Victoria

Victoria is home to the Cultural capital of Australia, Melbourne. Sport, entertainment, fashion and food are all popular reasons to visit this cosmopolitan city. It is also home to major sporting events including the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, The Melbourne Cup and the Spring Horse Racing Carnival, The Australian Open tennis grand slam and Australian Rules Football. Even if you're not the sporty type, these events all offer an experience that is both festive and uniquely Australian so it's well worth making the effort to be in town during one of these fantastic events.

Rest assured, there's still plenty to do every other day of the year and the city is a great place to base yourself while you explore the rest of Victoria. Phillip Island's Penguin Parade is a real treat, as is the spectacular drive along the rugged coastline of the Great Ocean Road. Surfers across the globe dream of the waves at Torquay and Bells beach, but if you're not the surfing type, you can always watch the locals surf up a storm. Then there's the fine wine of the Yarra Valley, the chance to prospect for gold at historic Ballarat, the picturesque High country and snow fields, and the abundant wildlife and natural landscapes of The Grampians.

Which trains go there?

Train	Distance(kms)	Duration	Frequency	Stops at	How to get there
The Overland	828	Daylight Service in both directions	Daily departures of both daylight and overnight services	Melbourne, Sydney
The XPT	1012	Daylight Service in both directions and Overnight service in both directions	18 services per week (Twice in each direction on Monday and Friday)	Perth, Merredin, Kalgoorlie