Beechworth is one of the key spots dotted along the Pedal to Produce trail in Victoria’s High Country. The cycling route is part of the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail designed to steer visitors on two wheels along the trail in search of seasonal goodies. Book a cycling adventure with Tour de Vines or go your own way on an e-bike from All Terrain Cycles that can be dropped off to your accommodation. As well as emphasising the landscape, the Pedal to Produce trail is a practical way to pick up provisions. There are plenty of makers and growers that demand closer inspection. Add Beechworth Honey, Milawa Mustards and a stinky washed rind cheese from Milawa Cheese Co. to your basket. It’s one of Australia’s best towns for eating and drinking.

Bendigo locals will tell you the footfall of passing petal-peepers increases noticeably during the annual Bloom festival, which runs throughout September, October and November. Experience the magic of spring in the Bendigo region by checking Bloom Watch and ambling with certainty around the gardens planted with more than 43,000 flowers each year. Apart from the displays within the Conservatory Gardens, the Bloom program also loops in nearby Heathcote and Loddon, buttered yellow for the Cornelia Canola Walk. It also laces together a network of Bloom After Dark trails and has a raft of colourful activations.

You may still need to wrap up snug when visiting Bright in spring. But that’s part of the appeal of Victoria’s High Country. As the weather warms, Victoria’s High Country beckons for its spectacular scenery and outdoorsy adventures. Edge past cosy country pubs and paddocks full of ponies until you find yourself at the annual Bright Spring Festival. For a change of pace, race down river rapids with Bright White Water Kayaking or set forth on the Murray to Mountains rail trail, which loops in The Colour Bridge over Roberts Creek in Porepunkah, an installation created by the Melbourne-based arts collective Skunk Control. Stay overnight at Bright Velo Hotel and pledge a return in winter. Hire a bike from All Terrain Cycles and pedal through to Harrietville and Wandiligong.

It’s safe to say those that visit Coldstream’s Cherry Hill Blossom Festival will maintain their upbeat mood. Every year, Cherry Hill Orchards flings open its gates for visitors who want to celebrate spring and the end of winter’s bleakness. The Cherry Hill Blossom Festival runs from 24 September to 5 October. Families visiting this regional Victorian town in spring will remember the experience with huge affection for years to come. Apart from picture-perfect photo opportunities amid trees showering white blossoms all around, the popular event is an idyllic day out in the countryside. Wandin East and Alowyn Gardens in nearby Yarra Glen are also worth a wander for their spring blooms.

Spring in Daylesford is all hedgerows filled with flowers and melodic singing from the Eastern yellow robin. Set out in the early morning, when the air is crisp as a Granny smith, to explore the boutique shops, art galleries of Lake Daylesford. Carve out a chunk of time to enjoy lunch at destination diner, the Lake House, before enjoying a spot of colour therapy at Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens where the paths lined with blooms all weld into one. Spring also marks the return of the region’s celebrated private heritage garden openings in the Macedon Ranges, which are a bit further afield. Bounce from Bolobek Garden Fair on 4-5 October to the Bluebell Festival on 25-26 October at historic Duneira Estate on Mount Macedon to find gardens lined with pretty floral bursts.

Immerse yourself in the dramatic Gariwerd landscape with a visit to Halls Gap in the heart of the Grampians. While the region is very popular for leaf-peepers in autumn, spring is more subdued with less of the short, sharp shock of russet reds and more confetti’d carpets of soft petals. Do a vox pop of walkers on one of Grampians Peaks Walking Co’s multi-day walks and the majority will tell you they joined to ‘get away from it all’. Visitors can admire the beautiful wildflower season in the Grampians region with a self-guided flora-filled walk. Or taste some stellar sparkling wines in the Grampians Wine Region at Seppelt Wines and Fallen Giants Vineyard.

Healesville Makers Quarter is a great place to pull off the highway and stretch the legs. Connect the dots between some of the Yarra Valley’s best makers, which are all within walking distance from one another: Tracing the route between Jayden Ong Wines, Four Pillars Gin Distillery, Payten & Jones Wine, No.7 Healesville, Watts River Brewing and Giammarino Wines is a joy. Pass locals walking their pooches and tree-lined streets lit up in the spring sunshine with pretty displays of petals. Pin Zonchello Yarra Valley to your map app to sample limoncello spritz. The new spritz bar has taken over the former Innocent Bystander space.

Parents are always looking for fun activities to share with little ones during the September school holidays. And everything is easier with kids during spring in regional Victoria without the knife-sharp cold of winter. Stop and smell the flowers at the International Rose Garden Festival on 7-8 November, where your kids can tumble around the magical Morwell Rose Centenary Garden. While the focus at this small-town festival is on gardening, sustainability, and handmade treasures, there are also aerial performances, local musicians and a magical installation of twinkling night lights. More than 4000 roses will be on display during the festival.

There are so many great reasons to visit Red Hill in spring. First-time visitors to the Mornington Peninsula will be understably rhapsodic about the region. Enjoy a walk in the spring sunshine followed by a well-lubricated lunch at The Dining Room at Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill curated by executive chef Nick McGonigal. Creak into your long service leave with an extended stay in Red Hill, where living like a local means becoming a cheerleader for provenance and an early retirement. Cash in your super and follow the flower trail between the hinterland and coast to discover the seasonal Ridge Community Market, local gin distilleries and cellar doors. A journey around the region in springtime should also include a visit to McClelland Sculpture Park.

Victoria’s top tourism town – Warrnambool – is a delight in spring where the lawns are laminated green and the trees adorned in blossoms. Think of the region as being colour-coded for your road-tripping pleasure. Take the plunge at Deep Blue Hotel and Spa, the only hot springs on the Great Ocean Road, go whale watching (September), and take a day trip to check out the sculptural Poombeeyt Koontapool lookout which bracelets a blowhole in the Loch Ard Precinct. Foodies visiting the region on a Friday should book in for one of Brae’s new kitchen garden tours – a nice way to break up the road trip back to Melbourne.