Melbourne, Australia

Australia's second-largest city, Melbourne, capital of Victoria, is the most European in style with trams rattling through streets past Victorian buildings, parks and outdoor cafes. The city centre is laid out in a simple grid pattern, the long, wide north-south streets gently sloping down to the Yarra River, crossed by a mix of narrow lanes, and the main shopping streets such as Bourke and Collins Streets. 



The CBD is easily navigable by foot, and if a rest is needed after a session of sightseeing or shopping there are numerous parks nearby, such as the Royal Botanical Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens and Carlton Gardens. 



Alternatively, you can take one of Melbourne's signature attractions, a tram. The burgundy-coloured City Circle tram is free, and is a good way to get your bearings as well as explore the inner city, while for those wanting to go further afield the tram network extends about 10 miles (15km) into the Melbourne suburbs.



Melbourne's population of over three million is made up of a variety of cultures, including Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese, Lebanese and Greek, who have all added their touch to this thriving city. A fierce rivalry exists between the cities of Melbourne and Sydney, but local residents bask in the satisfying knowledge that Melbourne beats Sydney hands-down on the cultural front, noted for its wide variety of high standard performing arts, as well as its sport. 



The city plays host to world-renowned sporting events like the Melbourne Cup, Australian Open Tennis and Qantas Australia Grand Prix. Around the city, within an hour's drive, there are numerous places worth visiting, including the Macedon Ranges, which is Australia's spa capital with its world-renowned mineral springs, as well as the spectacular Great Ocean Road along the coast, which passes stunning rock formations such as the Twelve Apostles. One of the most popular self-drive routes for tourists to follow is the circular Great Southern Touring Route, which includes spectacular scenery and takes in some of Victoria's most beautiful, scenic and cultural attractions.

Melbourne Attractions The second largest city in Australia, Melbourne is brimming with a wide variety of attractions to enthral just about every kind of traveller. Whatever your taste or interest, there is bound to be something in Melbourne for you. Art lovers will enjoy the National Gallery of Victoria, history buffs will enjoy touring through the Old Melbourne Gaol and culture vultures will go love exploring the Chinese and Melbourne Museums. Those with a fear of heights should steer clear of the Eureka Tower, Melbourne's tallest building offering panoramic views of the city from the 88th floor - a sight to behold! Children of all ages will love the Melbourne Zoo which boasts over 350 different species of animals and a day in the Royal Botanical Gardens is not to be missed. Visitors keen on sightseeing will do well to purchase a Melbourne and Beyond Smartvisit card, which enables the bearer to gain free admission to over 60 of Melbourne's top attractions as well as a full-colour travel guide. Free public transport is also available and is valid for the duration of the pass. The pass is available in 1, 2, 3 and 7 day durations starting at A$69 for adults and A$49 for children. Cooks' Cottage This cottage was originally built in the village of Great Ayton in Yorkshire, England, in 1755 by James and Grace Cook, the parents of Captain James Cook. When the cottage was offered for sale in 1933 it was bought by a prominent Melbourne...  see full details Yarra River A visit to Melbourne would not be complete without a good look at its main river system, the Yarra River. Often the centre of many jokes due to its brownish colour, it is actually not dirty, just muddy. The Yarra has become the...  see full details Old Melbourne Gaol Victoria's oldest surviving remand prison gives visitors a chilling insight into prison life in a model 19th-century gaol. Behind the thick and forbidding walls Ned Kelly, the infamous bushranger, was one of 135 men and women who were hanged on the gaol's scaffold. Visitors...  see full details Eureka Tower The Eureka Tower is the tallest building in Melbourne and the tallest residential building in the world, standing at just over 984ft (300m) tall, offering 360-degree views over the city. There is a public observation deck on level 88, the Skydeck, which affords visitors...  see full details Melbourne Museum A fascinating museum complex situated in the Carlton Gardens, the Melbourne Museum is the largest in Australia, with over 30 different exhibits covering history, culture, science, animals and more. Its most notable galleries include the Bunjilaka, which explores the history of Aboriginal culture in...  see full details Federation Square Occupying a whole city block, Federation Square is one of Melbourne's major attractions. A cultural nucleus, Federation Square hosts over 2,000 events a year, in its outdoor public spaces, St Paul's Court and The Square and vibrant covered space, the Atrium. Renowned for its...  see full details Queen Victoria Market If you are planning a picnic at Birrarung Marr or the Botanic Gardens or just looking for some affordable souvenirs, head to the Queen Victoria market, one of the largest open-air markets in the Southern Hemisphere, with almost 50 percent of the market...  see full details Melbourne Zoo Housing more than 350 different animal species, Melbourne Zoo is a worthy stopover, in a country famous for nature conservation and interesting diversity of animals. Built in 1862, certain areas of the zoo have been preserved as historic zones, demonstrating to visitors the significant...  see full details Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is one of the most impressive stadia in the world, and is well worth a visit, even for non-sporting types. Originally built in 1853 for the Melbourne Cricket Club (who are still based at the MCG), the stadium...  see full details Melbourne Day Trips Ballarat This historic town of great elegance and charm is the gateway to the goldfields. The name is an Aboriginal word meaning 'resting place', which is well suited because a tranquil lake and botanical gardens are the focal point of the city. The main Avenue of Honour is lined with 4,000 trees as a memorial to citizens who served in World War I. The city is steeped in the history of the Gold Rush era. Visitors enjoy the Eureka Trail, a two-mile (3km) walk that retraces the route taken by the police and soldiers during the Australian rebellion of the Eureka stockade in 1854. It is also possible to undertake a self-guided Heritage Walk through the inner city's streets. Great Ocean Road From Melbourne one of the most popular self-drive routes for tourists to follow is the circular Great Southern Touring Route, which includes spectacular scenery and takes in some of Victoria's most beautiful, scenic and cultural attractions. The first part of the route hugs the coastline going south along the Great Ocean Road, renowned for its coastal scenery, passing lush Otways rainforests and on to the magnificent limestone rock sculptures known as the Twelve Apostles in the Port Campbell National Park. Other attractions along the Great Ocean Road include the historic villages of Port Campbell, Queenscliff, Portland and Port Fairy, as well as resort towns and coastal cities such as Torquay, Apollo Bay, Geelong and Warrnambool. Grampians National Park The lofty summits and ridgelines of the Grampians region provide for some inspiring natural beauty in a park that is home to a variety of habitats, unique wildlife and more than one third of all plant species found in Victoria. The park is particularly well known for its colourful displays of springtime wildflowers, particularly during October. There is an abundance of wildlife in the lowlands, including emus, kangaroos, possums, koalas, wallabies and more than 200 species of bird. The park also has some interesting Aboriginal art sites among its 167,000 hectares of woodland, heath, swamp, forest and sub-alpine zones. Melbourne Events Australian Open Tennis Championships What started out as the Australasian Championships in 1905 has become what is known today as the Australian Open. It has been staged at six different venues: New Zealand, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. Since 1972, the tournament has been held every year...  see full details Chinese New Year Festival With over 10,000 residents in Melbourne speaking a Chinese language at home, it is no wonder that the annual Chinese New Year Festival attracts thousands of exhilarated festivalgoers, who come to celebrate the dawn of a new year. With colourful floats, dancing and singing...  see full details St Jerome's Laneway Festival A unique rock festival with a twist that is taking the cities of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide by storm, the St Jerome's Laneway Festival brings music and culture lovers together for one unforgettable day, to get up close and personal in one...  see full details Melbourne Writers Festival The Melbourne Writers Festival is city's premier literary event, marking its 25th anniversary in 2010. Every year the festival draws together well known and talented writers, artists, thinkers and performers from around the world. There is generally something for every lover of good writing,...  see full details Melbourne International Arts Festival Melbourne's International Arts Festival is recognised as a leader of its kind in the country, presenting unique national and international experiences of dance, theatre, music, opera, and visual arts, most of it free and offered outdoors during October each year. ...  see full details Melbourne Cup Melbourne's premier turf event is not just any old horse race. The annual Melbourne Cup has been variously billed as 'the celebration that stops a nation', and 'Australia's most famous Tuesday'. The race is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere, and draws interest from...  see full details Moomba Waterfest Melbourne's biggest and brightest annual event, with a hearty tradition of free family fun, pays tribute to the important role water plays in citizen's lives. Each year the programme for the four-day fair grows bigger and better, with activities like open-air movie shows, giant...  see full details Australian F1 Grand Prix Motorsport fans have a real treat when it comes time for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at the superb modern Albert Park Lake circuit. The main race is the first on the annual Formula One schedule, and forms the centrepiece of four...  see full details Melbourne International Comedy Festival Visitors come to Melbourne from all over the world for a good laugh during the city's International Comedy Festival, when the downtown precincts turn into a melee of mirth provided by comic artists in a feast of funny stand-up, theatre, cabaret, street entertainment, art...  see full details Nightlife Melbourne has a vibrant nightlife encompassing cocktail lounges, pubs, underground dance clubs and international theatre productions. There is no distinct party area, with various venues and attractions dispersed throughout the city. The Young & Jackson pub is famous for its central location and renowned nude portrait of Chloe, while Portland Hotel brews its own selection of beers. In the west-end, Mitre Tavern is one of the oldest pubs in the city. Meyers Place bar is unsigned but very popular, as is the Kitten Club, a favoured Melbourne cocktail lounge. Gin Palace offers celebrated Martini tasting to patrons. Ffour combines club, cocktail bar and multi-media gallery, and the Melbourne Supper Club is also a trendy spot. Other popular venues include the Croft Institute, Misty Place and Double O. Shows like We Will Rock You and Phantom of the Opera can be enjoyed at places such as the Princess and Regent theatres. The Art Centre hosts orchestral music, the EQ Café bar and the Alfred Brash Sound House, while the Looney Bin has a bar and comedy cabaret.