From food and wine to music, cinema and art to sailing, there’s a festival for everyone across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Here are the best food, music, art, film, wine and entertainment festivals on this summer.
Victoria
The best roads for motorbike tours in Victoria
Hit the road on two wheels and explore any one of these picturesque and magnificent motorcycle routes.
Riding a motorbike is more than a two-wheeled Sunday drive. It means going on an adventure where you’re part of the landscape you’re cruising through, feeling the wind rush past you, and experiencing the world to its fullest.
Here in Victoria, we’re fortunate to have several roads ideal for a grand two-wheeled tour. These routes showcase the beauty and diversity of the state, from rugged mountain ranges to lush, towering forests.
The best roads to ride a motorbike on in Victoria
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is world-renowned for good reason. This 240-km stretch of road twists through cool-climate rainforest and along sheer cliff faces that directly overlook the Bass Strait and the Great Australian Bight.
As the Antipodean answer to California’s Big Sur, the Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s top tourist drives, and a popular choice among motorcyclists (and cyclists alike).
Connecting Torquay and Allansford, there are plenty of attractions (the biggest being the Twelve Apostles) as well townships providing dining and accommodation options.
Stay alert while enjoying your ride as there are multiple blind corners and rockfalls can occur due to the rugged coastline. Koalas have also been known to stop traffic from time to time when they decide to cross the road.
Great Alpine Road
If you prefer the mountains to the sea, Victoria’s Great Alpine Road is another popular ride for motorcyclists.
The Great Alpine Road stretches from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale, crossing through the Victorian Alps and towns like Bright, Myrtleford and Omeo. At more than 300km, it’s longer than the Great Ocean Road and features some spectacular vistas and alpine views.
You could conquer the road in a day, but if you have the time, it’s well worth extending your trip and exploring the Alpine National Park, wineries around Bright, or the Gippsland lakes at the eastern end of the journey.
As the name suggests, this road can get snow in the winter and all vehicles travelling between Harrietville and Omeo during the snow season must use diamond-pattern tyre chains. It’s also Australia’s highest sealed, year-round accessible road.
These painted silos in Sea Lake form part of Victoria's Silo Art Trail. Image: Visit Victoria.
Silo Art Trail
Did you know that Victoria is home to Australia’s largest outdoor art gallery? The Silo Art Trail stretches over 200km and features agricultural and industrial silos that have been turned into monumental artworks by some of the country’s leading street artists like Rone, Adnate and Kitt Bennett.
The entire trail is perfect for a road trip, especially one conducted via motorbike. If travelling north from Melbourne, the first stop is generally Rupanyup, and the last stop Patchewollock. It’s up to you whether you want to see all the silos in the region, or take the most direct route and skip a few artworks.
Give yourself a few days to enjoy the route as well as the country hospitality in the small towns. Sea Lake is worth a detour to see Lake Tyrrell (it’s a huge salt lake that sometimes turns pink).
The Black Spur
The Black Spur is one of the most picturesque motorbike rides close to Melbourne. Located on the eastern outskirts of the city, the Black Spur is a drive featuring smooth bends weaving between ferns and towering mountain ash trees (the tallest flowering plant in the world).
Despite being only 70km from the Melbourne CBD, the Black Spur can feel like a world away and is a great short ride for motorcyclists at just under 30km. That leaves more time for enjoying nearby attractions in nearby Healesville or extending your ride through to Yarra Ranges National Park.
The conditions can get a little hairy, with the road commonly damp and occasionally presenting obstacles like fallen branches. Dress warm, waterproof, and safely.
The view from Grampians Road, with Mount Abrupt in the background. Image: Visit Victoria.
The Grampians
Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park is one of Victoria’s most beautiful landscapes. It’s also expansive and filled with plenty of bends to test your motorcycle skills.
If want the main route, head straight up from Dunkeld to Halls Gap. This journey is fairly straight and cruisy, but it takes you past the dramatic Mount Abrupt (Mud-Dadjug) as well as Lake Bellfield.
For a more challenging ride, try taking Mt Victory Road from Halls Gap through to Wartook. You can loop back via Beehive Falls and Mt Zero Road, but been warned most of Mt Zero Road (as well as parts of Roses Gap Road) is unsealed.
