After lockdown, we residents of Melbourne, Australia are all desperately seeking a place to go on a holiday. Which could be very challenging: everyone wants to do the same thing. I am expecting that the places you first think of will all be booked out by now. Over the last few years I have spent a lot of time travelling around Victoria. So I have tried to think of which towns I would recommend for a holiday. Places that might be a bit off the beaten track, that might not be the first place that comes to mind.
Why a small town? I am very much a big city person. To me, the small towns have an atmosphere that is quite different to my normal life. Isn't that what we want on a holiday? Somewhere different? There are not quite as many facilities as the bigger towns, but to me that adds to it.
My preferred way of travelling is to camp with a tent that I carry on my trusty bicycle. So I prefer towns that have a campground or caravan park that caters for campers. These days some places only cater for motor homes and caravans, and some caravan parks do not have any grass where you could put up your tent - they only have concrete parking bays for caravans. If you have a small caravan, then the places I recommend should be fine. If you want a proper parking place for your large caravan or van then you might need to look elsewhere.
At times, I have camped in free camping spots. They are easy to find online. But they have some problems. Some people that camp in the free camps bring along a generator and run it quite a lot. My usual pattern is to go to sleep early, sometimes just after the sun goes down. So having a generator going is pretty problematic if you are trying to sleep. The other big problems with free camps is security: if you leave the site even for a short time then there is a chance you come back and all of your camping gear is gone. Yes, it happens.
Places change, and unfortunately some campgrounds have closed. I have tried to validate the information here, but you can imagine when you travel by bicycle it may be some time since I have visited these places. But these are all places I have visited in the last five years.
Mortlake
You might have a plan to go for a holiday right on the beach. So do many others. Mortlake is a small quiet town just outside Warrnambool. There is a caravan park and some local shops. Also some backroads to ride a bicycle down. If you want to spend a day at the beach you might be able to travel from here for the day. It's only a short drive.
Sea Lake
Once you get away from the beach, the next big drawcard is the river. So towns on the Murray river are very popular for campers. Sea Lake is outside that orbit, and has very quiet country roads suitable for bicycles. The caravan park here was very reasonably priced.
Barham
Just across the border in NSW, this town might be booked out. But the caravan park on the river is just wonderful, so it is worth a try. You can fish in the river if you like, and I have seen people swimming here.
Barmah
This is also on the river Murray. There is a general store here close to the caravan park.
Kyabram
This is a slightly bigger town, with one of my favourite caravan parks. It is very neat, and when I was there everything was new. Just brilliant.
Foster
Right on the rail trail, Foster is ideal for cyclists. You can ride in both directions for very long day rides. The trail has recently been extended. It is a distance from the beach, but you could do a day trip to Wilsons Promontory.
Stratford
Right on another rail trail, Stratford is another small town that I have visited many times. I was here in November 2020 and it is all good. The Gippsland Plains Rail Trail goes west from here, and is quite suitable for any age of rider.
Sale
I visited here also recently. The caravan park and lake are wonderful. You can do a day trip to the beach not far away in Seaspray or the ninety mile beach.
Seaspray
If you are determined to stay right on the beach then you might try this location. I have not been there for some time, but the caravan park was very big. It is a bit exposed to the wind, and there are only a few shops. Again, do not just turn up: you will need to book. The back roads here are okay for bike riding in non peak times but I would not recommend at the height of summer.
French Island
You cannot really car camp on French Island. But if you are prepared to carry all your stuff across as you go on the ferry, then this is for you. In some ways it is the most remote of all the spots in this list. There is a free camping ground about 7km north from the jetty on a very rough road. I have ridden the loaded bicycle along this road some time ago. Perhaps now you need to book the free site with the national parks. But if you are a hiking/camping person then this might be for you. The March flies and mosquitos have to be seen to be believed so plan accordingly. I tend to retreat to the tent when they attack. There is only one small store near the jetty landing on French Island and it is open only at limited times.
So that is it. There are lots of wonderful small towns in Victoria and I hope this list gives you some ideas. Have a great holiday.
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