MY FAVOURITE PHOTO SPOTS IN VICTORIA

This page features a collection of my favourite photo spots around Victoria. I've travelled around the state extensively, and I'm happy to share with you the spots that really stood out for me. I hope you find this page useful, and it gives you some ideas for great places to visit. There are so many more places around the state I've still got on my list, so please come back and check in as I add new favourites. I'm also keen to revisit some of these locations, so you may find some of the images updated from time to time.

I've written four stand alone guides to places that I really love to visit and I've been to multiple times. I've gone into a bit more detail and listed multiple spots in each that I've really enjoyed for photography. You'll find links for them below, or under the 'Best Victorian Photo Spots' link in the menu above.

All images are available for print purchase, or licensing - please get in touch to start a conversation.
I'd love to hear some of your feedback, suggestions and recommendations in the comments below, so please feel free to share!

To the West
The Grampians (stand alone guide)
The Great Ocean Road and Beyond (stand alone guide)
The You Yangs
Dog Rocks
Geelong Eastern Beach
Corio
Point Lonsdale
Lal Lal
Wind Farms
Canola Fields and Farms
The Silo Art Trail

To the North
Mount Buffalo & Marysville (stand alone guide)
Lake Tyrrell & the Mallee region (stand alone guide)
Macedon & Mt Macedon
Echuca
The Malmsbury Viaduct
O'Brien's Crossing

To the East (This Page)
Wilsons Promontory (stand alone guide)
Mornington Penninsula & Phillip Island (stand alone guide)
William Ricketts Sanctuary
Alfred Nichols Memorial Garden
Toolangi State Forest
Noojee Trestle Bridge & Toorongo Falls

To the East

Wilson’s Promontory

One of the most beautiful and varied landscapes in Victoria. The Wilsons Promontory National Park is spectacular for photography, whether you are looking for wide & dramatic scenes, minimalist compositions, flora or fauna. This area is accessible from Melbourne as a day trip, although you will need to be selective about what you want to see. This has to be at the top of your list.

To read my standalone guide, click the image below, or click the link under 'Best Victorian Photo Spots' in the menu at the top of the page.

Reflection of lush green trees and mountain in calm water

Phillip Island and the Mornington Peninsula

Phillip Island and the Mornington Peninsula both contain stunning seascapes along beautiful coastline, both along Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait. I would recommend exploring each separately if it's your first time. It is possible to take both in if you plan carefully, and plan a sunrise shoot in one area and a sunset shoot in the other. Both are around 1 to 1/2 hours from Melbourne.

To read my standalone guide, click the image below, or click the link under 'Best Victorian Photo Spots' in the menu at the top of the page.

A tall volcanic rock formation surrounded by ocean waves and rocky shoreline at sunset.

William Rickett’s Sanctuary

William Rickets Sanctuary is a beautiful, serene and lush area on Mt Dandenong full of over 90 incredible sculptures. From VisitDandenongRanges.com.au "William Ricketts created the sanctuary as a place for quiet reflection and replenishing the spirit. He believed that all Australians should adopt Aboriginal philosophies, respecting the spirituality of Mother Earth and all things in the natural world. Some of his works throughout the grounds also depict his feelings on the takeover and devastation of white man into the natural environment." The sculptures feel like they are part of the forest, merging with the moss and trees. A great place to spend a few hours. The sanctuary has heaps of information about it's history, and an onsite cafe. This spot is quite dark, so it's perfect for a fast prime. Go wide open and bring these incredible statues into focus.

Close-up of a moss-covered wooden sculpture of a bearded man's face and shoulder, surrounded by lush green fern leaves in a forest.

A carved stone archway in a forest with images of biblical figures and a statue of a seated man in meditation at the center.

Close-up of a moss-covered stone sculpture of a young child's face with curly hair, set against a forest background with ferns.

Alfred Nicholls Memorial Garden

The Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens are a favourite Melbourne photo spot. The gardens are over 13 acres, and were developed from 1929 by the Nichols family who pioneered the Aspro aspirin formula. The gardens are stunning with winding paths through the beautiful trees. The centre piece of the garden is a beautiful pond with an ornamental garden, and stunningly picturesque boat shed. It's a beautiful spot to sit and relax after a moderately long walk down from the top of the gardens. This is one of the most popular spots to photograph in the Dandenongs.

I've been here only once or twice to shoot. The traditional shot is straight on across the lake. Bring your filters and a tripod to slow your shutter and turn the pond to glass. The best time to visit will be in Autumn when the trees will be aflame with gorgeous colours.

A black and white photo of a small wooden house on stilts beside a calm body of water, surrounded by dense forest with tall trees and lush foliage.

A rustic wooden boathouse on stilts by a calm river, surrounded by lush trees with autumn leaves, in a peaceful forest scene.

A lush green forest with tall trees, ferns, and grass.

An old wooden boathouse beside a still pond surrounded by lush green trees and plants, with some pink flowers on a bush to the right.

Toolangi

Toolangi is a gorgeous area just up the road from Healesville. It has an absolutely spectacular State Forest that contains some beautiful cold climate rain forest. There are heaps of walks in the area, including the Tanglefoot walk, around 9km or 3 hours. My favourite spot here so far is the Wirra-Willa Rainforest Walk

The Wirra-Willa Rainforest Walk is a great spot to visit, with a boardwalk that takes you through some of the cold climate rainforest. The trees are the main attraction here, with beautiful moss and growth climbing up their limbs. Some of these trees are thousands of years old, so take a deep breath and experience ancient Victoria.

If you can get here in the mid morning you can capture some beautiful images with the sun peeking through the trees. As the walk is in a gully, the sun will take a few hours to rise over the crest. If you are lucky, there will still be lots of mist in the air, helping to create beautiful beams of light. There are great opportunities to capture close up details with backlight illuminating leaves and foliage.

If you are an experienced bush walker, exploring some of the uncharted state forest can result in some beautiful spots with gorgeous ancient trees further into the forest. Be very careful as it's easy to get lost. As it's quite damp, be prepared for leeches, also lots of spider webs. If that's not your thing, keep to the official trails!

A dead, decaying tree stump in a lush forest with green foliage and moss on the stump.

Dense forest with large moss-covered tree and lush green foliage.

Sunlight streams through trees onto a grassy area with fallen autumn leaves and a small tree with red and green leaves.

Sunlight filters through tall trees in a dense forest, with mist rising from the foliage and reflecting on a water surface below.

Sunlight shines through a dense green forest with tall trees and lush ferns on the forest floor.

Sunlight filters through a lush green forest with moss-covered tree trunks.

Noojee Trestle Bridge & Toorongo Falls

Noojee is a picturesque spot on the Latrobe River. It's full of huge towering trees (my drone is lost up the top of one of them!). The main attractions here are an impressive old rail trestle bridge that you can walk over, and some beautiful waterfalls between Noojee and nearby Toorongo.

Old wooden trestle bridge crossing a green forest landscape.

A black and white image of a historic wooden trestle bridge extending over a valley, surrounded by dense trees and foliage.

Amphitheatre and Toorongo Falls are a short drive from the trestle bridge and are really quite beautiful when the Toorongo river is flowing. Toorongo Falls (left) is the closer of the two waterfalls, with Amphitheatre Falls (right) only a short 600m walk further along. The loop taking in both waterfalls is around 2.2km long. Both falls have sturdy & safe viewing platforms.

You do have access to the Toorongo River along the walk, so if you are confident you can get some great shots of the river in flow. There are many bends and turns with lots of rocks and logs for your compositions. Be careful and don't fall in! It's cold!!

A lush green forest with a flowing stream over moss-covered rocks.

Close-up of moss with tiny, delicate sporophytes, some with green capsules on thin stems, on a damp surface.

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