Better hiking than the city lets on, within two hours.

3–4 hours return · Train to Belgrave + walk

The Kokoda Track Memorial Walk at Burrinja, Upwey, is a 10km circuit through mountain ash forest that most Melburnians have heard of but few have done. It's genuinely challenging in places — the descent into the gully is steep — but nothing that requires specific gear. The forest is old enough to feel serious. The memorial at the end is understated and worth sitting with. Reachable by Belgrave line from Flinders Street, then a short walk from Upwey station.

Worth knowingAvoid in summer heat. Spectacular in winter and autumn.

4 hours · Car recommended

Werribee Gorge State Park is an hour west of Melbourne and almost nobody talks about it. The circuit drops into a genuine rocky gorge — there's a section involving a fixed chain on a cliff face, which sounds more alarming than it is. The swimming hole at the bottom is one of Melbourne's best-kept summer secrets, though water levels vary. The contrast between the flat western suburbs drive and then suddenly being in a gorge is jarring in the best way. Needs a car; the park is off the Western Ring Road via Bacchus Marsh Road.

Worth knowingCheck river levels before going after rain. Best in spring and autumn.

5–6 hours · Car

The Cumberland Track is one of the best day hikes in Victoria and is almost never mentioned. It runs through regenerating mountain ash forest — much of which burned in the 2009 Black Saturday fires and has since grown back in a way that's both eerie and remarkable. Lady Talbot Falls at the end of the main section is genuinely impressive after rain. The drive through the Black Spur (the mountain ash avenue between Healesville and Marysville) is 20 minutes of the best driving in the state. Leave Melbourne by 8am. Fraga's Cafe in Marysville for lunch before or after; they close at 3pm.

Worth knowingThe waterfalls are best in winter and spring. Autumn foliage on the drive is worth the trip alone.

3 hours · Car

The You Yangs Regional Park is a volcanic granite range between Melbourne and Geelong that rises dramatically out of completely flat land. The Flinders Peak circuit is 6km and gives you 360-degree views — Geelong, Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne's skyline, the Dandenongs. Koalas are reliably spotted in the eucalypts around the base. The car park off Geelong–Bacchus Marsh Road is clearly signed. Less crowded than the Dandenongs on weekends, which matters.

Worth knowingThe You Yangs are exposed granite — midday in summer is unpleasant. Go early or in winter.

4 hours including drives between spots · Car (overnight recommended)

The Grampians is usually thought of as an overnight trip, but the eastern range around Halls Gap can be done in a very long day from Melbourne — leave by 6:30am, be at Boroka Lookout by 10am, do The Balconies before lunch, eat in Halls Gap, drive home. Boroka Lookout is less visited than the Pinnacle, which is the famous one, but it's arguably better — wider view, shorter walk from the car. The Balconies is a 20-minute return walk to a sandstone rock formation that overlooks the valley. Wildflowers in September turn the roadside pink and yellow.

Worth knowingSpring wildflowers (September–October) are extraordinary. Summer is fine but crowded.