There's something for everyone to discover in Victoria's spectacular parks and waterways. When it comes to natural attractions - Victoria has it all.

Victoria has almost every kind of landscape and nature based activity you can imagine covering a diverse range of forests, alpine ranges, marine environments, desert parks, and gorgeous beaches. There's world class hiking, mountain biking, abseiling, boating, fishing, four-wheel driving, cross country skiing, camping, rock climbing, indigenous cultural sites, birdwatching, surfing, diving, beautiful gardens, unique flora, wonderful wildlife, stunning landscapes and many more Victorian adventures to explore.    

Over 18% of Victoria's land mass – the equivalent of 4.1 million hectares - is protected in magnificent parks and waterways making Victoria a world class natural wonderland with all attractions within driving distance of Victoria's capital city - Melbourne.

Some of Victoria's must see parks and waterways include:

• Alpine National Park
• Barmah National Park including the Murray River
• Buchan Caves in East Gippsland
• Dandenong Ranges National Park and the Dandenong Ranges Gardens
• Grampians National Park
• Great Otway National Park
• Point Nepean National Park
• Port Campbell National Park including the Twelve Apostles and the Shipwreck Coast
• Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park
• Werribee Park - including the historic mansion and Victorian State Rose Gardens
• Wilsons Promontory National Park

Victoria's National Parks have remarkable forests to explore and provide a wide range of camping and walking opportunities through unspoiled woodlands and forests. You can visit the old growth rainforest of Errinundra National Park, walk through Victoria's “jewel in the crown” at Wilsons Promontory National Park, explore the peaks trail at Grampians National Park or discover cave ceilings lined with glow worms in Great Otway National Park.

The Victorian Alps at the southern tip of Australia's Great Dividing Range feature impressive mountain biking and skiing opportunities with parks such as Mount Buffalo National Park offering fantastic opportunities for kayakers. Meanwhile Alpine National Park showcasing pristine alpine wilderness and historic high-country huts.

As an island country, 85% of Australia's population live on or near the coast. With beaches and oceans like ours who could blame us? Visiting our pristine beaches is a must for any visitor whether it's Squeaky Beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park or one of the many beaches along the Great Ocean Road where you will also see spectacular views of the Twelve Apostles at Port Campbell National Park. Victoria's coastline is truly unique.

Victoria is home to some of the world's most amazing snorkelling and diving experiences including a network of 24 protected Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries including Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park, Marengo Reef Marine Sanctuary and Twelve Apostles Marine National Park. The ex-HMAS Canberra Recreational Reserve features a former Australian Navy warship that has been scuttled to create a spectacular artificial reef for skilled divers near Queenscliff.

Victoria's parks are home to a rich cultural history. You can explore Australian Indigenous rock art believed to be tens of thousands of years old at the Grampians National Park or you can spend the day exploring the 19th century quarantine station and forts at Point Nepean National Park where the first Australian shots of World War I and II were fired. Gardeners will be delighted by a visit to the heritage gardens at the Werribee Mansion in Werribee Park which is home to the Victorian State Rose Gardens. Alternatively the seven beautiful Dandenong Ranges Gardens hold botanical significance and are championed by the National Rhododendron Gardens.  

Surprisingly, Victoria is also home to arid deserts including the Little Desert National Park in the state's west where excellent 4WD opportunities can be found along with unique native flora such as the Western Pygmy-possum, Western Grey Kangaroo and the Silky Mouse. The Big Desert Wilderness Park has no vehicle access or defined walking tracks but offers a true wild outback experience for experienced hikers. Further north the Murray-Sunset National Park is a stunning arid environment populated by emus, wedge-tailed eagles, and kangaroos. Visit during late summer and you may even get the chance to see the parks signature salt-lakes turn bright pink.

For more information about the link between nature and human health, go to www.hphcentral.com or 'like' Healthy Parks Healthy People Central on Facebook.

For more information on Victoria's spectacular parks call Parks Victoria on 13 1963 or visit www.parks.vic.gov.au

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