorne, panoramic photo stops and fabulous fresh-air-filled beach strolls. Amazing natural attractions come thick and fast and at Otway National Park can include a bird's-eye view of the rainforest from The Otway Treetop canopy walkway. This is in fact the longest and tallest walkway of its type in the world and offers an adrenaline-fuelled zip-line tour too. For an incredible wildlife and conservation experience, two-nights at Great Ocean Ecolodge will be a highlight thanks to owners Shane and Lizzie.

The famous 12 Apostles make their grand appearance at Port Campbell and stand serenely in the Southern Ocean. A unique group of rock stacks, clients can view them from above with a helicopter tour or from a viewing pltform, but also get up close and personal by taking the 86 Gibson Steps down to the wild beach. Or perhaps suggest

12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road

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Great Southern Touring Route

Kangaroos at Grampians

Iconic Great Ocean Road

“The Great Ocean Road is simply Australia's greatest coastal drive, a real must-do” INSIDER'S TIP: Qantas aims to make the journey as memorable as the destination with friendly crews giving great service. Flights from Heathrow to Melbourne are operated by the award-winning A380, via Dubai with a choice of four comfortable cabins, each with its own unique selling points.

First and Business passengers, for example, get complimentary chauffeur-driven transfers Qantas A380 First Suite

a four-day guided Great Ocean Walk with passionate local operator Twelve Apostles Lodge Walk.

INDIGENOUS INSIGHTS Warrnambool is an historic maritime town and a brilliant spot for glimpsing southern right and blue whales, while nearby the Tower Hill State Game Reserve, formed from an extinct volcano, offers insights into the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal people whose visitor centre and guided tours reveal the legend and geological stories of the land. Emus, kangaroos and koalas roam wild here too.

From the charming fishing village of Port Fairy (perfect for an overnight stay) with its old whalers' cottages, grand public buildings and offshore seal colony, the route heads away from the coast and back towards Melbourne via the Grampians National Park. Defined by their rugged peaks and spectacular waterfalls, here there are more indigenous stories as the majority of Aboriginal rock art sites in south eastern Australia are here. Brambuk, the National Park and Cultural Centre, gives a great overview before visitors head on to their pick of over 100 sites, each with

unique dreamtime ceremonies and stories.

About an hour from the Grampians is Victoria's Goldfields region which has plenty of pioneer stories to share as it was at the heart of Victoria's gold rush. Sovereign Hill, in Ballarat, is a must.

An open-air museum, it recreates the1850s with costumed characters, fun activities and sound and light show re-enacting dramatic battles of the time.

And then, close-by, there is the spa town of Daylesford which has been welcoming visitors to its natural mineral waters since the 1800s. Time at the Hepburn Springs Bath House or a stay at the beautiful Lake House retreat, with its stunning dining, cookery courses and Salus Spa, will reenergise and revive them ready to dive right back into Melbourne’s city buzz with their head crammed with amazing memories.

For full itineraries head to visitmelbourne.com.

SELL IT...

Heli-tours: Over the 12 Apostles • Active adventures: Otway zipline and canopy walk • Grampians climbing • Gold rush heritage: Sovereign Hill open-air museum plus sound & light show • Pampering: Lake House, Daylesford• Eco: Great Ocean Ecolodge

visitmelbourne.com

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Melbourne to Sydney Touring

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Top Pair MELBOURNE - SYDNEY

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elbourne and Sydney have long harboured a gentle sibling rivalry and as the continent's largest and most famous cities both are wonderful examples of urban Australia. It has become something of an eternal travel question – which is best for me? But really the question should be why choose?

Flying Qantas into Melbourne doesn’t mean for a moment that your client is turning their back on the delights of Sydney. Far from it, Qantas domestic connections between the cities are frequent and quick or, for the ultimate combo, encourage them to explore the Melbourne to Sydney driving route.

There are two top choices. The Coastal Drive, largely following the stunning coastline which links the two metropolitan areas; or the Heritage Drive which allows them to discover insights into pioneer days and Australia’s gold rush history.

COASTAL COLOUR

 Experience it For clients who want to make the most of a trip Down Under, the Qantas Walkabout Pass can be booked at the same time as their international fare to secure some great savings on domestic travel. The pass divides the country into zones, and the cost depends on which zones they travel in. It covers over 20 destinations including international connections to New Zealand.

Choose the coastal route and the drive can combine pristine beaches and dramatic photo opportunities kicking off with hinterland excursions through the Mornington Peninsula to visit the

visitmelbourne.com

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vineyards, or to luxuriate in the pampering of the Peninsula Hot Springs – a natural mineral hot spring and day spa.

Hit the coast and a brief diversion is in order to check out the famous little penguins of Phillip Island, as well as giving time to spot koalas in the trees and seals at the ocean edge. For those who love to chalk up superlatives, this route offers up the most-southern point of Australia – the stunning natural surrounds of Wilsons Promontory (home to Australia's best glamping at the Wilderness Retreats); as well as Australia’s largest inland network of pristine waterways – the Gippsland Lakes; and Ninety Mile Beach – one of the world's longest sand beaches.

Gippsland has been a top holiday spot for more than 100 years and is great for all kinds of boating or lazing by the beach before chilled-out evenings in resort towns like Lakes Entrance, as well as the smaller, quieter towns of Mallacoota and Metung where there are stylish waterfront stays at The Moorings. The fresh seafood here will have your clients' mouths watering for more.

Wilsons Promontory, Gippsland

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Melbourne to Sydney Touring

Pelicans at Metung

Wilsons Promontory lookout

“Melbourne and Sydney are both world-class cities linked by a route packed with authentic Australian experiences and interest” INSIDER'S TIP: The Qantas Frequent Flyer programme offers points that can be used with hundreds of partners including Emirates, British Airways, hotels and car hire companies. The more your client flies the greater their travel privileges Qantas A380 Premium Economy

There are echoes from history too at Walhalla, once a busy gold-mining centre and today an historic Gippsland township where properties like the Star Hotel make a great base; or a stop in Croajingolong National Park, for coastal hiking, before the Sydney skyline comes into sight.

HISTORIC HITS By contrast, the Heritage Drive cuts through historic gold rush towns such as Bendigo, only one hour from Melbourne, once bigger than the state capital itself. A place still redolent with heritage buildings and old world charm, here your clients can take a 60-metre elevator trip beneath the town to the still-operating Central Deborah Gold Mine on a onehour tour that follows a 400-metre underground circuit. Then they should catch the Bendigo Heritage Tram from outside the mine for a guided tour of Bendigo’s major sights.

The Heritage Drive also famously takes in the mighty Murray River and an hour from Bendigo is Echuca-Moama – the paddle steamer capital of Australia. Visitors can relax in one of EchucaMoama's B&Bs or cruise the calm waters of the

river in a houseboat or aboard the Emmy Lou paddlesteamer. They can enjoy quality local produce and wine at first-class restaurants, and explore the nearby Barmah Wetlands.

The route continues downstream to one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, Rutherglen, with its award-winning wineries and top notch golf courses.

Stop at the Rutherglen Wine Experience & Visitor Information Centre to sample the region's famous fortifieds, tokays and muscats.

The drive leaves Victoria and the Murray River region at Albury Wodonga and can venture on to Sydney via Australia’s capital city Canberra.

Whether it’s the coastal drive or a cultural journey through Victoria’s heart, a Melbourne to Sydney journey offers a truly quintessential Australian experience. Fantastic itineraries and resources can be found at visitmelbourne.com.

SELL IT...

Small group tours: Good value Bunyip Tours follow these routes; Boat trips: On Gippsland Lakes or aboard the Murray's Emmy Lou paddlesteamer; Great escape breaks: At Wilsons Promontory Wilderness Retreat, Walhalla’s Star Hotel or The Moorings, Metung

visitmelbourne.com

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Useful resources TOURISM VICTORIA - Iconic Melbourne and compact Victoria are packed with authentic experiences.

Learn more at:  visitmelbourne.com  discovermelbournevictoria.com  visitmelbourneblog.com  facebook.com/visitmelbourne youtube.com/VisitMelbourne QANTAS - Flies its A380 daily London Heathrow Melbourne, via Dubai. Discover more at:  qantas.co.uk/agents; qantasagenttraining.co.uk

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