Six of the best coworking spaces in Victoria

119 to 125 Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento

Open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (extended hours 8am to 7pm). Closed December 25, 26, 27 and January 1.

The Mornington Peninsula is known as Melbourne’s playground, but sometimes it’s necessary to work, not play. The SorrentoHUB co-working space offers eight private desks, including three stand-up desks, highspeed NBN, a colour printer and lockable storage. There’s a casual half-day pass, valid for four hours, for $25, or $40 for a full day. If you need more time you can get 10 full days for $380, valid for six months. There’s also an events space for hire, but perhaps the best part is when you need a break from work you can hit the nearby beaches for a swim or surf.

51 Lydiard Street, Ballarat

Hours: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Closed from 3pm, 24 December to 2 January.

If it’s data-mining and not gold mining you need, Platypus is the place to head to in Ballarat. The centre includes private offices, co-working spaces, virtual offices and meeting rooms. A day-pass costs just $30, or hire a conference room for $25 an hour. If you’re in for a long stay, a one-month pass to the coworking space is $350. Other packages include a 10-day coworking pass valid for three months at $275. There are kitchen facilities on site.

17 Baines Crescent, Torquay

Open 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

The Workers Hut offers a $44 day pass, which includes a flexible desk, high-speed NBN, as well as access to the common areas, kitchen and casual meeting spaces. If you need more, a Day Pass Bulk Pack offers 15 day passes for $550. If you need to join an urgent video conference the centre also has four acoustic booths for web calls. There’s parking nearby and a handy bike rack too. If you want to have a break and clear your head there are cafes, a fitness centre and even a micro-brewery nearby.

249 Anstruther Street, Echuca

Open 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Closed between 20 December to 5 January.

If you’re planning a holiday on the banks of the mighty Murray River, there’s a convenient co-working centre in Echuca. You can reserve a casual desk with wifi included at Smart Space from $39 for eight hours. If you’re going to be a regular user, six-month contracts are also offered with either a flexi-desk or your own dedicated desk with a monitor. Private meeting rooms are also available for hire.

4 Ireland Street, Bright.

Open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

If you’re heading for the hills and need to check in with the office there’s a co-working space in the township of Bright, at the foot of the mountains, in the high country of north-east Victoria. The facility boasts NBN as well as spectacular views. A day pass will cost $30, or you can buy a 20-hour pack which is valid for two months. And if you want to take Fido with you, dogs are welcome for a $10 fee, but bookings are essential as there’s a strict one-dog-a-day policy. When your work’s done you can enjoy endless mountain bike trails or cool off in the crystal-clear waters of the river.

501 Bourke St, Melbourne

Open 24 hours (you just need to swipe your Club Membership Card).

If you’re not from Melbourne but are heading to town for the holidays, head to RACV’s new light-filled shared office in the heart of the CBD. The two-story centre offers a variety of working spaces, including quiet phone booths, hot desks, bookable meeting rooms and common areas, as well as a café dishing up healthy food options and, most importantly, freshly brewed coffee. The new co-work hub also has free WiFi, a communal kitchen and on-site support services. Club Members can access the shared office for free until the end of February 2020 as part of the new trial period.