Melbourne for kids

Description:

Part of the large Ibis chain, the real highlight is the location. Perched on the very edge of the CBD, the hotel is within a few minutes walk of the fantastic Queen Victoria Market, which is ideal for breakfast or lunch. Lygon Street with its many Italian restaurants is also extremely close, as is the City Baths which is fully equipped with gym and pool. There are 250 rooms on the premises, some of which (the apartments) have kitchens, which is handy if with a family. There is also parking and wifi access available. .

Description:

Located only five kilometres from the city centre, this farm gives urban kids a real hands-on country experience. Cows, pigs, horses, chickens, lambs and even a donkey are all there large as life and just as smelly! It is a great opportunity to show your little ones where milk and eggs come from before they get to the supermarket shelves. Farm staff are happy to answer questions and will let children touch most of the animals. There is a kiosk or you can bring a picnic lunch.

Our Local Expert Says:

Always green, Melbourne’s Carlton Gardens are the perfect place for a picnic stop between shopping in nearby Fitzroy and visiting the Melbourne Museum.

Description:

Offering some green relief from the nearby Central Business District (CBD), Carlton Gardens remains a lush refuge despite Melbourne's penchant for drought. Giant oak trees sprawl over the 15.92 hectare park, where the young meet for impromptu games of soccer and ducks delight in picnic left-overs.

Straddling Melbourne's CBD and the über cool inner-city suburbs of Fitzroy and espresso haven Carlton, Carlton Gardens can easily slide into your itinerary.

Also home to the Melbourne Exhibition Building and the Melbourne Museum, complete with colourful, rubix cube-esque architecture that injects a shot of rainbow into the green surrounds, the World Heritage listed Carlton Gardens offers more than just a nice place to picnic and throw the Frisbee.

Our Local Expert Says:

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is a must for any serious film buff. Luckily you can leave your black beret at the door because media art has never been so accessible.

Description:

More than a just a refuge for film buffs and gaming geeks, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) provides an interactive multimedia experience for all ages. The world's largest screen gallery, ACMI is devoted to the promotion of innovative cinema, television, new media and games, inviting punters to experience multimedia art with the same consideration often restricted to more traditional art forms.

Opening 2002, ACMI is nestled in Melbourne's iconic Federation Square. Conveniently located opposite Flinders Street Station, it's easy to pop in for a film, talk, creative workshop or exhibition. Get lost in the maze of interactive screen galleries and make your own moving image story.

Our Local Expert Says:

A great place to relax with some sake and watch the spectacles that regularly unfold at Federation Square.

Description:

This place offers mostly organic produce, including some organic wines. Based generally on Japanese-inspired noodle, ramen, and soba dishes to which the kitchen adds meat, chicken, or seafood, it's casual yet particularly satisfying dining. The food is creative, and the view across the square to the Yarra River and Southbank is a delight at dusk.

Description:

The City and Williamstown Ferry offers visitors an historic coastal village experience. Cruise past Melbourne's shipping channels on your journey to the old maritime seaport of Williamstown. Spend the day sipping coffee at a sidewalk café or discovering quaint shops and galleries, before taking a leisurely cruise back to the city.

City to Williamstown
Cruise past Melbourne's shipping channels on your journey to the old maritime seaport of Williamstown. Explore this early colonial settlement, boasting a charming array of restaurants, cafes and galleries amongst picturesque gardens. Take in the stunning waterfront bay views overlooking the coastal waters. Duration: 50 mins to 1 hour.

Williamstown to City Ferry
Depart from this inner city treasure and historic coastal village. Journey across the bay into the Yarra River, past the port and docklands. A wonderful opportunity to see the magnificent vistas of the Melbourne skyline before entering into the hustle and bustle of city life.

Duration: 50 mins to 1 hour

Williamstown and City
For a great day out, take a return trip to or from Williamstown or the city. A wonderful range of activities, restaurants and attractions to explore for everyone....

Description:

With all products made on site, Williamstown Ice Cream Factory is the place to sample the local produce. Most people prefer to enjoy their ice cream walking in the sun, but for those who want it, there is simple white plastic seating indoors. The wall is adorned with a painting of the Nelson Place shopping strip. Choose from 100 flavours of ice cream and gelati or enjoy any of these in a milkshake or sundae. The store also makes colourful and creative ice cream cakes (two-three days notice required).

Description:

Perched on the riverside, Scienceworks hosts a remarkable range of exhibits including the Planetarium, Spotswood Pumping Station and Stayin' Alive. Visitors can compare their strength and stamina with famous Olympians (such as Cathy Freeman), explore the intricacies of the human body, take an interstellar trip where no man has gone before or wander through the huge range of permanent and temporary exhibits. Check the web site or phone for details of what is on. Geared towards families, Scienceworks has free barbecue facilities and picnic areas.

Description:

Part of the large Ibis chain, the real highlight is the location. Perched on the very edge of the CBD, the hotel is within a few minutes walk of the fantastic Queen Victoria Market, which is ideal for breakfast or lunch. Lygon Street with its many Italian restaurants is also extremely close, as is the City Baths which is fully equipped with gym and pool. There are 250 rooms on the premises, some of which (the apartments) have kitchens, which is handy if with a family. There is also parking and wifi access available. .

Our Local Expert Says:

Melbourne’s culinary experience begins at the Queen Victoria Market. Get there early in the a.m. for the freshest produce, and a naughty donut breakfast.

Description:

With no harbour to swoon over, Melbournians pride themselves on cultural pursuits; particularly the kind you can eat. Food is serious business in Melbourne, and the biggest place to shop all things delicious is the Queen Victoria Market. We're talking the usual market chop; hustling hawkers screaming gibberish about a kilo of cherries and fish mongers casting out their catch of the day, but in a city that takes its cuisine with a side of snobbery, it's refreshing (not to mention fun) to see where all the grass roots action takes place.

With endless rows of stalls pushing everything from organic fennel to trashy clip-on koala toys, the vibe is both local and touristy. Young socialites select the perfect harvati for that night's dinner party whilst backpackers flock for a cheap feed from the Bratwurst shop in the Deli Hall.

If you've bought more food than you can carry, skip a couple of aisles over to the Retail Stalls section where clothing and accessories run the show. Tourists delight in Australiana paraphernalia such as sheep skins, moccasins and 'I HEART Melbourne' t-shirts (note: under no circumstances are these to be worn in Melbourne).

Accessible by the any tram heading... read more

Our Local Expert Says:

The phrase “white maggot” might be useful when visiting Melbourne’s premiere sporting grounds, the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Remember, only scream it at the umpire, not the big, angry fan sitting next to you.

Description:

Home to Melbourne's sporting obsession, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has seen heartache, triumph and grown men cry. A world class sporting facility, the MCG has hosted endless cricket matches, including the first ever Test match, and provides a base for the apple in Melbourne's eye; Australian Football League (AFL).

To understand the Melbourne psyche, attendance at an AFL match during from late autumn to early spring is mandatory. Buff men run around in very tight shorts as 100,000 drunk men in the stands scream profanities at the umpire - this is the real Melbourne, and as some Melbournians would see it, the real Australia.

Sports fan or not, the grounds are impeccably kept and the air of sporting history has bled into every seat. If you'd prefer to avoid the fanatic sports fans, best opt for a tour of 'The G', departing from Gate 3 on all non-event days. The tour includes the National Sports Museum, the Olympic Museum, Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and the Melbourne Cricket Club Museum.

Our Local Expert Says:

Feeling adventurous? Contact the zoo about their Roar 'n Snore offer where you'll camp and be wined and dined in the old elephant enclosure. Take a guided night tour to see and hear the zoo come alive after dark.

Description:

This novel idea sees the Melbourne Zoo extend its opening hours for special twilight jazz concerts on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors can tour the animal exhibits (except for the platypus and gorilla enclosures) and take a peek at the nocturnal life of the creatures, before heading to the bandstand to hear some of Australia's top jazz performers with lions roaring and birds shrieking in the background. There are also special talks by zookeepers on nocturnal wildlife and barbecues available for an evening meal. Or you can ring in advance and book a picnic hamper.

Description:

Part of the large Ibis chain, the real highlight is the location. Perched on the very edge of the CBD, the hotel is within a few minutes walk of the fantastic Queen Victoria Market, which is ideal for breakfast or lunch. Lygon Street with its many Italian restaurants is also extremely close, as is the City Baths which is fully equipped with gym and pool. There are 250 rooms on the premises, some of which (the apartments) have kitchens, which is handy if with a family. There is also parking and wifi access available. .

Our Local Expert Says:

More than a seaside suburb, St Kilda is a cultural hub with far too many cafés, bars and restaurants to choose from. Best take a tram so you can really enjoy your wine when watching the sunset over the bay.

Description:

The seaside suburb of St Kilda sparkles with pretty young things that make like its summer, despite the cruelties of a Melbourne winter. The current popularity of St Kilda's main drag owes its infamy to the 1950s when St Kilda was known for its illicit drug deals and prostitution. The smut allowed for the creatives to move in, an artistic history that still resonates with the creative, laid back vibe of St Kilda today.

A café strip, the street is turned inside out with outdoor dining and drinking favoured. The seaside rests quietly behind the hustle of Acland Street and the giant mouth of the Luna Park fun park, and is best enjoyed with an ice-cream and stroll along the boardwalk at dusk.

Start with brunch at Il Fornaio at No. 1 Acland Street before heading up to Linden Centre for Contemporary Art at No. 26. Take your time meandering Acland and Gray Streets for fashion and fine coffee before enjoying an afternoon beverage in the sun at the iconic Vineyard. For unbeatable sea views, dinner at The Stokehouse on the water's edge is the easiest way to ensure your fish is fresh.

St Kilda is best accessed by tram. Take the number 96 or the 112.

Description:

With (arguably) the best location in Melbourne--St Kilda's foreshore--the Stokehouse is a perfect spot for a meal with friends or family. Inside it is roomy but cozy; noisy, and still romantic; simple but colorful. Somehow it pulls it all off! Sitting outside, it is a bliss to watch the rollerbladers cruising into the sunset. Although the quality of the food downstairs can be inconsistent, you will always get a good pizza, pasta, meat, seafood or vegetarian meal to savor. The dining room upstairs offers a much higher standard of food for those who like the quality of their meal to match the view.

Our Local Expert Says:

Rev-heads and motorcycle enthusiasts descend on Phillip Island during the second weekend in October for the carnival-like atmosphere of the Australian MotoGP. A rite of passage for motorcycle riders, they make the long journey from interstate and camp around the course.

Description:

About a three-hour drive southeast of Melbourne is another of Victoria's natural playgrounds. Cowes is Phillip Island's largest town and focal point, with its scenic Isle of Wight hotel, cafés, restaurants and "lover's walk". It also houses the hordes of visitors who come to see the rugged "Nobbies", Seal Rocks and the hugely popular Penguin Parade. Other attractions include the surf beaches, idyllic fishing spots, Kingston Park Zoo, a koala reserve and numerous small farms, museums and galleries. Each year in October, the island's tranquillity is interrupted when the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix brings thousands of visitors to town.