Lose yourself in fashion and fun

Find fashion
From the days of the 19th century when Flinders Lane was the centre of the Australian rag trade, Melbourne has been synonymous with fashion and style. If you’d like a guide to this mysterious world, Hidden Secrets Tours offers walks through Melbourne’s most creative precincts with tours exploring laneways and arcades, the Fashion Triangle, the inner city’s art, architecture and shopping.

A short drive from Melbourne is Geelong, where bayside fun is to be found on the city’s waterfront Bollard Walk. More than 100 two-metre tall bollards were designed and painted by artist Jan Mitchell to create an anecdotal history of Geelong. From here, head to Ballarat, a town that oozes history of the gold era. There’s no better place to get a feel for these heady times than Sovereign Hill, a brilliant evocation of life on the goldfields in the 19th century.

Next stop is Hanging Rock in the Macedon Ranges. Enjoy your very own picnic in the shadow of the mysterious outcrop or enjoy one of the Rock’s three annual race meetings: on New Year’s Day, Australia Day and the Labour Day long weekend in March. Getting lost is part of the fun at the Avenel Maze in the Strathbogie Ranges. With more than 1,350 cypress trees, planted to a design by world-renowned maze-master Adrian Fisher, you can lose yourself in a puzzling place inspired by Ned Kelly’s exploits.

Get on track
If you’re looking for something to get the adrenalin pumping, head out to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, home of the Australian round of the world’s MotoGP championship and a host venue for V8 Supercars.

Shopping is fun throughout Melbourne & Surrounds and on the Mornington Peninsula, the Tyabb Packing House Antique Centre features one of Australia’s largest collections of antiques and collectables. The main building was once an apple-packing warehouse, but now is home to tens of thousands of items of every imaginable type, ranging from Victorian Linen, fabulous jewellery, a huge range of books and charming crystal and china.

Winding down
Sometimes you just need to relax and the Yarra Valley Grape Grazing Festival, which brings together food, music and the region’s great wine on a February weekend of festivities, is the perfect place to do so. More than 20 wineries typically take part in this taste-tempting event, but of course you can visit the Yarra Valley’s vineyards, taste the wine and buy at their cellar doors all year round.