> BELLS BEACH Every Easter the best of the world’s surfers gather at Bells Beach for the Rip Curl Pro, the longest running professional surfing event in the world. A natural amphitheatre, Bells Beach is the perfect place to watch the champs ride what are regarded as some of the best waves in the world.

> CAPE OTWAY LIGHTSTATION Climb to the top of mainland Australia’s oldest and most southerly lighthouse for views of the rugged coastline 90 metres below. Experience the isolation of early lightkeepers. Visit the old Telegraph Station that once linked Victoria to Tasmania, and the radar station built to protect allied shipping during WWII. The first American ship lost in that conflict sank just off the Victorian coast, pre-dating even Pearl Harbour.

> GEELONG BOTANIC GARDENS A wonderful feature of the vast parklands overlooking Corio Bay, the Botanic Gardens have undergone a stunning refurbishment. In addition to the ancient trees gathered from around the world since the mid-19th Century, there is now a 21st Century Garden featuring ethereal sculptures and Australian native plants.

> GEELONG GALLERY One of Australia’s finest regional galleries, it features some famous examples of early Australian painters, plus a wide-ranging contemporary collection. Entry is free.

> GREAT OCEAN ROAD Regarded by travel experts as one of the top journeys of a lifetime. The road clings to the coast for much of its journey, as well as climbing through the beautiful Great Otway National Park. It includes historic villages, seaside resorts, beaches, rich farmlands and the famous Twelve Apostles. A new feature is the memorial at Eastern View to the 3,000 soldiers who built the road.

> GREAT OCEAN WALK While the road leaves the coast temporarily at Apollo Bay, this wonderful new track sticks to the coast. The walk stretches 91 kms to Glenample Homestead near to the Twelve Apostles. It has been designed so that walkers can ‘step on and step off’ the trail at a number of places, completing short, day or overnight hikes. Guided tours allow walkers to complete a section of the track, then stay in luxury accommodation overnight. Long distance walkers can also use the seven especially constructed, ecofriendly campsites on the walk. These need to be booked through Victoria’s National Park Service.

> GREAT OTWAY NATIONAL PARK A newly created national park covering a huge tract of the Great Ocean Road region between Anglesea and Cape Otway. It has many wild features including isolated sections of coastline, deep gullies full of ferns, some of the tallest trees in Australia including the messmate and the mountain ash, waterfalls and a wide range of native animals. At Maits Rest, a raised boardwalk takes visitors into the heart of the forest.

> NARANA CREATIONS On the Surf Coast Highway between Geelong and Torquay, Narana Creations invites visitors to participate in Aboriginal cultural activities, including learning to play a didgeridoo, eating bush tucker and learning about the medicinal properties of native plants.

> NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM Working machinery and comprehensive galleries showcase the history of Australia’s wool industry in Geelong’s historic 1872 bluestone wool store. The museum also has a visitor information centre.

> OTWAY FLY TREE TOP WALK & CAFÉ Walk across the tree tops of the Great Otway NP. Take an amazing journey 25 metres above the forest floor.

> QUEENSCLIFF FERRY Peninsula Searoad’s car and passenger ferry runs hourly services, seven days a week, between Queenscliff and Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. Dolphins can often be spotted surfing the wake.

> SURFWORLD MUSEUM, TORQUAY Captures the spirit of surfing in words, pictures and displays. Check out the display of surfboards over the years, from the massive longboards to the highly crafted modern short boards favoured by the world’s best surfers.

> WATERFALLS Spectacular cascades fill the lush rainforests of the Great Otway National Park. Visitor information centres can provide the best information on which ones to see.

> WATERFRONT GEELONG Restaurants, cafés, giant colourful wooden bollards, an antique carousel, wide palm tree-lined paths, art-deco swimming pools.