Getting there

Planes

Melbourne Airport (www.melair.com.au) in Tullamarine is the main gateway to regional Victoria. Put down your Lear jet at airports in nearby Stawell, Hamilton, Ararat or Horsham. Asses Ears Wilderness Lodge (+61 (0)3 5383 9215, www.assesearslodge.com.au) in the Wartook Valley has a private airstrip.

Trains

Halls Gap can be reached by a daily V/Line (www.vline.com.au) train-bus service from Melbourne's Southern Cross station in the CBD. It's slow – you must swap the train for a bus at Ballarat and change buses at Stawell. Dunkeld is also serviced daily by a V/Line train-bus connection.

Automobiles

Most visitors arrive by vehicle and having a car is essential to explore the region. From Melbourne take the Western Freeway (M8) to Ballarat. For Halls Gap continue on the Western Highway (A8) to Ararat and then the C222. For Dunkeld take the Glenelg Highway (B160) from Ballarat. Either journey takes about three hours. Those with more time can travel the famously scenic Great Ocean Road (B100) to Warrnambool, turning inland on the C178. Hire car firms in Melbourne include Avis (www.avis.com.au), Thrifty (www.thrify.com.au) and Hertz (www.hertz.com).