Suggestions for Melbourne in February

[Mark Fisher]

It is looking like I'll need to go to Melbourne for business in late Feb. I don't have time to do much vacationing, but I will try to squeeze in 2-3 days if I can. Any suggestions on where to go?

Thanks -- Mark

[Wyno]

If you get a chance, you should go down the west coast through Geelong, to the Otways and the Great Ocean Road. Spectacular scenery and if you enjoy swimming, that's good too. My former stomping grounds.
Mike

[SMBooth]

What do you like shooting Mark.

[raoul]

Based on your gallery pictures, stay in the city and also the hipster suburbs like Fitzroy. Will second the Otways, but maybe not the Great Ocean Road unless you really like landscape shots with lots of water.

[Mark Fisher]

I shoot a pretty big variety. If there is some amazing rocky beaches or some perhaps some old, abandoned town/resort/mine/?????, that would be great. I'm always up for city shooting too. I'd just like to shoot images that I can't find locally. I just don't want to come back to the States and have some one say "You went to Melbourne and you didn't photograph XXXXX?"

[Poisson Du Jour]

You'd have to go off the beaten track a bit to satisfy your criteria for abandoned towns, resorts and mines. I don't think you've have the time, much less the 4WD to savour the experience of just getting there!

Plenty of rocky beaches, coves and small creek mouths along the Great Ocean Road, not as busy in February as December and January, but requires care for international drivers who are easily distracted by the wild views. For a big-sky, out-there, in-your-face ocean beach, have a look at Johanna Beach, about 160km west of Geelong: Rotten Point, a 3km slog over soft sand to a bale-blasted rocky headland, has dinosaur footprints (more too at Castle Cove over the other side). Cumberland River, south of the very busy seaside town of Lorne, will give you some insight into rocky coastline and is a comfy base for an overnight stay (e.g. cabin), as will Shelly Beach, inland above Apollo Bay in the Great Otway National Park (which we call the "Otways").

Whichever beach(s) you go to, protect camera(s) from salt spray, but especially Johanna.

• Great Otway National Park, Victoria

PS: Call in here at my place on the route to the Great Ocean Road so I could give you a map with places worth visiting marked on it.

[Mark Fisher]

You'd have to go off the beaten track a bit to satisfy your criteria for abandoned towns, resorts and mines. I don't think you've have the time, much less the 4WD to savour the experience of just getting there!

Plenty of rocky beaches, coves and small creek mouths along the Great Ocean Road, not as busy in February as December and January, but requires care for international drivers who are easily distracted by the wild views

Oh, yes, Australia, you folks don't drive on the right side of the road (you can take that however you wish (: ). The area does sound really nice though! Kind of like the California coast with more rain.

[Poisson Du Jour]

Rain!? Yeah, well Mark, if it rains cats and dogs on the Great Ocean Road, you'll be way too busy maintaining a straight course (left side of the road but in heavy rain you won't know which side you're on!) without flying off the ledge to be bothered about the rocky coastline down below. Reckon on getting 3 seasons in a day if you do it in February!

[wotalegend]

Oh, yes, Australia, you folks don't drive on the right side of the road (you can take that however you wish (: ). The area does sound really nice though! Kind of like the California coast with more rain.

No Mark, we drive on the correct side of the road ;-) Having driven from SF to LA down the coast, I would say that the Great Ocean Road is very similar, but with more trees which probably means more rain.

Cheers, Peter.

[Mark Fisher]

Sounds nice all around. Thanks for the help