There’s a window between mid-March and late May when Victoria turns into a completely different state. The heat drops off, the leaves go gold and copper, and suddenly those rolling hills that looked baked yellow in February are green again.

I’ve driven most of the well-known routes - the Great Ocean Road, the Great Alpine Road, the Goldfields loop. But Victoria’s smaller roads are where autumn really shows off. Here are four road trips I keep coming back to, each doable in a long weekend or less.

1. The Upper Yarra Valley to Lake Mountain

Distance: About 160km round trip from Melbourne Time: 2-3 days recommended

Most people think of the Yarra Valley as a day trip for wineries. And it is. But push past Healesville and keep going east toward Warburton and you’ll find yourself in some of Victoria’s best autumn scenery.

The Warburton Rail Trail is perfect for a morning walk or cycle - old railway corridor lined with deciduous trees that go absolutely brilliant in April. The town itself has solid cafes and a couple of good pubs.

From Warburton, the road up to Lake Mountain (about 40 minutes) is worth the detour. You won’t get snow in autumn, but you’ll get misty mountain views and empty walking tracks. The Summit Walk is an easy 3km loop through sub-alpine woodland.

Stop at Yarra Junction on the way back for a pie at the bakery. It’s old-school country town stuff, and the pies are legitimately good.

2. The Goldfields Triangle: Ballarat to Daylesford to Castlemaine

Distance: About 200km loop Time: 3 days is ideal

This one’s a classic, but it hits different in autumn. The avenue of honour in Ballarat - 22 kilometres of trees planted for WWI soldiers - is one of Australia’s most underrated sights when the elms start changing colour.

Daylesford in autumn is quieter than the tourist-heavy weekends of summer. The lake is great for an early walk, and the town’s restaurant scene punches way above its weight. I always end up at Koukla for dinner.

Castlemaine is the gem though. It’s got this creative, slightly eccentric energy - galleries, vintage shops, a genuinely excellent theatre scene at the Theatre Royal. The Castlemaine Art Museum is worth a solid couple of hours.

Between the three towns, the backroads pass through some gorgeous country. Rolling farmland, old stone bridges, roadside honesty stalls selling apples and firewood. Take the Midland Highway south from Castlemaine and you’ll pass through Harcourt, which produces some of the best cider apples in the state.

3. The Gippsland Lakes and Buchan Caves

Distance: About 350km one way from Melbourne Time: 3-4 days

East Gippsland doesn’t get nearly enough attention, and autumn is the perfect time to visit. The summer crowds have gone, the weather’s mild, and the light in the late afternoon is something else.

Start in Bairnsdale and head to Paynesville for a morning on the water. The Gippsland Lakes are Australia’s largest inland waterway system - 400 square kilometres of interconnected lakes. Hire a boat for a few hours or take the ferry across to Raymond Island, where you’ll see more koalas than people.

From there, drive north to Buchan. The Buchan Caves are genuinely spectacular - limestone formations that took millions of years to form. The guided tours run daily and cost about $28 per adult. Royal Cave is the highlight.

The campground at Buchan Caves Reserve is basic but well-maintained, and sleeping under those massive old eucalypts with a fire going is about as good as camping gets.

4. The Mornington Peninsula Interior

Distance: About 120km from Melbourne Time: 1-2 days

Everyone does the Mornington Peninsula as a coastal thing - beach boxes, hot springs, fish and chips at Portsea. But the interior of the peninsula has its own thing going on, especially in autumn.

Red Hill is the epicentre. The orchards and vineyards around here are gorgeous in March and April. The Red Hill Community Market runs on the first Saturday of each month and it’s one of the best farmers’ markets in Victoria. Get there early.

Main Ridge and Merricks are worth exploring for the cellar doors alone. Montalto is my favourite for lunch - great wine, excellent restaurant, and sculpture gardens where you can walk off the meal.

For something different, the Bushrangers Bay walk near Cape Schanck is a cracker. It’s about 6km return through coastal scrub to a wild, rocky beach. In autumn the track’s less crowded and the sea is dramatic without being dangerous.

Tips for Autumn Driving in Victoria

A few practical things I’ve learned the hard way:

• Weather changes fast. I’ve had 25-degree sunshine turn into 10-degree fog in the space of an hour in the highlands. Pack layers.
• Daylight savings ends in April. It gets dark earlier than you’d expect. Plan your driving accordingly.
• Book accommodation midweek. Small-town stays in Victoria book out for weekends, even in the shoulder season. Midweek is cheaper and quieter.
• Fuel up when you can. Once you’re past the main towns, servos can be sparse. Don’t assume the next town has one.

Victoria’s autumn is short, but it’s the state’s best-kept secret for road tripping. The colours are real, the roads are quiet, and you can cover remarkable variety in a few days.

Pack the car. You won’t regret it.