As the world’s largest island, Australia’s sheer vastness can intimidate some travellers. The UK alone fits into Australia more than 31 times. But rather than trying to cram the rock, reef and rainforest into one hurried trip, the recurring message from Tourism Australia is to break the country down into bite-sized chunks. And Brett Ince, digital marketing representative for the Great Southern Touring Route, argued that Victoria – Australia’s smallest mainland state – is one of the country’s most manageable to visit.

Within just three to six days visitors can see and experience some of Victoria’s best sights, Ince said. While talking to TTG at Australian Tourism Exchange 2016 – held in Australia’s Gold Coast – he said visitors could take in a variety of landscapes and attractions while road tripping, from the iconic Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road to the well-established surf culture that begins south of Torquay and the gold rush heritage that pervades the city of Ballarat.    

“We work with the trade on flexible, experience-based – as well as destination-based – itineraries,” he explained. “The whole idea of it is going in and out of Melbourne and taking in four different subregions.”

Ince highlighted the organisation’s continued eagerness to work with the trade. “It’s not a direct-to- consumer product,” he said. “We market it through wholesalers and we do a lot of product training in cooperation with the Aussie Specialist Program.”

Though the product has been in the market for some 25 years, new attractions and accommodation options have helped to sustain excitement. The new three-day, 22-mile Grampians Peaks Trail has just opened through the region’s eponymous national park, with the remaining 67 miles of trail set to open in stages over the next couple of years. And within the park an innovative new hikers camp has also recently opened.

“Bugiga was designed by a very well-known Australian architect,” said Alysia Brandenburg, manager for tourism at Parks Victoria. “It’s unheard of in park management [to be so design-led],” she added. “Normally we just clear space and drop in a dunny.”

Also revamped is the Great Ocean Walk, which features a new trailhead and viewing platform; a fitting way to celebrate the route’s 10th birthday.