Ararat to Melbourne road trip: Best stops, distance & driving time
Ararat to Melbourne road trip: Ballarat to Werribee Gorge
On the way out of Ballarat towards Melbourne, you might want to visit perennially popular Ballarat Wildlife Park, for which tickets can be booked online in advance.
Other options include Gold Rush Indoor and Outdoor Mini Golf and Kryal Castle in Leigh Creek. This quirky old-fashioned amusement park has a knights and dragons theme, and is better for younger children than older ones. You can save time queueing by buying tickets online.
The Freeway then passes north of Ballan. The best hang-outs in the town itself are Caledonian Park and the Ballan Outdoor Pool next to the Werribee River.
The drive then goes past the scenic Pykes Creek Reservoir. Those travelling with kids may be interested in Pykes Creek Playground at the south-eastern end.
A little further along, Werribee Gorge State Park is right next to the freeway, and hosts a lovely handful of walking trails and lookouts.
The 3km Ironbark Gorge Walk to Falcons Lookout and the 5km Short Circuit Walk are good alternatives for those who don’t want to tackle to the full 10km Werribee Gorge Circuit Walk.
Ararat to Melbourne road trip: Bacchus Marsh to Melbourne
Near Bacchus Marsh, you can make a short diversion to the north for the walking trails of Lerderderg State Park. The Grahams Dam section is closest. There’s also the Melton Botanic Garden in Melton before you enter suburban Melbourne.
Top attractions to add to your list in Melbourne include the Immigration Museum, Brighton Beach, the Australian Sports Museum and the Albert Park Driving Range.
👇 7 great day trips while you’re in Melbourne 👇
- Great Ocean Road tour – with koalas 🐨.
- Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island tour – with penguins 🐧.
- Yarra Valley wine tour – with gin, cider and cheese 🍷.
- Grampians National Park tour – with bushwalks and LOADS of kangaroos 🦘.
- Mornington Peninsula tour – with hot springs bathing 🛀.
- Wilsons Promontory tour – with all manner of native wildlife 🦘🐨.
- Dandenong Ranges steam train ride – plus wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary and chocolate-tasting in the Yarra Valley.
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Also worth doing are street art tours led by local artists, hot air balloon flights over the city and sunset kayaking tours.
Melbourne hotels with a pool include the Intercontinental Rialto, Adelphi Hotel and Novotel Melbourne on Collins.
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Visit Maits Rest and Melba Gully on an Apollo Bay to Port Campbell road trip.