The land down under.
Those that have travelled this vast and wide continent will know of the incredible differences that each state has to one another. You can travel the west-coast and traverse through desert plains and tropical paradises, in some cases not seeing a single human face all day. Or maybe you cut right through the heart of the Australian Capital Territory and upwards to the Northern Territory and check out the opal mines in Coober Pedy and onto Australia’s most famous rock “Uluru”. You could even start in far-north Queensland and travel down through its capital city of Brisbane, checking out “Surfer’s Paradise” on the way down until you hit Sydney and have a swim at the iconic “Bondi Beach”.
One thing’s for sure, if you go far enough south through this amazing country you will hit Australia’s biggest and best city- Melbourne.
Melbourne, a diverse culture of passionate sporting fans, fashionistas and coffee connoisseurs has something to offer everyone. Here we list some of the top things to do in Melbourne, Australia.
1. Luna Park
About 15 minutes south of Melbourne’s central business district is the suburb of St Kilda. St Kilda is known for its live music venues, its beaches and of course- the gigantic, gaping mouth that is the entrance to Melbourne’s biggest amusement park, Luna Park.
Luna Park, situated on the foreshore of St Kilda’s large stretch of beach was established in the year 1912 and has been a cornerstone of Melbourne’s history ever since. It is best known for its park entrance which is a gigantic, gaping clown head where patrons walk right through the mouth of the sculpture. It has a scenic rollercoaster that takes passengers at high speeds around the perimeter of the entire park and also holds the claim to being the oldest fully-functioning wooden rollercoaster in the world!
2. Melbourne Sea-life Aquarium
Located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD on the riverbank of the Yarra River is arguably Melbourne’s best family attraction, the Melbourne Sea-life Aquarium. The aquarium has several features including a penguin parade where spectators can watch penguins in their natural environment, behaving like the clever, funny creatures that they are. Along with that is a shark information session where patrons are able to sit and be instructed by one of the venue’s shark experts about the different species of sharks that they have at the aquarium as well as species that live in the Ocean. Then for those that are after a real thrill the aquarium offers a feature that is not for the faint of heart- the opportunity to swim with the sharks!
3. The Eureka Skydeck
What better way to get your bearings in a new city than to stand atop the highest viewing point in the Southern Hemisphere? The Eureka Skydeck offers you just that with awe-inspiring 360 degree views from Melbourne’s tallest building. There is also the optional extra feature “The Edge” that suspends patrons 300 meters above the ground in a glass box with views of the entire city! Patrons have agreed that this is a must-see landmark of Melbourne.
4. The Queen Victoria Markets
The Queen Victoria Markets located in the north of the city has been one of the cornerstones of Melbourne for more than 130 years. It has the quirky history of being located upon much of Melbourne’s Old Cemetery (Don’t worry, the bodies were exhumed and relocated to other cemeteries when the market was built!)The markets are spread out over two city blocks and have everything a shopper needs from cosmetics and clothing, Australia’s best local produce as well as international food stalls. If you don’t know where to start looking the market offers guided tours of each section so you can get the most from your visit.
5. The Melbourne Cricket Ground
Arguably the most iconic landmark in the entire country is The Melbourne Cricket Ground or more commonly known as just “The MCG” or simply “The G”
The MCG was established in 1953 and has arguably the greatest history of any stadium in the world. It is the birthplace of Test Cricket in the country as well as Australia’s greatest past-time, Australian Rules Football (AFL). While we are emphasising on the cricket ground, here’s a place too, that all the cricket enthusiasts can visit. The Meulemans Cricket Centre is a place where you can get all high quality and branded cricketing accessories; a place that is frequented by sportspeople and one that will unleash your inner sportsperson.
The MCG was also the main stadium for the track and field events of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics as well as the 2006 Commonwealth Games. It also hosted the opening and closing ceremonies for both of these iconic events.
The stadium, not only just a sporting venue has also hosted some of the greatest music spectacles in the world including Michael Jackson, U2, Madonna, & The Rolling Stones. And in 1986 Pope John Paul II held a mass at the stadium which attracted around 60,000 people.