Just a 2.5-hour drive from Melbourne lies the jumping-off point for this beach, which is the second-longest uninterrupted beach in the world (after Praia do Cassino in Brazil). To the right of this stretch of sand is the wild easterly froth of the Bass Strait, while to the left sits the calm Gippsland Lakes. Technically it sprawls for more than 151 kilometres (94 miles), from the shallow inlets near Port Albert to the channel at Lakes Entrance. Those eager for ocean exploration can swim, surf, eyeball whales and dolphins during migration, uncover shipwreck remnants, or simply take a long barefoot stroll. If you’re the snorkelling type, there’s incredible biodiversity among the shallows, including octopuses, brittle stars, crabs and fish, as well as Pseudogorgia godeffroyi – a rare soft coral only found here, between McGauran and Delray beaches.