What are some of the best things to do/see in Sydney, the Gold Coast, and (especially) Melbourne, Australia?

Question

For my Geography class, we have to plan a 10 day trip to another country. I chose to do Australia.

The only problem is that I'm stuck on what things to do and/or see – especially in Melbourne. In Sydney and the Gold Coast, there are some obvious landmarks to visit, but it doesn't seem that way with Melbourne (at least that I've found so far). Also, since I've never been there, all my information is coming from the internet, which – of course – highlights only the most "touristy" spots. But my hope is to go deeper than JUST the tourist hot spots and do some things/see things that only locals know about.

So, what are those places – the "local gems"? Or, if YOU were planning a trip to those three areas, where would you go and what would you want to see?

Oh, and for reference, the trip is planned for mid July.

Answer 1

Re Melbourne seeing the trip is planned for July you simply must visit the Melbourne Cricket Ground to see Australian Rules Football.  They get big crowds there and it is so exciting to see the way the supporters deck themselves out in the team colours and AFL is the heart and soul of Melbourne - most Melbournians have a team they love and footy is such a big deal in Melbourne - it's worth going just to see the way the supporters carry on - men women and children and painted faces etc.  It is easy access by tram or train from Central Melbourne.   Another must is to go to the Victoria Markets also easy access by tram.   You should also visit the Botanical Gardens spread over a large area and you get to see black swans there too and eels (you can feed them) and a wide array of plants and trees there.   Another touristy thing to do would be to go by train to Ferntree Gully and catch the old steam train which chugs up the Dandenong Ranges to the beautiful Lake Emerald.    Also must go to Crown City Casino for a spot of gambling and eating and drinking.  And don't miss the Melbourne Zoo either.

St.Kilda and Carlton are also good places to visit - Lots of el fresco eateries and Luna Park is at St.Kilda Beach if you like amusement parks.  All of these ideas are easy access to Melbourne Central but I would also suggest a day trip to Phillip Island to see the fairy penguin parade.  Another good spot to go to is the Mornington Peninsular where one side is Bayside beach and the other side is Ocean Beach.

Nearly forgot you must take a trip (a bus trip or car trip) along the Great Ocean Road say down to Lorne - few hours from Melbourne.  Very interesting rock formations and stunning scenery - a highlight of your trip.  You could look up some of these places on the net to get more details like "Great Ocean Road Victoria" Melbourne is in the State of Victoria.  Oh take warm clothes on your trip. Re landmarks well Melbourne is mostly flat and doesn't have a beautiful harbour like Sydney but Melbourne has a heart and soul about it in its people that I feel unmatched in any other Australian Capital City.  Worth seeing inside St.Paul's Cathedral too which is right near another Melbourne icon "Flinders Street Station".  A day at the races too is a good thing to do - yes train to Flemington Race Course where they run the famous "Melbourne Cup" in November - awfully popular that is - a World Class Racecourse.

Answer 2

one thing u must come to westren australia as well

u will like it

i live there

Answer 3

Okay, firstly

Everywhere you go you will find different attractions

Queensland = http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/ ( will show you tourism and travel )

in queensland there are also theme parks on the Gold coast

http://seaworld.myfun.com.au/

http://www.dreamworld.com.au/content/drw...

http://movieworld.myfun.com.au/

http://wetnwild.myfun.com.au/

You also have Carrara markets on the gold coast - that have been here forever, are a must see for people.

We also have the Jupiters Casino, where a lot of people spent their time, and dont forget about our amazing beaches.

Tourists most definatley always check out surfers paradise and in particular cavil avenue.

New South Wales -

Is home to the Sydney Operah House

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Oper...

here is the tourism NSW website: http://corporate.tourism.nsw.gov.au/

http://www.zoo.nsw.gov.au/

Victoria:

- http://www.visitvictoria.com/

it also has the MCG - melbourne cricket ground which is home to many sporting events ( In july the MCG will be home to several Australian football games).

Theres Federation square  a Grand public square, linking the city's business district with the Yarra River, features a "square within the Square," which holds more than 10,000 people at a time.

The Queen Victoria Market is a must see if your in melbourne, their absolutley huge and im sure theres nothing you couldnt find there.

For the shoppers, you have streets like Chapel and Swanston

- which are great places for the tourists and the locals.

In summary, Australia has so much to see and do that i could be pasting websites in here forever, i hope i have at least put you on the right track.

Answer 4

I'm not Aussie so my advice might not be as good as the locals, but I actually did plan a trip to those three cities so I'll try my best. =)

Mid-July is winter in Australia, so Melbourne being rather South is a bit chilly. So if you have an option of when the ten-day trip is, then I'd suggest going with December because that's summer down under and you'll have more options in terms of destinations (especially with beaches, which are a major attraction for Oz travelers). Either way, some things you could probably put in are:

MELBOURNE

- Special Events -- if you're sticking with mid-July then that's when the Melbourne Int'l Film Festival (MIFF) is

- National Gallery of Victoria

- Royal Botanic Gardens

- Parliamentary House of Victoria

- Yarra River

- Melbourne Observation Deck

- Lots of zoos -- Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo

- Also Melbourne is known for its cafe culture and shopping, so you could look up some cafes and shopping destinations

- Great Ocean Road -- it's not really limited to Melbourne as the road is quite long, but it's nearby and I've seen pictures of it in winter and it's absolutely gorgeous

SYDNEY - Sydney Opera House of course, Harbour Bridge, Harbour Bridge Climb, Darling Harbour, Art Gallery of NSW, Rocks & Circular Quay, Taronga Zoo, Bondi/Manly Beach are the most famous beaches but there are plenty of others (too cold to swim in winter, but a walking tour is always an option...personally I like the beach in winter)...also as a day trip you can go to the Blue Mountains

GOLD COAST - Surfers Paradise & Broadbeach...and then just a bunch of theme parks (it's pretty much an Aussie Orlando) - Dreamworld, Sea World, Warner Bros Movie World, etc.

Also helpful are:

http://www.virtualtourist.com

http://travel.yahoo.com

http://www.australia.com

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/a...

Good luck on your assignment!

Answer 5

We went to the central market and the zoo in Melbourne.   Loved them both.     Took a full day to do it but that's all we had.    Would have split it over two days if we had had the time.

http://www.travelsnippetsandmore.com/