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Queenscliff is a small town based in southern Victoria on the Bellarine Peninsula. Located 30 kilometres from Geelong, this well populated town sits between Swan Bay, Port Phillip and Point Lonsdale. It is well connected to local areas such as Sorrento and Drysdale by ferry and train, and is also home of the ‘blues train’, which features live music most Saturday nights between October and May. An ideal location for families and retirees, Queenscliff also plays host to an annual seafood feast, a music festival and numerous hotels, as it is a popular destination for tourists.

Popular among surfers, Aireys Inlet is a beautiful area with a handful of stunning beaches. Home to just over 1000 permanent residents, this small coastal town is located along the picturesque Great Ocean Road, roughly 120km south west of Melbourne. Features of Aireys Inlet include stretches of uninterrupted sandy beaches, secluded swimming areas, a horseshoe shaped reef and the Split Point Lighthouse. Sitting pretty between Anglesea, Lorne and Fairhaven, Aireys Inlet boasts some lovely homes, many of which have fantastic ocean views and are becoming extremely sought after. Some properties have recently sold for over a million dollars.

A residential area and small suburb based 13km west of Melbourne’s city centre, Albion is a well known suburb with a population of less than 4000. This location is best suited to families and professionals working in the CBD as a local train station and bus services make the commute easy. There are two primary schools and a kindergarten in Albion as well as a local Aussie Rules football team, a baseball club, a cricket club and a bowls club. Albion is also home to a number of churches and boasts features such as the Kororoit Creek and trail and Stony Creek. Properties in the area include Californian bungalows and weatherboard houses from the ‘40s, the average sale price of which is $325,000.

Characterised by wide streets, heritage buildings, open air cafes, parks and mature exotic trees, Albert Park is a beautiful looking suburb located just 3km outside of Melbourne’s CBD. With almost 6,000 residents it is an affluent area well suited to professionals and families. Albert Park boasts a reserve, the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Kerferd Pier, an award winning burger place, St Vincent Gardens and the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. Home to a predominant mixture of Edwardian and Victorian homes as well historic buildings which have been converted into apartments, Albert Park’s properties average at a cool $1.1 million.

A residential and industrial suburb based near the Barwon River, South Geelong sits adjacent to the Geelong CBD and is therefore ideally suited to professionals working in the area or families. The area boasts a 32km walking and cycling track as well as an athletics field and public park. The Kardinia Stadium is home to the Geelong Football Club, which all but every one of the 15,000 people living here supports. South Geelong plays host to two railway stations and is situated between Newtown, Newcomb, Belmont, Breakwater and, of course, Geelong. The average property in this area sells at about $312,000.

Sitting on the very attractive coast of Victoria, Swan Bay is nestled between Mannerim, Marcus, Marcus Hill, Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff. Located opposite Swan Island, this rural town forms part of greater Geelong and is home to Duck Island and a section of the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park. It is ideally suited to retirees or families seeking a quiet, coastal lifestyle.

Based in north west Victoria on the Murray Valley Highway, Swan Hill is an historic pioneer settlement and tourist attraction with a population of almost 10,000. Often considered a retail hub for the area, Swan Hill boasts a range of varied outlets as well as pubs and nightclubs, two football clubs, a junior soccer league, a horse racing club and a golf and bowls club. It is an ideal location for families and is linked to Bendigo and Melbourne by train. There are a total of nine schools in Swan Hill, catering for children of all ages and the Sunraysia Institute of TAFE is also based here.

WIth over 16,000 residents, Taylors Lakes is a heavily populated area located over 20km north west of Melbourne. It boasts great bus and train links to neighbouring suburbs as well as the CBD and is therefore ideal for professionals working in the city. Families would also enjoy living here as there are many facilities available including shopping centres, cinemas, parks and gardens, sports grounds and football, cricket and tennis clubs. There are schools and kindergartens in Taylors Lakes, where the average cost of housing is $435,000.

A small town located along the South Gippsland Highway, Alberton is ideally situated for professionals who travel by car a lot. A more ideal location for families, this tiny suburb sits over 200km east of Melbourne. With only 160 or so residents, Alberton is a cattle grazing community boasting features such as the Albert River and the Victoria Hotel, which was built in 1890.

Sitting amongst Macleod, Yallambie, Montmorency, Lower Plenty, Rosanna, Heidelberg, Bulleen and Templestowe Lower, Viewbank is based just 15km outside of the city centre. With almost 7,000 residents, it is a sizeable residential suburb ideally located for professionals and families. Boasting features such as part of the Yarra River, wetlands and a number of parks and reserves, Viewbank is also home to a couple of public schools and a small commercial strip. The average cost of property in Viewbank is $485,000.

A well connected town to Australian rock music, Violet Town has had a song named after it by The Church and has been home to Killing Heidi's Ella and Jesse Hooper. Situated over 170km from Melbourne, this tiny town of less than 700 people sits along Honeysuckle Creek and is an ideal location for retirees or families. Violet Town plays host to a bi-weekly community market, an Aussie Rules football team, a golf club and a local train station.

Best known for its recognisable bluestone buildings, Mortlake is a small rural town with lots to offer. Home to a golf course, horse racing club, facilities and clubs for football, netball, cricket and tennis, and the Annual Australian Busking Championships, Mortlake is an ideal location for families with children but would also suit retirees. There are two local schools for children of all ages and Melbourne's city centre is over 200km away. Thousands of street performers visit the area every year, adding to the less than 1000 people who live here permanently. Mortlake is nestled between two major agricultural districts providing the local area with a solid supply of wool and dairy.

Ideally suited to professionals working in Melbourne's CBD as well as families, Moonee Ponds is a recognisable suburb based 7km from the city. Boasting the Moonee Valley racecourse, Queens Park and The Clocktower Centre, this delightful residential suburb houses over 12,000 residents. The town sits between Essendon, Brunswick West, Parkville, Aberfeldie, Ascot Vale and Meribyrnong, and has excellent public transport links, including buses, trams and trains. Moonee Ponds plays host to many shops, cafes, supermarkets and department stores as well as football teams, a river trail and a creek trail for nature enthusiasts.

Located just outside of Melbourne's CBD, Caulfield South is home to over 11,000 people and, although it does not house its own railway station, there are three stations within a short distance. This makes the area ideally suited to professionals working in the CBD and families who would take advantage of brilliant transport links and the many parks and gardens adorning the suburb. Caulfield South boasts a medical centre, cemetery, sports clubs and playing fields, playgrounds and many walking or dog walking tracks. Home to a primary school also, Caulfield South has some beautiful architecture ranging from early 1900s style properties to Edwardian weather board homes, Californian bungalows and high density apartments.

An ideal location for anyone who needs fantastic access to public transport, including families or professionals, Caulfield North is home to over 14,000 people. Boasting Australia's largest Jewish community, this busy suburb plays host to Caulfield Park, schools, an extensive tram network and Labassa - a mansion owned by the National Trust which was used as the filming location for the movie Queen of the Damned. Caulfield North is surrounded by suburbs such as Prahran, Armadale, Malvern, St Kilda East and Elsternwick and has an average property price tag of almost $890,000. It was the home town of TV personality Graham Kennedy, who attended what is now Caulfield Junior College.

Situated just over 10km from Melbourne's CBD, Caulfield East, along with it's northern, central and southern counterparts, is a great location for professionals working in the city or families seeking easy access to public transport and shopping. Home to the Caulfield Racecourse, a railway station, a Monash University campus and Glen Eira College, Caulfield East is bordered by Carnegie, Malvern East and Glen Huntly. There are almost 1500 people residing in the town and the average cost of property here is $560,000.

Home to some 5,000 residents, Caulfield is a well regarded suburb that sits roughly 10km south east of Melbourne's CBD. Along with its Southern, Northern and Eastern counterparts, Caulfield is an expensive area to live and properties here fetch an average of almost $800,000. It is one of Melbourne's best serviced towns in terms of tram and train networks, which link Caulfield with the CBD as well as neighbouring towns such as Elsternwick and Glen Huntly. Ideally suited to professionals and families, Caulfield plays host to an Australian Rules football team.

One of the towns destroyed by the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983, Beaconsfield Upper is today a relatively small rural town with approximately 3,000 residents. Based 45km south east of Melbourne city, Beaconsfield Upper plays host to a golfing country club, primary school and community centre, and enjoys sweeping views across beautiful countryside. It sits between Narre Warren East, Emerald, Dewhurst, Harkaway, Guys Hill, Officer and Pakenham and includes features such as Stoney Creek, tree-lined streets, eucalyptus forests, wetlands and fern gullies.

Set against a backdrop of stunning rolling hills and beautiful rivers and creeks, Beaconsfield is a delightful community located around 45km from Melbourne. Bordered by towns like Harkaway, Guys Hill, Officer, Clyde and Berwick, Beaconsfield is a great location for young families or retirees seeking picturesque living in the Victorian countryside. It is home to almost 4,000 people and boasts its own railway station, a small shopping centre with an Aldo supermarket, an Aussie Rules football team and both a primary school and college.

Typically a middle class suburb in Melbourne's outer east, Bayswater sits 28km from the city and houses over 10,000 residents. Home to four primary schools and a secondary school, the area is best suited to young families. Other features of the town include playgrounds, parks and reserves, football and cricket ovals, netball and tennis courts, a number of shopping centres and supermarkets and a train station. Bayswater sits between Wantirna, Heathmont, Bayswater North, Boronia and Wantirna South. It is 5km from Croydon and has an average property price tag of over $280,000.