What are some good things to do in Melbourne?

Question

my fam is going to melbourne and needs some i deas of thiings to do over there. me and my bro are 12 and 14 so mum and dad wanna know somethings to do that we'll both enjoy. please help!

Answer 1

hi colby, where are you from? it sounds like you are australian (mum not mom). how long will you be in melbourne and when will you be here. what you can do will depend on when you are here and the duration of your stay.

check out the resolved questions, under 'melbourne attractions', there are some good answers there but they are somewhat specific to september. here is the link.

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...

you will also find some other useful links in the answers.

melbourne has many attractions in the city and for day trips. melbourne has many parks and gardens, some grand architecture (during an early phase of melbourne's development in the late 19th century it was the second richest city in the world) and some interesting contemporary architecture such as federation square, and an abundance of activities.

melbourne has a thriving cafe, bar, restaurant and nightclub culture with different localities offering varied experiences and tastes. fitzroy street, the esplanade and acland street in st kilda, chapel street in prahran, brunswick street in fitzroy, victoria street richmond, lygon street carlton and sydney road in brunswick are the most popular.

if you like sport try to get to an afl game, particularly at the mcg. there is aslo a sporting museum there and you can go on a guided tour during weekdays.

if the weather is pleasant you can go boating on the yarra at either fairfield boathouse or studley park. both are reasonably close to the cbd and relatively accessable by public transport.

if you can manage to drag your brothers along then you will probably be able to find an interesting exhibition at one of a number of galleries. the national gallery of victoria on st kilda road just a short walk across the yarra via princess bridge from flinders street station and acmi (the australian centre for moving image, or something similar) have always got something on, and the museum is now located in the heritage listed exhibition building in the carlton gardens, which is a legacy of melbourne's wealthy past and one of only two of it's kind of building left in the world (if i'm not mistaken).

between the national gallery of victoria (ngv) and the yarra is the concert hall and it's spire, a melbourne landmark. behind these is the southbank precint with many cafe's and restaruants and i've stumbled acoss market stalls there on the weekends, and the crown entertainment centre which has more bars, cafe's and restaraunts, shops, nighclubs, and a casino.

in the parklands across the road you could find the sidney myer music bowl, and ampitheatre which plays host to events ranging from carols by candlelight on christmas eve to rock concerts, government house, quite a grand building with beautiful gardens of which you can take a guided tour, the home of the governor, the head of state of victoria, and the botanic gardens. the path around the outside of the botanic gardens, the tan track, is popular for jogging and is a famous training test for afl footballers. a fast time on 'the tan' is highly respected.

oh, and take the opportunity to return to the st kilda road/princess bridge area at night. the trees along st kilda road are illuminated by fairy lights, the spire on the concert hall has lights that constantly change colour, and fireballs erupt along the promenade along the yarra in front of the casino.

don't forget to take a ride on a tram. the city circle around the cbd is good for sightseeing and the tram from st kilda to either coburg or preston (sorry i've forgotten which one) has recently been voted as one of the top ten tram rides in the world (the 2nd best if memory serves correctly).

staying on the railed transport theme but moving away from the city centre, why not take a ride on puffing billy through the dandenong ranges. this scenic recreational/tourist steam train ride through the forested foothills of the mountains to the east of the city can be relatively easily accessed via a regular train from the city to belgrave.

the great ocean road along the west coast of victoria after passing through the city of geelong is an enjoyable and scenic drive that takes you through many smaller towns with spectacular surf beaches and coastline including the 12 apostles (only about 8 remain, unfortunately, and 'london bridge' also fell down). dedicate a whole day for this trip, or make it two and spend a night at port fairy. the inland journey back to melbourne through the victorian countryside is well worth considering.

along the east coast of victoria you will find more spectacular beaches. a day trip, or possibly another two dayer, could take you to wilsons promontry, and squeaky beach, so named because the sand is so fine that it squeaks beneath your feet as you walk over it. also along the east coast a short 2 hour drive from melbourne is phillip island, where you can witness the penguin parade nightly around dusk, as well as enjoy other sight seeing.

and if you enjoy wildlife, apart from melbourne zoo located near the cbd in royal park, easily accessible by train or tram, take a trip to healesville sanctuary. about an hour and a half east of melbourne, healesville sanctuary offers the opportunity to meet some of australia's iconic wildlife such as kangaroos, koalas, and wombats. and don't forget to keep an eye out for some of the colourful and interesting bird life.

for more, and more accurate information consult the official victorian tourism website http://www.visitvictoria.com/ and don't forget to pick up some brochures from the airport, hotel, or tourism victoria office.

oh, and don't forget to take a peek at some of melbourne's world reknowned street art. hosier lane, behind the grand old forum theatre across the road from federation square is one of the highlights when you're in the area.

hmmm, and if you have any time left up your sleeve and are wondering what to do, take a trip to soveriegn hill near ballarat and get a glimpse of life on the goldfields whose produce helped shape the city of melbourne in its infancy.

i hope you enjoy your visit to my city.

Answer 2

There are a whole bunch of places you have to go in Melbourne, that just about every Melbournian has done:

The Victoria Market

The Imax

Soverign Hill (The Gold Mining Village) in Ballarat

Science Works

Luna Park

The Zoo

Heasville Sanctuary

Old Melbourne Gaol

Football game at the MCG

Visit Crown Casino (You don't have to gamble - you can go to the movies!)

The Rialto and Eureka Towers (you can see the whole city)

Federation Square (and you can go on the big Ferris Wheels, they are great fun)

These are all things me and my brother used to do with my parents when we were about you and your brothers age.

Answer 3

melb aquarium is pretty good :) i went there with my g/friend a couple of months ago and Nicolas Cage was walking around with us.

Chadstone shopping centre is a massive shopping centre if ya wanna go shopping, too many shops there!!!! you can get lost in that place :)

werribee animal park, you drive around it, it's like a zoo but all the animals run around on a massive heap of land, you drive round and see them in their (naturalist) habitats.

Phillip island, you can see the pengiun parade, they come to shore, that's pretty cute and funny :)

Luna park, that has rides etc.

If ya heading to warnabool, this time of year you may see whales but be careful of all the beach areas around and on the rocks coz freak waves have been known to come outta no-where and sweep ppl into the ocean and that's usually life threatening and wouldnt make for a great vacation.

Hope you enjoy ya time here, i'm 25 so i mostly love the night life but the things i've suggested are all good fun... i think :)

And, there is a place in the dandenong ranges (near me) called sky high, wicked look out point, you can see the city from it and up that way there is also a place called Rickets reserve. It's where this dude carved awesome sculptures out of rocks and trees of aboriginals. May not sound like much but the sculptures are really good and the drive up the hill is good fun with some good old-fashioned shops.

If ya go up there, i'd suggest you call into the reserve and then head to sky high for a meal and enjoy the view :) if it's cold enough, you may also see some snow up there. Hope ya have a great and safe trip, enjoy and all the best :)

Answer 4

I love visiting Melbourne for holidays so here's some suggestions:

- Great Ocean Road

- Penguins at Phillip Island

- Soverign Hill

- Colonial Tramcar restaurant

- The city circle tram

- The free city tour bus

- Queen Victoria Markets

- Bridge Rd Richmond - Discount shopping

- DFO - Discount Factory Outlet on Spencer St

- Melbourne Central

- Chapel St

- Bourke St mall

- Other city shops

- China town, was there for new year was amazing

- Southbank

- Docklands

- St Kilda beach

- Geelong

- Cruise on the Yarra

- Skydeck

There is definitly plenty to do in Melbourne, you won't get enough time.

Answer 5

There are many interesting to do in Melbourne

-Shopping in City or South Yarra

-The Gold Class Cinema is a very good experience

-There are so many nice restaurant in China Town and also in South Gate

-Driving to the South Coast

-Go to Ballarat You will feel like living in the Old west

-It depends also what they like anyway melbourne is very cosmopolitan.

Answer 6

the zoos good.

the museum, imax, jamie oliver restauraunt, if ur into sport go to the mcg and watch footy lol. immigration museum, healsville sanctuary for australian native wildlife.

national library has events on at the moment i think.

luna park's fun. melbourne aquarium has rides but they're closed at the moment.

the arts center's nice too. and the city circle tram is a nice way to see the whole of melbourne and find other places to go. it's free and has commentary. it's the purple-burgundy tram lol.

have fun in melbourne:)

Answer 7

Try Luna Park, Its good fun with lots of amusement rides.

Science Works can have some interesting things to do sometimes.

The State Library of Victoria often has something interesting on display.

Check out the old melbourne gaol where convicts were actually hundreds of years ago.

There's a few ideas to get you started.

Answer 8

Here is a list of what Melbourne has to offer

The Royal Melbourne Zoo http://www.zoo.org.au/MelbourneZoo

Werribee Open Range Zoo http://www.zoo.org.au/WerribeeOpenRangeZ...

Healesville Sanctuary http://www.zoo.org.au/HealesvilleSanctua...

Melbourne Aquarium http://www.melbourneaquarium.com.au/

Melbourne Museum http://www. museumvictoria.com.au/

National Gallery of Victoria http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au

The State Library of Victoria http://www.slv.vic.gov.au

Luna Park http://www.lunapark.com.au/

Puffing Billy http://www.puffingbilly.com.au/

Fairy Park in Anakie http://www.fairypark.com/

Queen Victoria Market (weekend market)http://www.qvm.com.au/home.php

Scienceworks http://museumvictoria.com.au/Sciencework...

Melbourne Observation Deck http://www.melbournedeck.com.au/

Eureka Tower http://www.eurekatower.com.au

Eureka SkyDeck http://www.eurekalookout.com.au

Rialto http://www.rialto.com.au/

Sovereign Hill http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/

The Old Melbourne Gaol (have a self guided tour or for something more scary go on a night tour (tickets fort this can be bought from ticketek 13 28 49 ) http://www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au

Federation Square http://www.fedsquare.com

Polly Woodside (Melbourne Maritime Museum) http://www.pollywoodside.com.au/

Fitzroy Gardens http://www.fitzroygardens.com/

Botanic Gardens http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/

The Arts Centre ( Easily identified by its 1115m spire, this is the home of the Australian Ballet Company and Melbourne Theatre Company. It also houses the Performing Arts Museum and has a fine collection of Australian art) http://www.theartscentre.com.au/Default

You also gotta go to Phillip Island and check out the Penguin Parade. While in Phillip Island go to Amaze 'n' Things http://www.amazenthings.com.au/

If you are hanging out to do some shopping whilst in Melbourne, not only can you find some bargains at the Queen Victoria Market, but DFO have heaps of designer brands at bargain prices, so you gotta check that out too. http://www.dfo.com.au

Don't forget to go down to Lygon Street for a bite to eat (there are heaps of Italian restaurants and there is an ice cream shop there (sorry I forgot the name of it) where they sell the best ice cream in Melbourne)

If you are after restaurants specialising in cuisines from all corners of the world - From Thailand to Spain, and from Turkey to South America for instance then the place to go is Brunswick Street in Fitzroy

If cakes and pastries are more to your liking, then a definate place you gotta check out is Acland Street in St Kilda. This is a street filled with the best cakes and pastries in Melbourne.

Chinatown is also a place you should check out if you are into Chinese cuisine. Not only this, but you can also go to the Chinese museum, and participate in a Chinatown heritage walk http://www.chinatownmelbourne.com.au/

If you are after a unique dining experience, why don't you try Hard Rock Cafe http://www.hardrockcafe.com.au and T.G.I . Fridays http://www.tgifridays.com.au

For a real memorable dining experience, spend the night at the Titanic Theatre Restaurant in Williamstown (this is worth the money you pay) http://www.titanic.com.au/html/home.html or the Colonial tramcar restaurant http://www.tramrestaurant.com.au/

You can also grab a bite to eat as well as a floorshow at the many theatre restaurants located in and around the city such as Dracula's and Witches in Britches just to name a few.

If your parents feel in the mood for some serious gambling (its your choice), the place to go is Crown Casino. At Crown you can also grab a bite to eat at any of their 40 restaurants, cafes or snack bars, take in a movie at Village Cinema which is located inside Crown Casino, play ten pin bowling at King Pin bowling lounge, play interactive games at Galactic Circus, dance the night away at Fusion and Club Odeon nightclubs or just SHOP, SHOP, SHOP at exclusive designer boutiques such as Versace, Louis Vuitton or Prada just to name a few and other general fashion stores http://www.crowncasino.com.au/

Victoria can be called the sporting capital of Australia as it holds the Melbourne Cup (don't forget to go to one of the weekly race meets at either Flemington, Caulfield

or Moonee Valley while you are in Melbourne), The AFL Grand Final, The Australian Open, The Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Albert Park and the MotoGP at Phillip Island just to name a few sporting events.

You can also find out of things to see and do at Docklands and Waterfront http://www.docklands.com

There are plenty of other things that you can do while in Victoria, just go to the visit victoria website for more details http://www.visitvictoria.com.au or http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au (that sounded like an advertisement just then * ha ha*)

Where else in Australia, can you find all these attractions?

Answer 9

The Zoo.

Be first in.  

Expect to stay all day.

If you are going now while it is cold the animals are out and active.

I was luck and got to sit down beside the very thick plastic type fence which had all the lionesses sprawled up against it enjoying the morning sun and grooming each other.  It was the same as kneeling at a window and them immediately on the other side.  They were yawning and looking at me, and then groomign each other - it was MAGIC.

I spent all day there and it was not enough time.

Do not waste your time on the Australian animals - go for the big game

Ask at the gate for the schedule of talks the keepers give about the animals - it is a one-on-one chat and often the big game animal comes right up to the fence because they know their keeper.

Food is expensive, so take your lunch - then you will have spare money for the special photos (studio) you can buy.

The Zoo is in the centre of Melbourne

It is a day I will not forget - good luck deciding what to do.

Answer 10

There are heaps of museums in Melbourne and at the moment there is a games expo at Federation square that you might be interested in to see What the first Video games were like when they were kids you could challenge them to a game

You could make a family day there are heaps of cool spots just to look at like southbank etc research it on the web and plan what you want to do first as a family this will make your experience more enjoyable.

Answer 11

go to the city - and walk near the crown casino - there are lots of nice restaurants and the walk near the river and over the bridge is really nice. You will have to dress warm though.

At around 9pm on a saturday night, the fire pillars are lit. IT is pretty good to see.

Answer 12

Rialto Tower, Eureka Tower. Both have great observation decks. Um... if you're there in January go the Australian Open lol. Go to Lygon street. That's pretty cool. Look up a chocolatier called 'Koko Black' I love those shops. There's like 3 of them all over the city so... yeh. If you're a fan of 'Neighbours' go on the neighbours tour! Depending on the day (like if they're filmin or not) you can go to the actual street and you can go to the Lassiders (general store, charlies, hotel) compound thing.

Answer 13

go to the smiggle shop it is a stationairy shop it so wicked look up it on google.

Answer 14

- Go to the Ice Bar on Russell St.  Iced everything in there. Family Pack is $90 for family of four.

- Take the free City Circle tram!  it's cute.

- The Melbourne Aquarium is cool.  A lot of big fish and interactive programs there.  

- Eureka Skydeck has the "Edge" - a glass cage that protrudes out horizontally above 88 floors.  It is neat and only $8 for you and bro each.  

- If you are going summer time, swim at Mentone Beach.

Have fun!