Some great things to do outside of Melbourne include:

• Visit Healesville Sanctuary to see kangaroos, Koalas and hundreds of native animals in as close to their natural habitat as is possible.  This is no zoo!  You need to allow 1/2 day-3/4 day at least.   There are plenty of vineyards and winery restaurants in the Yarra Valley to visit on the way.  A bus service runs from the suburban Lilydale railway station with cheap Metcard fares applying (www.connexmelbourne.com.au or for a journey planner, www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au)

• Travel by Connex suburban train (www.connexmelbourne.com.au) from Melbourne's Flinders Street station (platform 2 or 3) for an  hour to Belgrave to join the historic 'Puffing Billy' steam train to either Lakeside (Emerald Lake, with picnic facilities) or the small town of Gembrook (with its pub at which to enjoy a meal.)  The 0917 Connex train on weekdays runs express some of the way, and using a suburban train is quicker and cheaper than paying exorbitant rates for a tour bus day tour.

• Spend a day driving or travelling by public transport down the Great Ocean Road for dramatic coastal scenery. It's possible to drive the Great Ocean Road yourself, but if doing it with less than say three friends, it's probably a better idea to take a tour, especially by Victoria's public transport operator V/Line. The round trip from Melbourne to the Port Campbell National Park is about 550km so it gets dark before you get back to the city, so it a bit daunting. Go West Tours and Autopia Tours operate small group tours to the Great Ocean Road.  Even better, save money and avoid driving stress with Victoria's V/Line.  On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays travel on V/Line from Southern Cross station to Geelong by train, change to a coach for Apollo Bay, enjoy lunch and then board another V/Line coach to Warrnambool with special stops (including 30 minutes at world famous The Twelve Apostles) along the way to admire the sights before relaxing on the three hour train trip back to Melbourne on the train with its buffet car.  First class upgrades are available for A$3 to Geelong per person in the morning and back from Warrnambool for A$6, but be sure to specify this when reserving seats.  Details at www.vline.com.au However you do it, don't miss Loch Ard Gorge. Many visitors think the gorge is even better than the Apostles theselves - and they're pretty special!

• Take a cheap but comfortable V/Line train (www.vline.com.au) that runs every hour or better from Melbourne's Southern Cross station to either Ballarat for the Sovereign Hill historical park, Bendigo for its Talking Trams and Central Deborah Goldmine or Warrnambool and its great beach scenery plus Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village.  Off peak day return adult fares are as low as A$20pp to Ballarat, and all fares include free Melbourne metropolitan train, tram and bus travel as well as free bus travel in larger rural cities like Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong.

• Visit the mineral springs at Hepburn and visit historical townships in Daylesford & Woodend.  There is a frequent V/Line rail service (Bendigo line) to Woodend and the other nearby historic town of Kyneton (the latter town has historic buildings plus antiques, and even a small Botanical Gardens on the walk from the railway station into town.)  V/Line coaches serve Daylesford from either Woodend or Ballarat, and even Castlemaine and Bendigo, with all these towns having great architecture dating from the goldrush days of the 1850s or shortly thereafter when Victoria was a colony rather than a state.  See www.vline.com.au 

• Visit the Little Penguins at Phillip Island. The Penguin Parade is truly a magical wildlife experience. Every night the Little Penguins come ashore just after dark and make their way past (and apparently oblivious to) the spellbound humans to their burrows. The word "cute" simply does not do the penguins justice. Be warned, however, that it does get pretty chilly on Phillip Island when the sun goes down, so even in summer time it's worth bringing warm clothing. Also, the penguins' arrival time varies with the time at which darkness falls, so may be as early as 5.15pm in winter, and as late as 9.15pm in summer. Lastly, as the penguins arrive after dark, be aware that unless you're staying overnight on Phillip Island, the drive back to Melbourne takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes, and is very dark, with wombats, wallabies and other nocturnal animals to negotiate. It is worth considering taking a tour, but a cheaper alternative is to use V/Line coach services from either Melbourne's Southern Cross railway station or Dandenong (www.vline.com.au.)   There is also the option of taking a suburban train to Frankston and a railcar to Stony Point (www.connexmelbourne.com.au) which on some trips connects with a ferry between Stony Point and Cowes (www.interislandferries.com.au)   Visitors can then use taxis to travel to and from the Penguin Parade.