Melbourne: Help choosing day trip
 

Mu husband and I have 2 half days and two full days in Melbourne in February. We can take 2 day tours. (We do not have a car).Which is best:
Dadenongs, Grampians, Mornington Peninsula or Philip Island? The penguins are not so important as we will be going to Kangaroo Island, but we love beaches, and it will be summer. Mornington or Philip Island by public transport may be an option, just to find a beach. Is this possible? Grampians is a 12.5 hour tour with quite a bit of that on the bus, so I would hope that long bus ride would be worth it. Puffing Billy seems a bit too quaint for me. I am a very young and fit 55 year old, but I read the scenery is beautiful. Better then Grampians? On the other hand, I could just eat and drink my way around the city and shop for few days! Any help would be appreciated.

What kind of beach do you want? St Kilda is 15-20 mins from Melbourne city. The beach isnt that great but hey, its close and St Kilda is worth visiting, It has a great beachy atmosphere, slighly akin to The California beaches, although its a bay, like the gulf of Mexico. Other than that, Mornington Peninsular is nice, Dont forget the beach goes all the way from St Kilda to the peninsular and the same on the other side of the bay, no need to limit yourselves, there are lots of great beaches around. Im from Tasmania, but i lived in Melbourne for a few years. any other questions? let me know.

I would say that the Grampians is too far for an enjoyable day trip. How about 1 day in and around Melbourne and one day on the Mornington Peninsula - particularly if the tour goes to Sorrento & Point Nepean. However it really does depend on where the trip will take you. If you want a beach close to melbourne there's St. Kilda (as already suggested), Williamstown & Port Melbourne all really close to the CBD. I would not suggest trying to get to either the Mornington Peninsula or Phillip Island by public transport.
Other options for tours might be the Yarra Valley for wineries or Point Lonsdale.

The Dandenongs are a better proposition to visit in February than the Grampians. The area around the Grampians will be hot and dry. The Dandenongs are also about two hours tops from the downtown Melbourne. In the Dandenongs are large stands of mountain ash, well worth seeing, and the area is also home to lyrebirds, though they are very difficult to see and hear during a hot day. Your age is immaterial: Puffing Billy is a lot of fun! Any surf beach is quite some distance from Melbourne, and a bit tedious to get to by public transport. The Bay beaches are much easier, but don not, of course, have any surf. Finally, if you like eating and drinking, then Melbourne is your kind of town. Few cities I have visited have the range and quality of cuisines.

Here's what I was considering (using public transport), and would appreciate feedback on. First is is a 2-for-1 related to the moutain ash comments above. Train to Belgave, which is not only where puffing billy begins, but close to a 9km walking loop in Sherwood forest that Lonely Planet depicts as a paradise of ash and ferns. Afterwards you could optionally take the shortened route of puffing billy (the long route takes all day).

Next how about try to circumnavigate the bay! Train to Geelong. You can google up a nice bus company that goes onward to Queenscliff, synchronized with the ferry (but probably worthy of some stopping time). This takes you to Sorrento or Portsea across the mouth of the bay and with lots of beach and manmade attractions apparently. From there, you can google up bus lines to the Frankston train station, although at first glance this looks confusing to me and may have to do a U turn. But from Frankston you can train back to melbourne or maybe get off near St Kilda.

Also the Lonely Planet "walking in australia" book raves about another easy 10km loop Gellibrand Hill which is against the NE side of the airport. Says there is transport, but doesn't say how. Gosh, Melbourne seems harder than Sydney for the car-averse. Sydney's bay has a million long distance ferrys where Melbourne has nothing over a short hop. No long distance bus service either apparently in Melbourne; just some private shuttles extending from last train stations?

Oh, another idea; too crazy. Take overnight ferry to Devonport, Tasmania. Stand around all day wondering what do. Take return ferry (saving 2 hotel bills and adding another notch to your trophy list?). You can review escorted coach tours on internet, but they didn't look too much better to me...

I am a Melbournian and love my city but would never contemplate doing what you propose .We , as travellers , always underestimate how long it takes to do things and get to our destinations.What you propose does not allow you any time to just relax.Is this a leg of the 'Amazing Race ' or something equally frenzied ? Once you arrive at Portsea there is a lovely bayside beach and a hotel .Queenscliff is also lovely and historic .Driving to either from Melbourne is a minimum 1.45 hours in a car .Double that time on public transport . Hire a car , get a map and drive.Melbourne is a very easy city to navigate .Walking in Sherbrooke Forest is lovely but another option is a trip to Marysville driving through the Black Spur .Really spectacular and lovely guest houses to stay the night .About 1.5 hours drive from the city

Thank you all so much for your time and suggestions!

We've just had a great trip to Melbourne. Best day trips were Puffing Billy to Lakeside & return, you could then do an afternoon on the walking loop which Viking describes.
Also went to Ballarat - Sovereign Hill. OUr second visit there, I think it's outstanding. Very easily accesible by train.
Also the Ballarat wildlife park was very enjoyable.
We're from NZ.

I'm not sure with the time you'll have in Melbourne, you'd ever really need to leave the city in order to find plenty to do.

But, in the interest of easy day trips, not so far out, the Dandenongs are very nice as mentioned. Also consider the area around Warrandyte, just on the fringes of suburbia, but not suburban. Hilly, along the river with shops, it was originally a mining area. Lunch at the nursery (plants, not children) is very nice.

Also a trip out to Healesville Sanctuary, with some winery stops along the way, might be another way to go.

February can be so hot - I would go to the Dandenongs; Healsville Sanctuary; Badger Creek; Marysville. If you must go to the beach St Kilda is Ok. For spectacular beach scenery take all your 2 days to the Great Ocean Road or Wilsons Prom.