Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

From pink salt landscapes to oases fringed by forests of red gums, the lakes of this rural region are astounding. 

We round up the luxe, the lovely and the latest places to stay in regional Victoria.

Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow. 

A town charmingly paused in time has become a hot mountain biking destination.