Showing 1-11 of 11 results
-
Birrarung Marr
Featuring grassy knolls, river promenades and indigenous plants, Birrarung Marr is a welcome addition to the patchwork of parks and gardens around the city. And just to prove that all roads lead to a sporting dome, the William Barak Bridge connects the CBD to the MCG, and the promenade park runs along to the Melbourne and Olympic Park sporting precinct.
-
Carlton & United Breweries
Kind of like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for adults, the Foster's beer-brewing empire runs two-hour tours of its Abbotsford operations. Enormous vats of beer, 30m wide, make the mind boggle. And the super-fast bottling operation may make you dizzy - and that's before the few free sample drinks included in the tour price. Bookings are advised. Tours run at and Monday to Friday and leave from the Carlton Brewhouse.
-
Collingwood Children's Farm
This is a fine way to teach the kids that milk and eggs don't just come from a carton. Here, they can interact with chickens, goats, earthworms, cows, lambs and ponies. The farm is set in a beautiful nook by the Yarra River, in the grounds of the glorious Abbotsford Covent - a community-arts centre. Its veggie gardens and orchard promote sustainable farming practices, a theme carried through to the Farmers' Market (tel:5657 2337; admission around A$2 ). Held every second Saturday of the month from to , it peddles organic goods grown or made by the stallholders.
-
Luna Park
There's still a hint of the sideshow, carny atmosphere at this historic amusement park. Luna Park opened in 1912, sporting the impressive façade of Mr Moon flanked by oriental-style towers. Mr Moon's gaping mouth is still the park entrance - and it's arguably creepier than the ghost-train's quaint cobwebs and glow-in-the-dark skeletons.
-
Melbourne & Olympic Parks
Seats and stages at these big-event stadiums morph to suit singers, cyclists and circuses - accommodating tens of thousands of fans between them. Melbourne Park comprises Vodafone Arena, the multipurpose venue with a retractable roof, and Rod Laver Arena, home to the Australian Open in January.
-
Melbourne Aquarium
City-slicker sea life, a long way from home, lives very publicly at the Melbourne Aquarium. Rays, gropers and sharks cruise around their 2.2-million-litre tank, watched closely by visitors in the see-through tunnel that traverses the aquarium floor. You can also scuba dive, so occasionally you'll see a troupe of brave souls walking by on the other side of the glass.
-
Melbourne City Baths
Known for the swimming pool, squash courts and gymnasium, the City Baths were literally public baths when they first opened in 1860. They were intended to stop people bathing in and drinking the seriously polluted Yarra River. The baths were rebuilt on the same site in 1903 with separate entrances for men and women, as well as separate bathing areas: basement baths for the rabble and first-class baths upstairs.
-
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne's coliseum, the MCG, regularly pulls crowds of 50,000 to 80,000. The 'G' is the jewel in the sporting precinct's crown .
-
Melbourne Sport Tours
Footy fiends get to touch the turf at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and smell the liniment in the change rooms on the half-day Sports Lovers Tour. But not before checking out the track at Flemington Racecourse, cruising by the Commonwealth Games Village and driving Albert Park's Grand Prix circuit - albeit in a bus.
-
Optus Oval
The last surviving suburban ground, Optus Oval, in Princes Park , has been Carlton's home venue and training base since the club entered the league competition in 1897. The Blues still train but no longer play here. It accommodates 35,000 fans, and is the closest suburban ground to the city.
-
Advertisement
-
Telstra Dome
This stadium sees a few AFL matches as well as rugby, cricket and concerts. It boasts whizzbang facilities, including a retractable roof. You can find out exactly how long it takes to close the roof and who makes the call to close it by taking a Dome Tour (8635 7277; adult/child/concession/family around A$13 /around A$6 /10/33). The tour is offered three times daily on weekdays; check the website or phone for details.
Showing 1-11 of 11 results
