Even within a 75 mile radius of Melbourne, you will find an extraordinary diversity of bushwalking environments, ranging from coastline to grassy alpine plateaus and tall forests of mountain ash; and if you venture further afield, you can hike amid snow-capped peaks in the Australian Alps or through semi-desert in the far north-west – Victoria’s own outback. One of the state’s most visited national parks is Wilsons Promontory, which has walks of various lengths and levels of difficulty, ranging from though four-day treks to short outings from the promontory’s only settlement, Tidal River. Equally spectacular but less busy coastal walks can be found in Croajingolong National Park in the state’s south-east, while the south-west has the Great South-West Walk, an eight to ten day circuit departing from Portland, with half of the trail running parallel to the coast and much of the remainder following the Glenelg River. The mountains in the eastern half of the state are ideal for summer walking. In the Alpine National Park, for example, historic bushwalking routes traverse the Wonnangatta Wilderness and the Bogong High Plains. Highlights include the four-day Wonnangatta Horseshoe (a classic crest walk across Mount Howitt and the Crosscut Saw) and the two-day Razor and Viking circuit. Shorter walks on the Mount Buffalo plateau, with its granite tors and views across the farmlands of north-east Victoria, will also give you a fell for the alpine environment. Walks in the rain-drenched Otways wind through patches of temperate rainforest and tall eucalyptus trees. To the north-west, the dramatic Grampian Mountains feature impressive sandstone escarpments that provide magnificent views across densely wooded valleys, and an extensive network of bushwalking tracks that radiates outward from the mountains’ principal settlement, Halls Gap. There is  also virtually unlimited potential for off-track hiking.