Dolce Vita - a life of pleasure and luxury

We aren't strangers to Victoria , well at least to Melbourne and the State's coastline. Most times we have visited, it has usually been cold and wet, even in Summer. This time around however we were treated to almost continually dry and warm weather, which is maybe why the Commonwealth Games were held in March too!

We first travelled through VIC in mid January, en route to Tassie. The Alpine Way, which extends from New South Wales , was very dry and hot, there were severe bushfires elsewhere in the State yet we had a lot of fun cooling off in the rivers and even stupidly played golf in 38C!

Catching up with friends, we don't see often enough, in Melbourne , was a lot of fun and with the sun shining it was hard not to begin to really like Sydney 's rival. The public transport system is fantastic; the City laneways, full of cafes and restaurants were too tempting; and the suburbs all have a unique character, offering everything a City does but in a much smaller radius. However proximity to ocean beaches and a knowledge of how cold and wet it can get, is a reason we never chose to move there!

Then there is Victoria 's rugged coastline. We first travelled west to the Great Ocean Road , which never fails to impress (even if the surf doesn't – yet again!) and then from here we headed east, to the Mornington Peninsula, Australia's home of golf, where we played on a few Bling courses. Then we continued onto Philip Island, with signs constantly reminding us that camping / overnight stays were prohibited – how unfriendly - however we conveniently ignored them.

Finally we journeyed through Gippsland, which runs almost from the south east of Melbourne to the New South Wales Border. Apart from farming, this stretch of coast is also where most of the State's fish restaurants acquire their supplies and Lindsay's angling persistence deserves a medal! We have journeyed along this coastline a couple of times before – always in a hurry - so it was great to take our time. Inverloch (nr Wilsons Promontory), a small seaside town, has to be a favourite, where kite surfers and windsurfers share the waves. Mallacoota, surrounded by Croajingalong National Park , near the border was also a very beautiful and chilled out place too.

PHOTO SLIDESHOWS