Pitch Perfect

Spring is the perfect time of year to hit the road with your tent and camping gear to explore the coast, mountains and every place in between.

Mind the Gap

At Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park, you don’t even need to bring your own tent. It has a number of glamping options that mean you can enjoy the great outdoors and all the comforts of home. The safari tents even have decks complete with barbecues. Plenty of wildlife, from kangaroos to emus, inhabit the park, but it’s also a great base for the many hikes in the Grampians National Park. +hallsgaplakeside.com +parks.vic.gov.au

Warrnambool Robert Blackburn

Beach Days

Set yourself up for a beach adventure at Warrnambool’s Surfside Holiday Park, about an hour from the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road. Campers have access to a camp kitchen, barbecues and a laundry, plus it’s just a short walk to the beach. If you’re visiting in September, you might see some of the final migrating southern right whales at Logans Beach. More marine adventure can be found at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village, where you’ll discover why they call this the Shipwreck Coast. +surfsidepark.com.au +flagstaffhill.com

Go For Goldfields

Big 4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park is in a great spot and has both powered and unpowered sites, as well as set-up safari and bell tents you can book. Situated right on Barkers Creek, it overlooks Castlemaine Botanical Gardens and is just a couple of hundred metres from The Mill. This converted woollen mill in the goldfields town is now a hot spot for foodies and vintage lovers. +big4.com.au +millcastlemaine.com.au

Hit the Heads

Recharge by the sea at Barwon Heads Caravan Park on the Bellarine Peninsula waterfront. Take a stroll over the bridge (older readers may remember it from the ABC television series Seachange), which leads to the town of Ocean Grove. For those who fancy a few holes, the Barwon Heads Golf Club is nearby, and the park is adjacent to At the Heads, an excellent seafood restaurant on the jetty. +barwonheadscaravanpark.com.au +barwonheads.golf +attheheads.com.au

Glamping at Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park Julian Kingma

The Mill, Das Kaffeehaus, Castlemaine Michelle Jarni

Barwon Heads Andrew Paoli

Healesville Sanctuary

Explore a bushland haven for Australian wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary, just one hour from Melbourne and part of the Yarra Valley. See endangered Australian animals - from Platypus, Mountain Pygmy Possums, Tasmanian Devils to all our iconic koalas, dingoes, wombats and more. Pop in to the Australian Wildlife Health Centre and see how our vets treat injured wildlife. Don’t miss the daily Spirits of the Sky bird show, the Wurundjeri Walk which celebrates the life of Elder William Barak and the many nature play zones for the kids. Open: Daily, 9am to 5pm Glen Eadie Avenue, Healesville t 1300 966 784 w zoo.org.au/healesville

Arthurs Seat Eagle

Get ready to soar. Board a state-ofthe-art gondola and fl y over the state forest to the highest point of the beautiful Mornington Peninsula. Located just over an hour from Melbourne, The Eagle off ers breathtaking views across Port Phillip Bay to the Melbourne city skyline from the safety and comfort of a contemporary cabin. At the summit you can enjoy a casual dining experience at The Eagle Café, with its amazing views and an expansive outdoor deck. You’ll also fi nd locally inspired giftwares and fun souvenirs to remember your visit. Open: Daily, from 10am 1085 Arthurs Seat Road, Dromana t 03 5987 0600 e info@aseagle.com.au w aseagle.com.au

Ballarat Wildlife Park

There’s around 100 free-roaming kangaroos waiting to be hand-fed as well as other Australian animals to be seen up close, including koalas, wombats, little penguins, dingoes and Tasmanian devils. An impressive reptile house is home to Crunch the fi ve-metrelong super croc as well as snakes, frogs and lizards. Around the park visitors will also see Sumatran tigers and much more. Open: Daily, 9am to 5pm (except Christmas Day) 250 Fussell Street, Ballarat t 03 5333 5933 w wildlifepark.com.au Find us on:

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