Melbourne and surrounds

Yacht Race - Port Phillip Bay - Photo courtesy of Tourism VIC

Melbourne, the state capital, stands at the crown of this region, with the Bellarine and Mornington peninsulas enclosing Port Phillip Bay.

Synonymous with fun and relaxation, Melbourne's Bays and Peninsulas feature beguiling beaches, fine food and wine, chic beachfront towns and a variety of family attractions.

Stylish Sorrento and Portsea, on the Mornington Peninsula, are filled with antique shops, galleries, cafes and numerous walking trails along the ocean-facing coastline. Heading inland, you'll find a number of boutique wineries, where many vineyard restaurants create gourmet dishes to match their individual wines. On the Bellarine Peninsula, the historic town of Queenscliff brims with Victoria-era buildings, fishermens' cottages, and fascinating galleries and shops.

Both Bellarine and Mornington peninsulas offer an assortment of water-based activities. In particular, surfing, sailing, swimming and fishing are widely enjoyed, as is swimming with resident populations of dolphins and seals. The region is also noted for its markets, artist workshops, mazes, year-round events, championship golf courses and fresh produce - you can pick your own strawberries, cherries and other seasonal fruits or buy a range of fruits directly from the farm gate.

Check out some Melbourne Hotels

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Photos

Polo Match - Werribee Park - Photo courtesy of Tourism VIC
Flinders Street - Photo courtesy of Tourism VIC
Chateau Fax Winery - Photo courtesy of Tourism VIC

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Olympus XZ-1 in PT-050 underwater housingOlympus XZ-1 in PT-050 underwater housing
Designed for those who want the quality of an SLR in a high-end point-and-shoot format. With the especially for the XZ-1 designed Olympus PT-050 Underwater Housing
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Articles

The BendsThe Bends
Ask any scuba diver what is the one thing they fear most when diving and they will tell you it is the bends. However, if you get a group of divers together they will no doubt joke that '... we will probably all end up bent sooner or later!'. I myself often joked to friends and family that 'I'll probably just end up bent ...' and like most divers I used to think that it would never happen to me ... but it did. I got bent.
Dad is it possible to dive in brown corduroys?Dad is it possible to dive in brown corduroys?
... Well this was to be an exciting one Son Fletcher had recently attained his PADI Advanced Open Water and Enriched Air Specialty qualifications, so this was to be a deep(ish) dive on Nitrox. Conditions were surgy but not too unpleasant on the dive boat ...
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