Just a one-hour drive to the east of Melbourne, the flowing hills of the Yarra Valley produce some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines. This is also the oldest winegrowing region in the state of Victoria. Vines were first planted here in 1838, at Yering Station, and viticulture spread rapidly through the 1860s and 1870s before production stalled. In the wine boom of the 1960s Australians rediscovered the pleasures of wine, and the Yarra Valley’s viticultural industry revealed its true promise as one of Australia’s foremost wine producing regions.

Today, the Yarra Valley has about 3,5600 hectares of vineyards and due to its diversity of terroir, the region grows a variety of grapes and produces a range of classic wine styles. The most widely planted white grape variety is Chardonnay, from which a variety of styles is produced. Chardonnay is often made using traditional Burgundy winemaking techniques, and blended with Pinot Noir to form the base for sparkling wines. The Yarra Valley’s premium wine is Pinot Noir, and the region has a well-established reputation for producing Australia’s finest examples of this style, despite ever-increasing competition from other cool-climate regions. Other varieties grown in the valley include Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Riesling, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Marsanne, Rousanne and Verduzzo. About 40 of the valley’s wineries are open for cellar door tastings and sales, and guided wine tours are a regional specialty.

While a wine-tasting tour of the Yarra is one of life’s sublime pleasures, the valley is also becoming known for its ever-expanding array of gourmet food. The region is home to a number of passionate, small food producers such as the Yarra Valley Dairy, the source of goats’ milk cheeses and Persian fetta, yet the region also produces apples, pears, stone fruit, berries, chestnuts, figs, quail, honey, venison, chocolate, rare breed pork, turkeys, trout and salmon. Housed inside the rustic Produce Store at Yering Station is a wide range of goods from Yarra Valley Regional Food Group members.

On the fringes of the Yarra Valley, Healesville Sanctuary has been introducing visitors to the wonders of Australia’s wildlife ever since it opened in 1934. Showcasing more than 200 species of Australian birds, mammals and reptiles, the sanctuary is an ideal place to view native animals in their natural habitat. Winding paths lead through large habitat areas where wildlife – including emus, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils and many colourful species of native birds - can be seen at close quarters. Since many Australian species are elusive, nocturnal or live in remote and harsh environments, this is a ideal place to see some of the extraordinary species that few Australians will ever see in the wild.