victoria from travel guides wedding

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Inside travel guide star’s intimate wedding.

Travel Guide  star Victoria Fren has tied the knot with her longtime beau, Nathan, in an intimate ceremony in Kangaroo Valley.

In a segment for  A Current Affair , the family gave a glimpse into the highlights of the wedding, including the one moment her dad Mark burst into tears after seeing his “little girl all dressed up”.

“It was just an embarrassment walking down the aisle, I thought you were at a funeral,” Victoria joked in a post-wedding interview.

“The door opened and I saw you and my little girl was all dressed up and I had all these emotions and then I had a flashback of my bank account,” her dad replied, causing the family to burst into laughter.

The ceremony itself was filled with joy as the newlyweds bantered with each other while exchanging their vows.

“Victoria I’ll give you this ring as a symbol of my vow and love, remembering once it’s on, I’m off the Manshakes,” Nathan vowed, as the guests roared with laughter.

“I thank you for allowing me to travel the world with my family and I promise to bring you home signature bottles of alcohol from duty free,” Victoria quipped back.

Victoria looked gorgeous in a flowy dress with lace detailing and a plunging neckline. She complimented the look with a traditional updo and added a touch of elegance with a hair vine and a short veil.

The groom donned a beige suit and patterned tie.

The pair weren’t afraid to add colour to their wedding with a beautiful red and orange bouquet, which matched the colour scheme they selected for their bridesmaids and groomsmen.

The wedding came a year after her brother Jono, married Danielle.

Images: A Current Affair/ Jono Fren Instagram

This article first appeared on Over60 .

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The first look inside victoria from travel guides wedding.

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Travel Guide’s Victoria Fren’s five-star wedding

Travel Guides Australia star Victoria Fren says her new husband Nathan Moran’s late grandfather Barry – who sadly passed away a week before their wedding – “was definitely looking down on us” during their special ceremony, given the unseasonably sunny weather the couple enjoyed on the day.

The 29-year-old walked down a gum tree-shaded aisle toward an ancient rock cathedral in picturesque Kangaroo Valley, two hours south of Sydney, on the arm of her father and fellow reality star Mark Fren, who was overcome with emotion.

“When I saw Victoria, I was bawling my eyes out,” Mark tells Woman’s Day . “I just couldn’t stop. I didn’t know whether it was because I saw my little girl was getting married and she was all grown up or that I was thinking of my bank account!”

A tearful Mark walked his daughter down the aisle.

Victoria was less than impressed at her dad’s show of emotion, though. “It actually pissed me off,” Victoria jokes. “Everyone was looking at him instead of looking at me. It’s about me!”

The family’s signature humour was evident in the couple’s vows too.

While groom Nathan, 30, revealed his relief that the big day had finally come around so he could ditch his diet “man shakes”, Victoria promised to continue bringing back duty-free alcohol for her new husband from her trips overseas with her famous family for TVNZ 2’s Travel Guides .

The groom’s Aboriginal heritage was also celebrated, with Nathan’s cousin Brenden playing his didgeridoo during the ceremony.

“It was amazing,” says Victoria, who explains that the whole day was inspired by Nathan and his family’s love of the bush.

Nathan’s cousin Brenden performed at the ceremony.

After guests enjoyed sunset drinks on a deck perched high above the valley while the bride and groom posed for pictures, it was on to the reception, with the highlight of the whole wedding for Victoria – the couple’s first dance.

“We’d practised so long for it and it definitely paid off,” says the star. “It was so epic. We had dry ice and fireworks, then the band chimed in. It was spectacular.”

The couple’s celebrity friends, The Block Australia stars Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie, took on the MC duties for the evening. “They were fantastic,” says Victoria. “They’re such lovely people.”

Michael Teng was the only Travel Guides castmate on the tight guest list, with Victoria revealing the couple “only had limited numbers” and “didn’t really want it to be a Travel Guides thing”.

She explains, “We just wanted it to be about me and Nathan.”

The family’s TV friends Mitch and Mark, plus Travel Guides’ Michael joined the party.

The couple’s nearest and dearest enjoyed a feast of black angus sirloin with miso, beetroot-cured ocean trout and butternut dauphinoise with browned sage butter. “The Frens love a buffet,” enthuses dad Mark.

The evening ended with guests gathering around a big bonfire. “Everyone got changed and then met by the fire to debrief after the reception,” tells Victoria, adding that if her big day was an episode of Travel Guides , they’d definitely give it five stars. Mark agrees, “It was just absolutely stunning.”

“We fell in love with the rock cathedral,” says Victoria.

The newlyweds are now packing their bags for Thailand for their honeymoon, but Victoria still has a long bucket list of places she’d like to visit with her funny family on Travel Guides . “I want to do Spain and the Maldives,” says the Newcastle-based star, who works in disability and aged care support when she isn’t filming the show. “There are so many places in the world we still haven’t been to yet.”

Victoria is keen to stay on the reality show “as long as they still want us”, she adds. “We love Travel Guides . It’s so nice, with me and Jonathon being older, to be able to still travel with our parents.”

“It was all about family,” says Mark, with Jono, Victoria and wife Cathy.

She and Nathan also have other plans for the near future. The couple – who have been together since they were 18 – are already parents to a dog named Zeus, but they plan to add a child of the human variety to their family soon.

“We’d like one or two kids,” she says, adding that she’d love it if her brother Jono and his wife Danielle, both 32, started a family at the same time so the cousins could grow up together.

“That would be beautiful.”

But Victoria and Nathan’s future children won’t be Frens – much to her parents’ dismay.

Nathan popped the question with Mark’s mother’s engagement ring.

“We are now the Morans,” Victoria declares. “No longer a Fren… I think the family deep down is heartbroken.”

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Victoria & Nathan - Sydney, New South Wales

A romantic Sydney wedding. The gorgeous backdrop of harbour views made for a special morning for Victoria and her family. Wearing a stunning Galia Lahav gown, Victoria went on to marry Nathan at a gorgeous Sydney church, and followed on to toast their marriage with champagne showers during their photoshoot. Colours red and pink were highlighted during the day with styling by Kashaya & Co bringing the reception to a vibrant life.



Wedding film by Moon and Back Co at Catalina, Rose Bay

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• Dress Galia Lahav
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EXCLUSIVE: Travel Guides’ Jono Fren reveals his fairytale wedding to his long-time partner Danielle Clark – with a surprise reality star MC

Travel Guides’ resident funny family the Frens are famous for giving fans a chuckle with their kooky antics and good-natured bickering on the hit Nine series.

And the reality stars – Mark, Cathy, Jono and Victoria – stayed true to form as they came together to witness Jono, 30, wed his partner of two years, Danielle Clark, also 30, 
in the picturesque NSW Hunter Valley region on June 5.

The romantic afternoon ceremony at the rustic Calvin Estate in Luskintyre kicked off with a flurry of confetti, as the couple’s “flower man” –their mutual friend BJ – made his way down the aisle to the sounds of AC/DC’s TNT and raucous laughter from the couple’s 110 guests.

This also included the Frens’ Travel Guides co-stars Matt and Brett , Kev, Dorian and Teng, Kevin and Janetta, and Mel and Stack.

The couple were overjoyed to tie the knot!

It wasn’t the only surprise in store for wedding-goers.

The bride and groom also roped in former Married At First Sight and I’m 
A Celebrity … star Ryan Gallagher, 33, to be their MC for the night.

“Jono’s met him over the years at various events and [Ryan] just said, ‘Have you organised an MC? If you haven’t, I’d be more than happy to do it,'” Danielle, a pharmacy retail manager, tells Woman’s Day.

What didn’t come as a shock was the fact that Jonathan found his happily ever after with Danielle, who he met on dating app Tinder in 2019 and popped the question just seven months later!

“They’re a great match,” says his mum Cathy, 57.

“They really complement each other. They’re madly in love and they’re really caring towards each other.”

Jono and Danielle with their MC, MAFS 
star Ryan

And the father of the groom agrees. “She brings out really good qualities in him,” dad Mark, 59, tells.

“We’re so proud of him, we’re so proud of her.”

Little sister Victoria, 28, agrees that Danielle has brought her introverted 
brother out of his shell.

“Individually they’re both quiet people, but when they’re out and about together they’re the total opposite – they’re really outgoing and keen to party,” she says.

And the lovebirds were certainly eager to show off their first dance to This I Promise You by Ronan Keating in the fairy light-studded wine barrel storage hall, decked out with roses and gum leaves by Heather Davy Florist, a champagne wall and a sparkling chandelier by Opulent Events.

Sister Victoria, dad Mark and mum Cathy couldn’t be happier for Jono

But the real show stopper 
was the couple’s three-tier wedding cake by Bec’s Custom Creations, with lemon, caramel and white chocolate layers.

The sweetest moment of 
the day for the groom, though,”was seeing Danielle for the first time”.

Jono tells Woman’s Day , “It’s the best feeling marrying my best friend and someone I want to spend forever with. I am extremely lucky to have made my first ever girlfriend my wife.”

“Jono’s a true gentleman. He’s just amazing,” says Danielle.

The Travel Guides crew partied with the bride 
and groom!

But while Jono’s keen to keep his new bride by his side – and she’s changing her last name to Fren – don’t expect Danielle to appear on upcoming seasons of Travel Guides.

“I don’t like the limelight. I wouldn’t want to be on TV,” she says. “I’ll just carry bags in the background or something!”

However, Jono’s family suspect the pair will have another project on the way soon… “I think a baby will be within the next few months,” says Victoria. “A few months… plus nine!” Adds an excited Mark, “We’ve already worked out our grandparent names!”

And Jono confirms he’s more than ready for fatherhood.

“Definitely!” he says. “A whole new Fren family!”

Woman’s Day is an iconic Australian weekly magazine providing readers with information about celebrity news, royals, lifestyle, beauty, fashion, real life stories, recipes and more. Established in 1948, Woman’s Day has become a successful and recognisable brand determined to bring entertainment and lifestyle news to women all over Australia.

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Victoria & Eric

We are getting Married!!!

Victoria huizar, eric peters, august 17, 2024.

On March 20, 2016, Eric went out for dinner with his best friend Nick (Best Man) and Nick's father, Tony. They tried going to a local pizzeria that ended up being closed that day. So as destiny would have it they ended up going to a local Mexican restaurant where a cheeky waitress was working. Once they all sat down Vicky ended up being their server where she thought she liked Nick, something about beards and tattoos I guess. After a while she started to realize that the goofy and nerdy Eric was actually a sweetheart. He made her laugh with silly jokes and had an extremely contagious smile. Once it came time for bill, Eric racked up the courage; and a huge push from Nick's father, Tony, to ask for her phone number. She was shocked at first but felt so flattered she couldn't say no. She attempted to write it on a Styrofoam container which by the way does not work well, so she settled for a small piece a paper. The next day she anticipated a call or text from this handsome customer but to her surprise no contact was made. Three days pass by and she finally receives a text from Eric. Vicky was so excited to see he messaged her and asked what took him so long. Come to find out he lost her number and finally found it. They ended up chatting for a couple of days and he asked out to dinner. She said yes. And here we are, eight years later and she finally gets to say yes again.

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Australia’s second-smallest state, Victoria is also the most densely populated and industrialized. Although you’re never too far from civilization, there are plenty of opportunities to sample the state’s wilder days when it was a centre for gold prospectors and bushrangers. All routes radiate from Melbourne, and no destination is much more than seven hours’ drive away. Sadly, many visitors see little of Victoria apart from its cultured capital and the Great Ocean Road , a winding 285km drive of spectacular coastal scenery. Others may venture to the idyllic Wilsons Promontory National Park (the “Prom”), a couple of hours away on the coast of the mainly dairy region of Gippsland , or to the Goldfields , where the nineteenth-century goldrush left its mark in the grandiose architecture of old mining towns such as Ballarat and Bendigo.

Central Victoria: the Goldfields

Miner’s right, eureka flag, the golden decade, communities emerge, the great ocean road, the murray region, the northeast, the victorian alps, packages and tours, western victoria.

There is, however, a great deal more to the state. Marking the end of the Great Dividing Range, the massive sandstone ranges of the Grampians , with their Aboriginal rock paintings and dazzling array of springtime flora, rise from the monotonous wheatfields of the Wimmera region and the wool country of the western district. To the north of the Grampians is the wide, flat region of the Mallee – scrub, sand dunes and dry lakes heading to the Murray River , where Mildura is an irrigated oasis supporting orchards and vineyards. In complete contrast, the Victorian Alps in the northeast of the state have several winter ski slopes , high country that provides perfect bushwalking and horseriding territory in summer. In the foothills and plains below, where bushranger Ned Kelly once roamed, are some of Victoria’s finest wineries (wine buffs should pick up a copy of Wine Regions of Victoria , available from the visitor centre in Melbourne and other towns). Beach culture is alive and well on this coastline, with some of the best surfing in Australia.

Brief history

Seminomadic Koories have lived in this region for at least forty thousand years, establishing semipermanent settlements such as those of circular stone houses and fish traps found at Lake Condah in western Victoria. For the colonists, however, Victoria did not get off to an auspicious start: there was an unsuccessful attempt at settlement in the Port Phillip Bay area in 1803, but Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) across Bass Strait was deemed more suitable. It was in fact from Launceston that Port Phillip Bay was eventually settled, in 1834; other Tasmanians soon followed and Melbourne was established.

This occupation was in defiance of a British government edict forbidding settlement in the territory, then part of New South Wales, but squatting had already begun the previous year when Edward Henty arrived with his stock to establish the first white settlement at Portland on the southwest coast. A pattern was created of land-hungry settlers – generally already men of means – responding to Britain’s demand for wool, so that during the 1840s and 1850s what was to become Victoria evolved into a prosperous pastoral community with squatters extending huge grazing runs.

From the beginning, the Koories fought against the invasion of their land: 1836 saw the start of the Black War , as it has been called, a bloody guerrilla struggle against the settlers. By 1850, however, the Aboriginal people had been decimated – by disease as well as war – and felt defeated, too, by the apparently endless flood of invaders; their population is believed to have declined from around 15,500 to just 2300.

By 1851 the white population of the area was large and confident enough to demand separation from New South Wales, achieved, by a stroke of luck, just nine days before gold was discovered in the new colony. The rich goldfields of Ballarat, Bendigo and Castlemaine brought an influx of hopeful migrants from around the world. More gold came from Victoria over the next thirty years than was extracted during the celebrated California goldrush, transforming Victoria from a pastoral backwater into Australia’s financial capital. Following federation in 1901, Melbourne was even the political capital – a title it retained until Canberra became fully operational in 1927.

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Cross Western Australia to Darwin

Western Australia offers wonderfully remote outback experiences: from spectacular national parks to sandy deserts, pristine beaches to working cattle stations. This itinerary allows you to explore the way from Perth to Darwin in depth and at your own pace, in your own rental car.

Central Victoria is classic Victoria: a rich pastoral district, chilly in winter and hot in summer. Two grand provincial cities, Ballarat and Bendigo , whose fine buildings were funded by gold, draw large numbers of visitors, while, by contrast, the area’s other charming centres such as Maryborough , Castlemaine and Maldon , once prosperous gold-towns in their own right, now seem too small for their extravagant architecture but attract history buffs, art aficionados and “foodies”.

BALLARAT is a grand provincial city that makes a memorable first impression, especially if approaching from the west, via the Western Freeway, along the Avenue of Honour . Lined on either side with more than 22km of trees and dedicated to the Ballarat soldiers who enlisted in World War I, it is Australia’s longest such avenue. It ends at the massive Arch of Victory , through which you drive to enter Sturt Street and the city. More than a quarter of all gold found in Victoria came from Ballarat’s fantastically rich reef mines before they were exhausted in 1918. Nowadays, in addition to the more obvious tourist attractions and fine architecture , the town is interesting in its own right, with a large student population that gives the city a somewhat vibrant character and reasonably active nightlife.

Sturt and Victoria streets terminate on either side of the Bridge Mall, the central shopping area at the base of quaint Bakery Hill with its old shopfronts. Southeast of the city centre, Eureka Street runs off Main Road towards the site of the Eureka Stockade , with several museums and antique shops along the way. Main Road is crossed by Bradshaw Street, where you’ll find Sovereign Hill , the re-created gold-rush town. Northwest of the centre, approached via Sturt Street, are the Ballarat Botanical Gardens and Lake Wendouree.

Ballarat’s mining hotels

There are still over forty old hotels in Ballarat – survivors of the hundreds that once watered the thirsty miners. Some of the finest date from the mid-1850s and are on Lydiard Street: Craigs Royal Hotel , located opposite Her Majesty’s Theatre, and the George Hotel at no. 27 are an integral part of Ballarat’s architectural heritage. Sadly, during the 1970s, the council forced many old pubs to pull down verandas deemed unsafe, so very few survive in their original form. One that does is attached to the Golden City Hotel at 427 Sturt St, which took the council to the Supreme Court to save its magnificent wide veranda with original cast-iron decoration.

The Eureka Stockade

The Eureka Stockade is one of the most celebrated and controversial events of Australian history and generally regarded as the only major act of white armed rebellion against a government that the country has seen – however, some historians argue that Aboriginal people were involved in it as well. It was provoked by conditions in the goldfields, where diggers had to pay exorbitantly for their right to prospect for gold (as much as thirty shillings a month), without receiving in return any right to vote or to have any chance of a permanent right to the land they worked. The administration at Ballarat was particularly repressive, and in November 1854 local diggers formed the Ballarat Reform League , demanding full civic rights and the abolition of the licence fee, proclaiming that “the people are the only legitimate source of power”. At the end of the month a group of two hundred diggers gathered inside a stockade of logs, hastily flung together, and determined to resist further arrests for non-possession of a licence. They were attacked at dawn on December 3 by police and troops; 22 died inside, and five members of the government forces also lost their lives.

The movement was not a failure, however: the diggers had aroused widespread sympathy, and in 1855 licences were abolished, to be replaced by an annual Miner’s Right , which carried the right to vote and to enclose land. The leader of the rebellion, Irishman Peter Lalor, eventually became a member of parliament.

With its white cross and five white stars on a blue background, representing the constellation of the Southern Cross, the Eureka Flag has become a symbol of empowerment – and indeed of many Australian protest movements: shearers raised it in strikes during the 1890s; wharfies used it before World War II in their bid to stop pig iron being sent to Japan; and today the flag is flown by a growing number of Australians who support the country’s transformation to a republic. On a deeper level, all sorts of claims are made for the Eureka Rebellion’s pivotal role in forming the Australian nation and psyche. The diggers are held up as a classic example of the Australian (male) ethos of mateship, as well as independence and anti-authoritarianism, while the gold rush in general is credited with overthrowing the hierarchical colonial order, as servants rushed to make their fortunes, leaving their masters and mistresses to fend for themselves. The flag is on display at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka.

Rich alluvial gold was first discovered in BENDIGO in 1851, and, once the initial fields were exhausted, shafts were sunk into a gold-bearing quartz reef. Bendigo became the greatest goldfield of the time, and had the world’s deepest mine. Mining continued here until 1954, long after the rest of central Victoria’s goldfields were exhausted, so it’s a city that has developed over a prosperous century: the nationwide department store Myer began here, as did Australia’s first building society in 1858. Larger and more magnificent than Ballarat (this is one of Victoria’s largest regional cities with a population of just over 100,000, including a large number of university and other students), Bendigo offers a thriving arts, culture, and food and wine scene. Its most visited sights are legacies of the mining days – the Bendigo Joss House , Dai Gum San Chinese Precinct and the Central Deborah Gold Mine – as well as the acclaimed Bendigo Art Gallery .

At the heart of Bendigo is the vast, leafy Rosalind Park , and three important religious buildings constructed with money from gold-mining – All Saints Church (now View Hill Fellowship), St Paul’s Cathedral and Sacred Heart Cathedral . The lively View Street Arts Precinct , climbing the hill beside Rosalind Park, features elaborate goldrush buildings now housing charming antique and vintage stores, art galleries, an arts centre, The Capital theatre, and stylish wine bars, cafés and restaurants. Further up View Street is the Queen Elizabeth Oval , with its historic redbrick grandstand, where you can watch Aussie Rules football on winter weekends and cricket in summer.

Daylesford and around

The attractive, hilly country around DAYLESFORD and neighbouring Hepburn Springs, just 90 minutes from Melbourne, is a popular weekend retreat for Melburnians and is known as the “spa capital of Australia”, with around seventy mineral springs within a 50km radius, plus more than thirty spas, wellness retreats and healing centres (see spacountrycom.au ). Daylesford grew from the Jim Crow gold diggings of 1851, but the large Swiss–Italian population here quickly realized the value of the water from the mineral springs, which has been bottled since 1850.

Daylesford’s well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian streets rise up the side of Wombat Hill, where you’ll find the Botanical Gardens, between Hill Street and Central Springs Road, whose lookout tower has panoramic views. Not far away, on the corner of Daly and Hill streets, is The Convent ( theconvent.com.au ), a rambling former convent with three levels of galleries selling high-quality arts, crafts and antiques, and a café and a bar. There’s a great Sunday market just nearby, on the main road to Castlemaine. The town also has “healing centres” aplenty, the spectrum of services ranges from natural therapies to tarot readings – enquire at the visitor centre.

Alternative Daylesford

Daylesford – once labelled “the world’s funkiest town” by the British Airways inflight magazine – has a New Age, alternative atmosphere, with a large gay community. The town has several gay-friendly guesthouses, and on the second weekend in March it is the venue for ChillOut , Australia’s largest rural gay and lesbian festival, featuring a street parade, music and cabaret, dance parties and a carnival at Victoria Park ( chilloutfestival.com.au ).

The Goldrushes

The California goldrushes of the 1840s captured the popular imagination around the world with tales of the huge fortunes to be made gold-prospecting, and it wasn’t long before Australia’s first goldrush took place – near Bathurst in New South Wales in 1851. Victoria had been a separate colony for only nine days when gold was found at Clunes on July 10, 1851; the goldrush began in earnest when rich deposits were found in Ballarat nine months later. The richest goldfields ever known soon opened at Bendigo, and thousands poured into Victoria from around the world.

In the golden decade of the 1850s, Victoria’s population increased from eighty thousand to half a million, half of whom remained permanently in the state. The British and Irish made up a large proportion of the new population, but more than forty thousand Chinese came to make their fortune too, along with experienced American gold-seekers and Russians, Finns and Filipinos. Ex-convicts and native-born Australians also poured in, leaving other colonies short of workers; even respectable policemen deserted their posts to become “diggers”, and doctors, lawyers and prostitutes crowded into the haphazard new towns in their wake.

In the beginning, the fortune-seekers panned the creeks and rivers searching for alluvial gold , constantly moving on at the news of another find. But gold was also deep within the earth, where ancient river beds had been buried by volcanoes. In Ballarat in 1852 the first shafts were dug, and because the work was unsafe and arduous, the men joined in bands of eight or ten, usually grouped by nationality, working a common claim. For deep mining, diggers stayed in one place for months or years, and the major workings rapidly became stable communities with banks, shops, hotels, churches and theatres, evolving more gradually, on the back of income from gold, into grandiose towns.

Maldon Folk Festival

During the long weekend before the Melbourne Cup (first weekend of Nov), things get a bit busier than usual as people head to Maldon for the four-day Maldon Folk Festival ( maldonfolkfestival.com ). Since its inception in 1974 the event has steadily grown, and apart from folk, it features blues, bluegrass and world music as well as theatre and dance. The main performance space is at the Tarrangower Reserve at the base of Mount Tarrangower, just out of town, but there are also free events in town.

GIPPSLAND stretches southeast of Melbourne from Western Port Bay to the New South Wales border, between the Great Dividing Range and Bass Strait. Green and well watered, it’s been the centre of Victoria’s dairy industry since the 1880s, although the Latrobe Valley (particularly around Morwell) is home to industrial areas, coal mines and power stations. South Gippsland has Victoria’s most popular national park, Wilsons Promontory , or “The Prom”, a hook-shaped landmass jutting out into the strait, with some superb scenery and fascinating bushwalks. In the east, around the Gippsland Lakes and Ninety Mile Beach , the region is beautifully untouched, and just beyond Orbost–Marlo the unspoilt coastline of the Croajingolong National Park – with its rocky capes, high sand dunes and endless sandy beaches – stretches to the New South Wales border. Mount Baw Baw , an alpine resort off the freeway from Moe (80km west of Sale), presents a very different aspect of the Gippsland region, offering skiing and snowboarding in winter and bushwalking in summer.

Bataluk Cultural Trail

Encompassing eleven sites, scattered between Yarram near Wilsons Promontory and Cape Conran in the east, the Bataluk Cultural Trail ( batalukculturaltrail.com.au ) links places of cultural and spiritual significance to the Gunaikurnai people, the original inhabitants of the Gippsland coast who have lived here for more than 30,000 years. The sites include shell middens and scarred trees; a cave, the Den of Nargun in the Mitchell River National Park, 25km northwest of Bairnsdale; and the fascinating Krowathunkoolong Keeping Place in Bairnsdale.

Black Saturday bushfires

February 7, 2009 will be forever etched on most Victorians’ minds as the start of Australia’s worst ever bushfires . “ Black Saturday ”, as it is known, killed more than 170 people and thousands of animals, destroyed more than a million acres of bushland, wiped out townships and left 7500 homeless. Residents in Victoria’s southeast were told to prepare for extreme conditions the day before; temperatures exceeding 47ºC and winds of up to 120km/hr were predicted, combined with tinder-dry land due to the previous week’s heatwave and long-term drought. In the Gippsland region a fire was started deliberately in Churchill and quickly spread to surrounding areas. Fires also destroyed thousands of acres of bushland in Wilsons Promontory.

Always check with Parks Victoria ( parks.vic.gov.au ) before setting out during the summer months and familiarize yourself with bushfire safety tips.

Wilsons Promontory

WILSONS PROMONTORY , or “the Prom”, the most southerly part of the Australian mainland, was once joined by a land bridge to Tasmania. Its barbed hook juts out into Bass Strait, with a rocky coastline interspersed with sheltered sandy bays and coves; the coastal scenery is made even more stunning by the backdrop of granite ranges. It’s understandably Victoria’s most popular national park , and though the main campsite gets totally packed in summer, there are plenty of walking tracks and opportunities for bushcamping, and the park is big enough to allow you to escape the crowds. You can swim at several of the beaches and even surf.

The nearest town is the dairying settlement of Foster on the South Gippsland Highway, a 30-minute drive away and the best place to buy groceries, fuel and other supplies. Situated by a small river on Norman Bay, Tidal River is the national park’s main camping and accommodation centre, with a general store (daily 9am–4pm) including a pricey supermarket and takeaway food.

Many short walks begin from Tidal River, including a track accessible to wheelchairs. During summer holidays and on weekends between November and the end of April, the tracks become extremely busy so show up early, and book well in advance if you intend to camp. Although the remote north of the park offers some short well-signposted walks, the longer (overnight) hikes are suitable only for experienced, properly equipped bushwalkers, as there are no facilities and limited fresh water.

One of the best walks is the Squeaky Beach Track (1hr 30min return), which crosses Tidal River, heads uphill and through a tea-tree canopy, finally ending on a beach of pure quartz sand that is indeed squeaky underfoot. The Lilly Pilly Gully Nature Walk (2hr return) is also very rewarding, as it affords an excellent overview of the diverse vegetation of “the Prom”, from low-growing shrubs to heathland to open eucalypt forest, as well as scenic views. The walk starts at the Lilly Pilly Gully car park near Tidal River.

The tracks in the southern section of the park are well defined and not too difficult; the campsites here have pit toilets and there is fresh water, although this is creek water and it needs to be treated. The most popular walk is the one- to two-day (35.5km) Sealers Cove–Refuge Cove–Waterloo Bay route, beginning and ending at the Telegraph Saddle car park.

The Great Ocean Road ( visitgreatoceanroad.org.au ), Victoria’s famous southwestern coastal route, starts at Torquay, just over 20km south of Geelong, and extends 285km west to Warrnambool. It was built between 1919 and 1932 with the idea of constructing a scenic road of world repute, equalling California’s Pacific Coast Highway – and it certainly lives up to its reputation. The road was to be both a memorial to the soldiers who had died in World War I and an employment scheme for those who returned. More than three thousand ex-servicemen laboured with picks and shovels, carving the road along Australia’s most rugged and densely forested coastline; the task was speeded up with the help of the jobless during the Great Depression.

The road hugs the coastline between Torquay and Apollo Bay and passes through the popular holiday towns of Anglesea and Lorne , set below the Otway Ranges. From Apollo Bay the road heads inland, through the towering forests of the Great Otway National Park , before rejoining the coast at Princetown to wind along the shore for the entire length of the Port Campbell National Park . This stretch from Moonlight Head to Port Fairy, sometimes referred to as the “Shipwreck Coast”, is the most spectacular – there are two hundred known shipwrecks here, victims of the imprecise navigation tools of the mid-nineteenth century, the rough Southern Ocean and dramatic rock formations such as the Twelve Apostles.

From Warrnambool , the small regional centre where the Great Ocean Road ends, the Princes Highway continues along the coast, through quaint seaside Port Fairy and industrial Portland , before turning inland for the final stretch to the South Australian border.

Hiking the Great Ocean Road

Walking and hiking enthusiasts can choose between two magnificent walking tracks along the coast: the Great Ocean Walk ( greatoceanwalk.com.au ), a 104km track from Apollo Bay to Gibson Steps 1km east of the Twelve Apostles, and the long-established Great South West Walk ( greatsouthwestwalk.com ), a superb 250km circuit starting from just outside Portland. Further sources of information include Parks Victoria ( parks.vic.gov.au ) and the Department of Sustainability and Environment Information Centre at 8 Nicholson St, East Melbourne ( dse.vic.gov.au ).

PORTLAND likes to describe itself as the “Birthplace of Victoria”. Indeed, there are quite a few historic buildings, but unlike Port Fairy they don’t add up to form a coherent, captivating townscape. It’s the last stop on the Victoria coast going west on the Princes Highway, but Nelson , a friendly fishing village further west, or Port Fairy make for more atmospheric overnight stops between Melbourne and Adelaide. The rugged coastal scenery to the southwest around Cape Nelson and Cape Bridgewater, however, is not to be missed.

The Portland Cable tram

A restored and modified vintage cable tram ( portlandcabletrams.com.au ) transports sightseers along the foreshore on a round trip of 7.5km, from the depot at Henty Park past the Powerhouse Motor and Car Museum to Fawthrop Lagoon (home to pelicans), then back through the Botanic Gardens.

From its source close to Mount Kosciuszko high in the Australian Alps, the Murray River runs for around 2700km and forms the border between Victoria and New South Wales until it crosses into South Australia (someone got a ruler out for the rest of the border to the coast), and although the actual watercourse is in New South Wales, the Victoria bank is far more interesting and more populous. After the entire length was navigated in 1836, the river became the route along which cattle were driven from New South Wales to the newly established town of Adelaide, and later in the century there was a thriving paddle-steamer trade on the lower reaches of the river, from Wentworth on the New South Wales side and Mildura through to Echuca.

In 1864, Echuca was linked by railway to Melbourne, stimulating the river trade in the upper reaches, and thus became a major inland port, the furthest extent of the navigable river. At the height of the paddle-steamer era, Mildura was still a run-down, rabbit-infested cattle station, but in 1887 the Chaffey brothers, brought over from Canada, instituted irrigation projects that now support dairy farms, vineyards, vegetable farms and citrus orchards throughout northwestern Victoria. Between Mildura and Echuca, Swan Hill marks the transition to sheep, cattle and wheat country; the Pioneer Settlement here explores the extraordinarily hard lives of the early settlers. Above Echuca the Murray flows through more settled regions, but also the Barmah wetlands, an ecosystem of international significance.

Nowadays paddle steamers cruise for leisure, and are the best way to enjoy the river and admire magnificent river red gums lining its banks, as well as the huge array of birds and other wildlife that the Murray sustains. Renting a houseboat is also a relaxing (if expensive) way to travel.

The Hume Freeway , the direct route between Melbourne and Sydney, cuts straight through Victoria’s northeast, known as the “High Country”, passing towns such as Benalla, Glenrowan and Wangaratta, a sizeable place known for its jazz festival. Rutherglen , right up against the state border, is a long-established wine-producing region. Heading east, picturesque Beechworth is rich in history, with beautiful streetscapes, haunting attractions and a famous bakery. The northeast is also home to the Victorian Alps – ideal for skiing in winter and bushwalking and mountain biking at other times of the year.

The Hume Freeway and Kelly Country

Part of this northeast region is known as Kelly Country , after the legendary bushranger Ned Kelly. Benalla and Glenrowan (where he was finally seized after a bloody shoot-out) still bear traces of the masked bushranger’s activities, with Glenrowan wholeheartedly cashing in on his fame.

Fruit-picking in the Goulburn Valley

The rich plains of the Goulburn Valley , running through Seymour, Nagambie and Shepparton, are a popular area for backpackers looking for seasonal work . The small city of Shepparton is the operations centre for canned-fruit companies, with peaches, pears, apples and plums exported worldwide. Ask at the Greater Shepparton Visitor Centre ( visitshepparton.com.au ).

High Country Gourmet Regions

The High Country area of Victoria – including the small town of Milawa, 15km southeast of Wangaratta on the Snow Road – is renowned among foodies for the excellent quality of its locally produced food and wine, so much so that it has been dubbed the Milawa Gourmet Region ( milawagourmet.com ).

Another major wine and gourmet area is the nearby King Valley , around 30km south of Milawa and centred around the small town of Whitfield. There are many cellar doors here, as well as fine Italian-inspired produce and dining – see kingvalleytourism.org.au and winesofthekingvalley.com.au for more information.

Brown Brothers Winery brown-brothers.com.au . If it’s a tipple of something special you’re after, try a tour of the Brown Brothers Winery, situated just outside Milawa and clearly signposted; there are also a casual café and a great restaurant, Patricia’s Table , which specializes in complementing Brown Brothers’ wines with seasonal local foods. Mains, such as a wagyu beef dish.

King River Café kingrivercafe.com.au. A popular spot, specializing in local wines and good food (such as pizzas) – the cakes and coffee are excellent, too.

Milawa Cheese Factory milawacheese.com.au . In Milawa itself, there’s the Milawa Cheese Factory , where you can taste and purchase award-winning cheeses and enjoy breakfast or lunch at an excellent restaurant and bakery.

Milawa Mustards milawamustards.com.au . Milawa Mustards offers eighteen home-made seed varieties, plus other condiments.

The Olive Shop theoliveshop.com.au . Locally grown olives and extra virgin olive oil, plus tapenades and condiments.

The VICTORIAN ALPS , the southern section of the Great Dividing Range, bear little resemblance to their European counterparts; they’re too gentle, too rounded, and above all too low to offer really great skiing , although they remain a popular winter sports destination. In July and August there is usually plenty of snow and the resorts are packed out. Most people come for the downhill skiing, though cross-country skiing is also popular, particularly at Falls Creek, Dinner Plain, Mount Buffalo and Lake Mountain ( lakemountainresort.com.au ), 21km from Marysville (south of the main Alpine region). Snowboarding was first encouraged at Mount Hotham and is now firmly established everywhere. Falls Creek , Mount Hotham and Mount Buller are the largest and most commercial skiing areas, particularly the last, which is within easy reach of Melbourne; smaller resorts such as Mount Baw Baw in Gippsland are more suited to beginners.

The towns of Mansfield , Bright and Mount Beauty are good bases for exploration of the Alps, and are great places to unwind. In summer there are activities such as hiking, horseriding and cycling; fewer facilities are open, but there are often great bargains to be had on rooms. If you’re driving , you’ll need snow chains in winter (they’re compulsory in many parts), and you should heed local advice before venturing off the main roads.

Bushwalking in the Alpine National Park

In summer, when the wild flowers are in bloom, the Alps are ideal bushwalking territory with most of the high mountains (and the ski resorts) contained within the vast Alpine National Park . The most famous of the walks is the 650km Australian Alps Walking Track ( australianalps.environment.gov.au ) that begins at Walhalla, near Baw Baw National Park in Gippsland, and follows the ridges all the way to Mount Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, then on to Namadgi National Park in the Australian Capital Territory. If you are doing any serious bushwalking, you’ll need to be properly equipped. Water can be hard to find, and the weather can change suddenly and unexpectedly: even in summer it can get freezing cold up here, especially at night. After prolonged dry spells, bushfires can also pose a very real threat, as was the case in 2009, when bushland and resorts were burnt.

Skiing in the Victorian Alps

The official start of the ski season is the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June, though there is often not enough snow cover until August, lasting through to early October. During the snow season, an entry fee of $37–43.50 per car applies, depending on the resort. As a rough guide to costs , lift tickets range from $50–115/day, while group lessons cost around $60–70. Full equipment rental is about $85/day. For weather and snow conditions go to ski.com.au or snowaustraliareport.com . For accommodation, phone the central reservation hotlines of each mountain resort.

In addition to the resorts detailed here, there is also skiing at Mount Baw Baw in Gippsland.

Day-trip or weekend packages are the best way to go, and are far cheaper than trying to do it yourself. The best-value trips are organized by the Alzburg Resort at Mansfield (1300 885 448, alzburg.com.au ). The day-tours leave Melbourne early in the morning and arrive at Mount Buller about 2.5 hours later, giving the opportunity for a full day’s skiing (from $90, including entrance fees; a one-day lift/lesson ticket is $115 extra). There’s also a “return another day” coach service, costing $185 and including entrance fees but not accommodation.

It’s also worth checking out the area around Hardware Lane in Melbourne, where such companies as Auski at no. 9 ( t 03 9670 1412, w auski.com.au ) and Mountain Designs at 373 Little Bourke St (03 9670 3354, mountaindesigns.com ) can advise on skiing conditions at the resorts, and sell or rent equipment.

Several roads run west from the Goldfields to the South Australia border through the seemingly endless wheatfields of the Wimmera region . To the west of the farming centre of Ararat is the major attraction of the area, the Grampians National Park , the southwestern tail-end of the Great Dividing Range. Stawell and Horsham – the latter regarded as the capital of the Wimmera – are good places to base yourself, but Halls Gap , in a valley and surrounded by national park, is even better. North of Horsham is the wide, flat Mallee with its twisted mallee (a type of eucalyptus) scrub, sand dunes and dry lakes. This region, Victoria’s small “Outback” and with several state and national parks, extends from Wyperfeld National Park in the south, right up to Mildura’s irrigated oasis on the Murray River. South of the Grampians is sheep country; following the Hamilton Highway from Geelong you’ll end up at Hamilton , the major town and wool capital of the western district, also accessible via Dunkeld on the southern edge of the Grampians.

The Grampians

Rising from the flat plains of western Victoria’s wheat and grazing districts, the sandstone ranges of the GRAMPIANS , with their weirdly formed rocky outcrops and stark ridges, seem doubly spectacular. In addition to their scenic splendour, in the Grampians National Park ( Gariwerd ) you’ll find a dazzling array of flora , with a spring and early summer bonanza of wild flowers; a wealth of Aboriginal rock art ; an impressive Aboriginal Cultural Centre ; waterfalls and lakes; and more than fifty bushwalks along nearly 200km of tracks. There are also several hundred kilometres of road, from sealed highway to unsealed and 4WD tracks, on which you can take scenic drives and 4WD tours.

The best times to come are in autumn, spring and early summer when the waterfalls are in full flow and the wild flowers are blooming (although there’ll always be something in flower no matter when you come). Between June and August it can be cold and wet, while summers can be very hot, with the potential of bushfires in extreme weather conditions. If you’re undertaking extended walks in summer, carry a portable radio to get the latest information on the fire risk: on total fire ban days no exposed flames – not even that from a portable gas stove – are allowed. Tracks and campsites may be off limits due to events such as fire, storms or maintenance – and the park can be closed on a day of extreme weather conditions – so always check at the Brambuk Centre in Halls Gap.

Rock art in the Grampians

It’s estimated that the indigenous Koori people lived in the area known to them as Gariwerd up to twenty thousand years ago. The area offered such rich food sources that the Kooris didn’t have to spend all their time hunting and food-gathering, and could therefore devote themselves to religious and cultural activities. Evidence of this survives in rock paintings , which are executed in a linear style, usually in a single colour (either red or white), but sometimes done by handprints or stencils. You can visit some of the rock shelters where Aboriginal people camped and painted on the sandstone walls, although many more are off limits for cultural reasons. In the northern Grampians one of the best is Gulgurn Manja , 5km south of the Western Highway. Starting at the Hollow Mountain car park, the signposted fifteen-minute walk will take you to this important site. The name means “hands of young people”, as many of the handprints here were done by children. In the southern Grampians is Billimina , a fifteen-minute walk above the Buandik campsite; it’s an impressive rock overhang with clearly discernible, quite animated, red stick figures.

The Wimmera

The Wimmera , flat, dry and hot in summer, relies heavily on irrigation water from the Grampians for its vast wheat and barley fields; before irrigation and the invention of the stump jump plough, the area was little more than mallee scrub.

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16 of Victoria’s Most Beautiful Wedding Venues

Congratulations on this next chapter.

2. Bring your wedding dreams to life with the idyllic views of Villa Eyrie Resort . Whether you’re looking for an intimate or grand celebration, Villa Eyrie provides a charming blend of both. Commit to one another in the sky, with the sea below; basking in the panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains, Mount Baker, and the Saanich Inlet.

3. Torn between having a small wedding or a bigger one? Can’t decide between tieing the knot by the water, in a garden with a waterfall, or overlooking the Victoria’s picturesque harbour? Have no fear, for Victoria has a stunning hotel and wedding destination that does it all: the award-winning  Inn at Laurel Point . Throw in skillful wedding planners and staff to look after you, several different wedding packages, and even deconstructed cake tastings to find that perfect flavour of buttercream, you can be confident that you and your guests will be in exceptional hands. 

4.  Let the beautiful Oak Bay Beach Hotel  design your love story on your special day. A breathtaking luxury wedding venue, their outdoor ceremony site are called the Seaside Gardens, and it overlooks the Juan de Fuca Strait with unobstructed ocean views framed by snow-capped Mount Baker. Receptions are held in the David Foster Foundation Theatre – a grand, heritage room adorned with mahogany wood accents, hanging chandeliers, and floor to ceiling windows.

FRESH & CREATIVE

5. With over 3000 square feet of open-concept event space, the Victoria Public Market at the Hudson is an intriguing, stylish choice for your big day. Polished concrete floors, rugged concrete pillars, and high ceilings with exposed metal are just some of the features of this contemporary, urban space. The atmosphere can be tailored to hold the precise wedding or reception style that you’ve been envisioning.

6. Koi fish, an indoor-outdoor jungle oasis, fairy lights, and a rooftop garden terrace await you at the Parkside Hotel & Spa – an excellent choice for the creative and contemporary couple. From rooftop celebrations around the fire pit to family slideshow gatherings in the private theatre, their location—just steps from the Inner Harbour—has an inviting, “feels-like-home” type of charm.

7. Did you know the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria can be rented out as an event space? Hosting cocktail parties, receptions, and formal dinners, the Spencer Mansion of the AGGV can accommodate up to 80 people for a sit-down event, and up to 150 people for a cocktail reception. Aligning well with the artistic, heritage-loving types, The Spencer Mansion offers a period-restored dining room, reception room and ornately wood-paneled foyer. You can feel happy about where your wedding budget is going; all proceed go directly towards exhibitions and programming at the Gallery.

8. Feel the coastal breeze in your hair, and sand in your toes on the beautiful beach-y grounds of The Beach House .  If sand and ocean is not the scene you’re seeking, you can say “I do” perched on a grassy bluff overlooking Haro Straight and the San Juan Islands. Need an indoor space? The Beach House has you covered with an open-concept floor plan and plenty of banquet furniture on-site. 

9. Tie the knot in the magic and tranquility of over 9 acres of botanical garden space. With space for up to 100 guests, the Gardens at HCP brings a unique, colourful natural venue to Victoria’s catalogue of spaces, winning the Best Elopement Experience and Best Unique Wedding Venue – Finalist in 2019. Here, you can expect sparkling waters in the background, a fragrant eucalyptus tree in the foreground, and joyous birdsong accompanying your vows.

HISTORIC SITES

10. A marriage at Hatley Park National Historic Site , on Royal Roads University ’s grounds would be nothing short from a fairytale wedding. Deemed a National Historic Site, Hatley Castle was built by James Dunsmuir, a wealthy coal barron who lived a privileged life on the grounds with his wife and ten children. Have your first dance in their historic Ball Room, celebrate your love in their heritage gardens, and gaze out at unparalleled ocean views. Here, the two of you will feel like true royalty.  

11. As one of the most historic hotels of Victoria, the Pendray Inn and Teahouse sets a beautiful stage to tie the knot at. Formerly known as the Gatsby Mansion, the Pendrays started to build their estate in 1890. Nowadays, the iconic building and grounds are known as the perfect venue to celebrate old-school romance. Bonus: you can spoil your guests with an elegant reception or meal vouchers at the on-site Pendray Tea House!

12. So many one-of-a-kind moments happen here, in British Columbia’s capital. For a truly unique outdoor space, look no further than Fort Rodd Hill & Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site . Hold your ceremony on the cliff of Lower Battery, overlooking the historic Fisgard Lighthouse; or find the perfect grove of trees for a more intimate event. With attractive grounds and plenty of interesting buildings that guests can explore before or after the ceremony, your wedding will be one your party is talking about for years to come.

Cideries & Vineyards

13. Located just 20 minutes outside of Victoria, Church & State Wines is a spectacular outdoor wedding and event destination. Their full-time Events Team will make your special day as stress-free as possible, while their Events Manager will coordinate your catering and bartending needs. Two beautiful outdoor and one indoor ceremony sites are in their catalogue, all offering sweeping views of the vineyard and its surrounding wilderness.

14. Another highly sought-after wedding avenue in Greater Victoria is Sea Cider Farm + Ciderhouse . The breathtaking atmosphere is rural yet modern, rustic yet polished, with a variety of packages available and highly customizable style. With catering available by Truffles Catering, Toque, and Food for Thought Catering, and craft beverages provided by Sea Cider themselves, it’ll be the West Coast wedding of your dreams!

OFF THE BEATEN PATH – WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

15. Arbutus Cove is the perfect place in Victoria to hold wedding or engagement photos. A tranquil ocean-side escape, Arbutus Cove – appropriately named – is framed by over-arching red Arbutus trees watching over a rocky shoreline that extends into the sea. If you want an array of mountain shots as well, consider hiking up nearby Mount Douglas during sunset. 

16. We’re convinced that the world’s prettiest sunsets and sunrises can be seen along Dallas Road. Another great location for wedding and engagement photography, you can choose between grassy hills, rocky oceanside beaches, Ogden Point Breakwater, or even a staircase leading into the ocean. Your photographs will look effortless and timeless, capturing the humbling sensation you two may have felt during your first date.

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• # 8 in Best Cheap Couples Getaways for 2024

Although it's only a 90-minute ferry ride from bustling  Vancouver , British Columbia's capital city may as well be a world away. Taking the opposite approach from its youthful neighbor, Victoria exudes a quainter atmosphere. Resting on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, This relatively small city remains deeply rooted in its Colonial past, relishing distinctively British traditions like afternoon tea at the  Fairmont Empress  and a pint at the pub. But that doesn't mean this destination is strictly reserved for Anglophiles. Despite its nostalgic tendencies, this city attracts a variety of travelers with excellent museums that celebrate its aboriginal heritage, charming architecture and fantastic harbor views (often interrupted by the surfacing of a whale).

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12 Magical Wedding Venues in Victoria

From the city to the beach to the country, these are some of the best places to get hitched in Victoria.

When it comes to wedding planning, no decision is more important than choosing your venue. It’s the backdrop for the big day, the host to your festivities and the scenery in your photos, which means picking the right one is crucial to achieving your wedding vision. Thankfully, there are only too many venues offering the lot – sumptuous grounds, immaculate service, beautiful food and a night to remember. All you have to do is figure out your dream location. Breezy beach ceremony or romantic winery ‘do? Picturesque farmhouse atmosphere or all-out city party? We’ve got you covered.

National Gallery of Victoria

It doesn’t get more iconic than the National Gallery of Victoria, a building rife with art and history that over a million people pass through each year. Guaranteed to be unforgettable, the NGV offers two spectacular spaces for receptions. First is the Great Hall, famed for its stunning stained glass ceiling by Leonard French and expansive floor space catering to epic celebrations. For more intimate receptions, the Garden Restaurant overlooks magnificent gardens and is framed by the city skyline, with guests accessing the space via a romantic private boardwalk.

Capacity: Garden Restaurant up to 120, Great Hall up to 500

180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne

The Wool Mill

This uber-cool warehouse conversion is a dream for lovers of urban minimalism. Hidden down a private laneway in the heart of Brunswick East, the light-filled space boasts soaring ceilings, modern white backdrops and grungy exposed brick walls that lend themselves handsomely for photos. The dual storey building contains several distinct spaces, including an “I do” room on the mezzanine, a grand feasting (and dancing) hall and a moody speakeasy bar for late night hijinx. Need a hand with planning? The Wool Mill also has a dedicated team of wedding planners that can hook you up with expert stylists, florists, photographers and more.

Capacity: up to 200 seated

161 Donald Street, Brunswick East

Greenfields Albert Park

Set beside idyllic Albert Lake, this picturesque waterside venue offers everything one could want for their special day. Endless green surrounds for photos, floor-to-ceiling windows drenched with natural light and phenomenal golden hour sunsets create an aura of afternoon magic before guests sit down to a wholesome yet delicious menu. Access is given to the entire venue including an outdoor deck and bar, cloakroom, private wedding suite, dance floor and a cosy fireplace for the cooler months.

Capacity: up to 150 sit down and 500 cocktail

Cnr Lakeside Drive & Queens Road, Albert Park

Dromana Estate

Everything great about the Mornington Peninsula – rolling green hills, tranquil vineyards and fresh air – are on show in the beautiful surrounds of Dromana Estate. Completely flexible to your needs, the venue can accommodate everything from quick elopements to extravagant affairs. Spaces include rustic chic stables lit by hundreds of twinkling lights, a luxurious homestead full of old world charm and a stunning outdoor wedding space surrounded by 100-year-old weeping willows and towering cypress trees.

Capacity: up to 250 seated

555 Old Moorooduc Road, Tuerong

Zonzo Estate

Forty-five sprawling acres of grapevines and greenery make up Zonzo Estate, a captivating winery in the Yarra Valley. Receptions here are joyful and laidback, with guests seated at long shared tables as they create lifelong memories and dig into delicious Italian food. There’s a variety of ceremony options too, from stunning outdoor gatherings to intimate nuptials in their architecturally designed, non-denominational chapel Cappella.

Capacity: up to 140 people seated

957 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Yarra Glen

Marnong Estate

This historic homestead overlooks Melbourne’s north, with spectacular views towards the Macedon Ranges. Over 500 hectares you’ll find a winery, sustainable farm, luxury accommodation and everything you’d want for your dream wedding. Ceremonies can be held in their secluded secret garden or sun-drenched atrium with vineyard views. For the reception, move across to the rustic woolshed for a relaxed evening, or head up to their swanky upstairs hall for breathtaking vistas all night.

2335 Mickleham Road, Mickleham

Mewburn Park Estate

Tucked behind an oak tree-lined driveway in the heart of Gippsland, Mewburn Park is a working farm that radiates serenity. The expansive property offers many spaces to move between – you could hold ceremonies outdoors among the tranquil ponds or inside in their heritage listed stables draped in lights. Afterwards, guests can slowly make their way to the clear marquee for an unforgettable night of food, drink and festivities. Brimming with ‘farm charm’, guests will love seeing stars emerge above, and at the end of the night there’s onsite accommodation for the bridal party to catch some much needed rest in.

5667 Traralgon-Maffra Road, Tinamba

Sault in Daylesford is known for being one of Spa Country’s best restaurants, but the 100 acre property on which it resides is also a highly sought after wedding venue. During the warmer months their manicured gardens are awash in lavender, sunflower and poppies that act as a colourful backdrop to photoshoots, while the private lake adds even more ambience. Get hitched in their cosy barn and chapel before celebrating with the region’s finest food and wine.

Capacity: up to 90 people seated

2349 Ballan-Daylesford Road, Sailors Falls

Collingwood Children’s Farm

Did you know that this inner city community farm also plays host to weddings throughout the year? Perfect for those after a relaxed vibe for their special day, the Farm sets everything up so that you can focus on mingling with your loved ones. Say your vows under their majestic oak tree, then get the good times going at the reception in their historic barn. Acres of gardens and paddocks are a photographer’s dream, and you’ll love knowing that your venue fee goes towards caring for animals, inclusivity programs and heritage conservation.

Capacity: up to 120 people seated

18 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford

For those after a dream beachside wedding, Encore’s prime position by St Kilda Beach is hard to beat. The luxurious venue features two private bridal suites, floor-to-ceiling windows, flexible room layouts and an outdoor terrace overlooking the beach. Port Phillip Bay acts as a flawless backdrop to ceremonies and receptions throughout the seasons, while some of the best catering in town will keep your guests happy.

Capacity: up to 270 people seated

10/18 Jacka Boulevarde, St Kilda

Brighton Savoy

Just metres away from the iconic beach boxes of Brighton is the elegant Brighton Savoy, a four star hotel and renowned wedding venue. Here they offer brilliant beach ‘back up’ wedding packages, where outdoor-loving couples can plan a sand-between-the-toes ceremony on the beach while resting easy knowing that in the event of inclement whether they have a back up venue ready to go inside. Receptions in their various function spaces are classic, classy affairs dressed to the nines by their top notch staff.

150 Esplanade, Brighton

Portsea Hotel

Overlooking magnificent Port Phillip Bay on the Mornington Peninsula, Portsea Hotel is a spectacular venue for those who want the ocean to star on their big day. The day starts with a ceremony on the lawn, backdropped by endless blue. Afterwards, the newly refurbished Bertrand Bar upstairs offers stunning sunsets, uninterrupted views of the bay and stargazing at night during your reception. Open the windows for an outdoor feel on summery nights as guests dine on delicious modern Australian via canapés, three course meals or shared feasts.

Capacity: up to 110 seated

3746 Point Nepean Road, Portsea

We’ve also got you sorted with the best places to celebrate your hen’s night in Melbourne , 10 great restaurants with private rooms that are perfect for an engagement party and some of our favourite florists in the city.

By Juliana Yu

Posted 1 Sep 22

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5-ish Things on AI: Get up to speed on the rapidly evolving world of AI with our roundup of the week's developments.

• Member of the board, UCLA Daily Bruin Alumni Network; advisory board, Center for Ethical Leadership in the Media

Among the many challenges facing today's global workforce is concern that there are too few people knowledgeable enough about the opportunities and risks associated with generative AI — that is, people who know how to use emerging tools effectively, pragmatically and ethically to do their jobs, whatever those jobs may be. 

So, that's why there's been a focus on upskilling today's workers and putting in place programs for the up-and-coming workforce of students in colleges today. And that's why the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science announced in February that it was the first Ivy League school to offer an undergraduate major in AI . It followed up last week with news that it's now the first Ivy League school to offer a graduate degree in AI . 

But the Ivies aren't the only ones working on the problem. Google and IBM, part of a consortium of nine companies , including Cisco, Intel and Microsoft, joined forces last month and announced a new effort with the goal of evaluating "how AI is changing the jobs and skills workers need to be successful." 

What are they doing specifically? Google, through its AI Opportunity Fund , is giving out $75 million in grants to organizations to teach Americans how to use AI, the company said last week. It also launched the Google AI Essentials online course to help teach foundational AI skills and best practices. The $49, 10-hour course, available on Coursera , will teach people how to use AI in day-to-day work. Citigroup will also use the course to upskill its employees, CNET's Imad Khan reported .

Meanwhile, IBM said it's already helped train over 11.5 million people through its  SkillsBuild initiative  and will keep adding new free AI classes. Its latest course, Introduction to Generative AI, is a 1.5 hour class for people who aren't tech experts but want to get up to speed on the topic. Other classes cover the art of the prompt, and understanding natural language processing. 

For people who've been let go from their jobs in the past year, online learning platform Udacity said April 30 that it's offering laid-off workers a free, all access pass to Udacity's entire catalog of classes (AI and beyond) for 30 days. Go here to register .

Here are the other doings in AI worth your attention.

Ukraine's new spokesperson is an AI named Victoria Shi

To save time and resources, the Ukrainian government will be using an AI-generated digital person to give official statements and provide updates on behalf of the foreign ministry, according to  Agence France-Presse.

The digital spokeswoman is called Victoria Shi, with her name based on the word "victory" and the Ukrainian term for artificial intelligence: "shtuchniy intelekt," the news outlet reported. "Shi's appearance and voice are modelled on a real person: Rosalie Nombre, a singer and former contestant on Ukraine's version of The Bachelor reality show," AFP said.

"We are taking a step into the future," Shi says in a YouTube video posted by France Inter , a public broadcast service. "First and foremost, I will inform the public, providing timely and verified information from Ukraine's consular service."

I encourage you to watch Shi -- kind of eerie.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the new spokeswoman was a "technological leap that no diplomatic service in the world has yet made," according to AFP. 

Shi was created by a group called The Game Changes, which has also made VR content about Ukraine's war with Russia, the news service said. To avoid people confusing the real fake spokesperson's statements with bogus copies, the government said, Shi's statements will include a QR code that links them to text versions on the ministry's website.

One important note: Ukraine said all of Shi's statements will be written and verified by humans and not generated by AI.  

Apple buys AI company focused on portable devices  

At its developers' conference in June, Apple is expected to provide more details on how it's using AI in its products and services. And now it's bought another AI company, according to MacRumors, which cited a European Commission filing reported on by the French publication Challenges.  

The startup, called Datakalab and based in Paris, reportedly has technology that furthers Apple's plans to "deliver on-device AI tools." MacRumors noted.

"The company was established in 2016 by Xavier and Lucas Fischer and made significant strides in AI technology focusing on low-power, high-efficiency deep learning algorithms that function without relying on cloud-based systems," MacRumors said. "The startup's expertise in compressing neural networks to work effectively on portable devices like smartphones and tablets is likely a key factor in Apple's interest."

Apple periodically buys companies without disclosing the purchase. That was the case with DarwinAI, a Canadian AI startup that uses vision-based technology to assess components during the manufacturing process, Bloomberg said when it announced news of the acquisition in March. Terms of the deal weren't announced.

As for Apple's AI ambitions, we should learn more during the company's  Worldwide Developers Conference , which is set for June 10. 

"Multiple reports suggest Apple is in talks with Google to bring its Gemini AI model to iPhones, which could help the devices keep up with generative AI on other mobile devices," CNET's David Lumb reported . "Whether Apple has plans to use other generative AI solutions (or its own), the rumors indicate more attention on AI than we've seen from the company before."

Apple CEO Tim Cook also used the company's May 2 earnings call  to address his thoughts on AI, saying, "We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI." 

"We are making significant investments, and we're looking forward to sharing some very exciting things with our customers soon," Cook said on the call. He said Apple has advantages "that will differentiate us in this new era" and offered as examples the company's "seamless hardware, software and services integration," its homegrown computing chips, its neural engines and its focus on privacy.

Meta will reap big rewards from AI, just not any money for now

During Meta's earnings call late last month, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said out loud what many investors in AI technology already know: It's going to take a while for AI investments to make any money (an observation that sent the company's shares tumbling ).

"Historically, investing to build these new scaled experiences in our apps has been a very good long term investment for us and for investors who have stuck with us. And the initial signs are quite positive here too," Zuckerberg said in the earnings call with investors. "But building the leading AI will also be a larger undertaking than the other experiences we've added to our apps, and this is likely going to take several years."

Meta, which today gets most of its profits from ad sales, shared the complete transcript of Zuckerberg's remarks on the call here .  

The CEO also explained his plan to reap profits from the AI spend. "There are several ways to build a massive business here, including scaling business messaging, introducing ads or paid content into AI interactions, and enabling people to pay to use bigger AI models and access more compute," Zuckerberg said. "And on top of those, AI is already helping us improve app engagement, which naturally leads to seeing more ads, and improving ads directly to deliver more value."

TL;DR: "If the technology and products evolve in the way that we hope, each of those will unlock massive amounts of value for people and business for us over time," Zuckerberg added, noting that "tens of millions of people" have tried its new Meta AI assistant , which was released in mid-April on its popular Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger platforms.

Of course, "if" is the operative word, given that Meta is in competition with OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, IBM and others to win over consumers with its AI offerings. 

Scientists spot audio deepfakes by looking for 'signs of life'

Klick Applied Sciences, which made news after using 6-to-10-second smartphone voice recordings to create an AI model that helps identify people at risk for Type 2 diabetes, has now turned its attention to helping spot audio deepfakes.

Basically, Klick Labs said it's using AI to look for " what makes us human ," as part of its effort to separate real audio from deepfake audio of everyone from President Joe Biden to singer Taylor Swift.

"Klick researchers created an audio deepfake detection method that taps into signs of life, such as breathing patterns and micropauses in speech," the researchers wrote in a paper called "Investigation of Deepfake Voice Detection using Speech Pause Patterns: Algorithm Development and Validation." The paper was published in March in the open-access journal JMIR Biomedical Engineering.

The Klick Labs team said it studied 49 people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse accents. "Deepfake models were then trained on voice samples provided by the participants, and deepfake audio samples were generated for each person. After analyzing speech pause metrics, the scientists discovered their models could distinguish between the real and fakes with approximately 80 percent accuracy."

Added Yan Fossat, senior vice president of Klick Labs and principal investigator of the study: "Our findings highlight the potential to use vocal biomarkers as a novel approach to flagging deepfakes because they lack the telltale signs of life inherent in authentic content. These signs are usually undetectable to the human ear, but are now discernible thanks to machine learning and vocal biomarkers."

Well, I'm certainly listening. I hope the US Federal Communications Commission is too — in February, it banned the use of deepfake voices in robocalls , after fraudsters created a phony message from Biden and delivered it to voters in New Hampshire to disrupt the primary-vote process.

More media companies sue OpenAI and Microsoft over copyright 

The New York Times generated headlines about itself in December when it announced it was suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, alleging that the companies used Times stories without permission to help train their generative AI engine. (In March, OpenAI and Microsoft filed motions to have parts of the NYT suit dismissed — I have links to all the filings here .)

In February, The Intercept, Raw Story and AlterNet also sued OpenAi and Microsoft, which has invested more than $13 billion in ChatGPT maker OpenAI and uses its technology to power AI offerings including Microsoft Bing.

Now we can add eight other news outlets to the list of copyright owners going after OpenAI and Microsoft, including the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News, according to  Reuters. The papers are owned by investment firm Alden Global Capital's MediaNews Group, which has accused the tech companies of using its reporters' work to train their AI systems.

"The lawsuit said Microsoft and OpenAI's systems reproduce the newspapers' copyrighted content 'verbatim' when prompted," Reuters reported. "It said ChatGPT also 'hallucinates' articles attributed to the newspapers that harm their reputations, including a fake Denver Post article touting smoking as an asthma cure and a bogus Chicago Tribune recommendation for an infant lounger that was recalled after being linked to child deaths."

OpenAI told Reuters that it takes "great care in our products and design process to support news organizations."

Some publishers have reached licensing deals with OpenAI, Nieman Labs noted , including the Associated Press, Le Monde and Axel Springer, publisher of Insider. 

Last week, The Financial Times said it signed a licensing deal with OpenAI. "The new deal will allow ChatGPT to pull information in real time from the FT's published stories when answering user prompts. Details taken from those stories will appear in ChatGPT as a summary or quote, with a link to the specific article being cited," Nieman Labs reported.

Couple saves $10,000 on wedding plans with AI 

ChatGPT, the most popular gen AI chatbot in terms of user engagement, can now add wedding planning to the list of things it can handle for you. 

A couple in New York used OpenAI's chatbot to help plan their August wedding and said ChatGPT saved them $5,000 to $10,000, according to  NBC News. Maria Cortese and her fiance said they got suggestions on everything from flowers to an affordable photographer to save-the-date invites (with wording generated by the AI), eliminating the need for a wedding planner. Cortese said the chatbot also helped them find deals on goods and services.

NBC then asked ChatGPT for the best destinations for weddings (Hawaii, Napa Valley and New York are popular choices) and to share info on the most hated songs for weddings (ChatGPT said that YMCA by the Village People is disliked as being "cheesy and repetitive"). 

According to  Zola, a wedding planning site, the average price for a wedding in 2024 will be about $30,000. In a survey of 7,000 couples getting married this year, Zola found that tech in one form or another is used in wedding planning in a big way. It said it found "86% of couples making choices based on social media" and added that 7% of couples admitted to already using at least one AI tool, with another 11% planning to do so. 

And yes, that surely includes using AI to help write their wedding vows . No judgment here.

Editors' note: CNET used an AI engine to help create several dozen stories, which are labeled accordingly. The note you're reading is attached to articles that deal substantively with the topic of AI but are created entirely by our expert editors and writers. For more, see our  AI policy .

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• Travel Guides

Travel Guides stars' throwback and childhood photos: Guess who?

We're used to see the Travel Guides stars in exotic destinations, but what did they look like before they were jet setting across the globe?

If you're looking for some wild 80s throwbacks and adorable baby photos of the Guides, then you've come to the right place.

Stream complete seasons of Travel Guides on 9Now.

We've taken a look through the archives of the family photo albums to unearth some photos that haven't been seen for decades.

Scroll through to see all of the Guides' photos from the years gone by.

• Travel Guides 2023
• Kevin And Janetta
• Kev Dorian And Teng
• Matt And Brett
• Stack And Mel
• Stack And Josh

One thing hasn't changed about these '80s lovebirds – they still have a glass of wine in hand.

They posted this adorable loved up throwback pic to their social media.

"Sometime last century, probably mid 80's. White sunglasses? What was I thinking?" they captioned the snap.

Fans and followers couldn't believe how different the pair looked.

One even joked they're "like a good red wine...improved with age 😂".

You won't catch the trendy couple sporting big hair or big glasses these days.

"Flashback to the glam late 80's. Think this was an airline ball. What were we thinking? Huge shoulder pads just out of the image, thankfully 😅," the Guides captioned the photo.

Fast forward a decade and the pair had adjusted their style.

"Loved the 90's fashions. How big were those earrings?" the couple wrote.

Fans in the comment section were quick to applaud their fashion choices.

"Wow pair of trendsetters to be sure," one commented.

Here they are on their wedding day back in 1987.

They posted the throwback picture to their social media to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary.

"35 years ago today. What can we say.? It's been a heck of a ride and hopefully many more good times to come," they wrote.

"As all of our wedding proofs were stolen before we had time to arrange an album, all we have is a couple of snaps from family and friends, and of course the memories."

Kevin and Janetta

It's Kevin and Janetta!

The "holiday snobs" have been fan-favourites of the show since Season 1.

The discerning couple are impressed by the finer things in life and have been travelling for over 40 years.

This baby faced traveller flashed a smile for the cameras in this throwback snap.

Although these days he's not as smiley when in stinking hot climates.

Here he is again with his baby sister.

Could the red hair be a clue?

It's Jono Fren!

The Guide is always keeping the more boisterous members of the Fren clan grounded. 

How's this for a throwback... here's the front cover of one Guide's very own book.

Here he appears as a tot in the 1960s.

The traveller's book is a heartfelt collection of stories about growing up as a typical boy in suburban Melbourne.

"Cute little bugger wasn't he?" the photo was captioned.

While one follower wrote: "Forget the car. How's the blue steel stare 😍😂."

It's Kevin!

Fast forward more than 50 years and Kevin has the same Blue Steel stare.

Can you recognise who these 80s love birds are?

While the hairstyles might be different, the smiles are still the same... 34 years later.

Mark and Cathy Fren

It's Mark and Cathy Fren!

The pair posted the photo to celebrate their wedding anniversary but many fans couldn't help but notice the resemblance between Mark and his son Jono.

"Jono really is his dads twin. Happy anniversary," one wrote.

"Wow doesn't Jono look just like Mark!!" another said.

This Guide has had the same signature swag and too cool attitude since childhood.

She's had us laughing for six seasons, can you guess who it is?

Victoria Fren

It's Victoria Fren!

The 30-year-old just celebrated her wedding to her new hubby Nathan in a beautiful ceremony in Kangaroo Valley.

EXCLUSIVE: The first look inside Victoria from Travel Guides wedding

This outdoors man looks very different with a set of shades and the lip rings he sported back in 2015.

Any ideas who it could be?

It's Josh!

Stack and Mel's younger brother Josh filled in for Mel while she's taking care of her new baby.

Having never travelled anywhere outside of Australia, he was "really excited" to see what the rest of the world had to offer.

EXCLUSIVE: Get to know new Travel Guides Josh

This little tot looks just as exited to meet Father Christmas as he was on his more recent expedition to the Santa Claus Village in Finland.

It's Dorian!

He's been one third of The Target Boys group since Season 2 of Travel Guides.

We think you'll probably recognise who these Travel Guides are straight off the bat.

But here's a beautiful throwback of them on their wedding day in 2014.

"8 YEARS MARRIED! Can't believe it was 8 years ago today, after 12 years together, that we got married in Wellington, New Zealand," they wrote.

"Still the best decision we ever made and looking forward to the rest of our lives together ❤️❤️❤️."

Matt and Brett

It's Matt and Brett of course!

The happy-go-lucky couple were travel addicts before joining the show in 2020 but have had us in stitches ever since.