Take A Heritage Walk Or Visit The Melbourne Museum

Attractions

Melbourne is a city that knows how to live. Choose from high-end cuisine to low brow rock gigs, plays, festivals and blockbuster sporting events, all taking place across a city full of parks, gardens and historic architecture.

Laneways and byways
Explore historic arcades and laneways lined with fine dining restaurants, chic cafes, hidden bars and fashion boutiques or head to one of the many lush gardens throughout the city.

Cheer on your heroes
Discover Melbourne's obsession with football, cricket, soccer and just about anything else that involves working up a sweat. Head to the sports precinct to visit the hallowed ground of the MCG.

Festival fever

In Melbourne everything has its own festival. From food, film, art and music festivals to celebrations of writing, anime, design and projections -get involved and experience the city through the arts.

Nature & wildlife
A quiet corner
Wander the tree-lined pathways through the Treasury and Fitzroy gardens or enjoy the sculptured terraces of Birrarung Marr, Melbourne's newest garden situated on the shoulder of the Yarra River. For a truly Alice in Wonderland escape, head to the Royal Botanic Gardens - an ornamental labyrinth of lawns, weaving paths and venerable old trees.

Friends in the foliage
Melbourne's gardens are also home to a host of bird, animal and aquatic life, but for a more formal introduction to native Australian wildlife and other locally-found or more exotic species, visit the internationally acclaimed Melbourne Zoo. As well, the state-of-the-art Melbourne Aquarium harbours thousands of creatures from the Southern Ocean.

Beaches
Relax in the summer sun on calm bay beaches across Melbourne from the popular swimming spots and shoreside diners at St Kilda to the colourful landmark bathing huts at Brighton. Most beaches are patrolled by surf life savers during the warmer months, school and public holidays.

POPULAR MELBOURNE BEACHES
St Kilda Beach
One of the most popular of the Port Phillip Bay beaches, St Kilda is a wide, sandy beach that is suitable for swimming and a host of other activities. St Kilda Pier is a favourite for promenading and taking in excellent city skyline views and fabulous sunsets. A ferry service operates to Williamstown and Southbank whilst, the marina has extensive boating facilities, including ramps. Nearby reserves have picnic, barbecue and play facilities and there are paths suitable for bicycling, walking and rollerblading.

Brighton Beach
This long stretch of safe, sandy bay swimming beaches includes Dendy Street beach, Middle Brighton and Brighton beaches. The area is famous for quaint colourful bathing boxes along the beach set against the spectacular Melbourne city skyline. Extensive foreshore reserves have barbecue and play facilities. There is windsurfing, yachting and boating and a walking and cycling path.

Port Melbourne, South Melbourne and Middle Park
These sandy, swimming beaches on the bay are close to central Melbourne. With playgrounds as well as walking and bicycle paths, they make up a series of favourite 'top of the bay' beaches. Some areas allow off-leash dog walking and Middle Park is also a popular spot for kitesurfing and beach volleyball.

Kerford Road
An extremely popular stretch of wide, sandy Port Phillip Bay swimming beach that has special zones that exclude boating, power ski and sailboard to protect swimmers. There is also a playground and a walking and cycling path.

Elwood
An excellent sandy bay beach for swimming, sailing and boating. Extensive foreshore reserves have barbecue, picnic and play facilities. There is a walking and cycling path and boat ramps nearby.

Williamstown
This expansive bay swimming beach is located next to a series of excellent reserves. There are opportunities for other water-based leisure activities, as well as nearby barbecue and playground facilities.

SUBURBAN BEACHES

Altona
A popular bay swimming beach with a special 'no-boat' zone and the opportunity for many water-based recreational activities. Nearby are boating and yachting facilities (including a six-lane boat ramp), jetties, barbecues and playgrounds.

Beaumaris
This safe, sandy bay swimming beach is also a popular yachting and boating area. Ricketts Point and Table Rock Point are prominent natural features and there is a foreshore reserve with picnic, barbecue and play facilities, as well as a walking and cycling path.

Bonbeach
This sandy bay beach is close to major boating facilities at Patterson River.
Carrum

A popular, safe sandy bay swimming beach near the mouth of Patterson River. There are excellent boating facilities, including launch ramps, mooring and refuelling stops and the foreshore reserves have picnic, barbecue and play facilities.

Hampton
A safe, sandy bay swimming beach with a popular boating and sailing area. The extensive foreshore reserve has barbecue and playground facilities, and there is also a walking and cycling path.

Mentone
A safe, sandy bay swimming beach with a popular area nearby for water-skiers. The extensive foreshore reserve area has picnic, barbecue and play facilities, as well as a walking and cycling track.

Mordialloc
This wide, safe sandy bay swimming beach is a popular area for boating. There are boat ramp facilities nearby and an excellent foreshore reserve with picnic, barbecue and play facilities. There are also beaches at Aspenvale, Edithvale and Chelsea.

Sandridge
This sandy, swimming beach is located on the bay between Webb Dock and Princes Pier on Hobsons Bay. The nearby reserves offer picnic and barbecue facilities.

Sandringham and Black Rock
These long, safe sandy bay beaches have excellent boating and marina facilities. The extensive foreshore reserve area is perfect for picnics, and there is also a walking and cycling path.

Werribee South
The bay beach is popular for boating, with an all-weather, all-tide, multi-lane launch ramp and jetty. There is a power ski ramp and zone nearby, and also a playground, reserve and barbecue facilities.