Melbourne Things to Do

Standing at Murray’s Lookout on the road to the Mornington Peninsula, clear blue skies made it easy to see the expanse of Port Philip Bay and Melbourne in the distance. It also meant it was going to be a perfect day for donning a swimming cossie and wallowing around in natural thermal pools before being wined and dined at a local winery and chocolatiers.

Read most travel guides about Melbourne and they will dutifully tell you about the “must-see” attractions and the sightseeing experiences you really can’t miss on a trip to Australia’s second city.

Win 2 tickets to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Melbourne on a Melbourne New Year’s Eve Dinner Cruise! See the city light up on a memorable night of fabulous food and marvelous views of fireworks.

Each year Melbourne celebrates the return of the warmer weather with a number of local street festivals. Here’s a list of some of our favourites:

To walk through the doors of Werribee Mansion is to step back in time to the late 1800s and the beginning of European settlement in Australia. A huge Italianate-styled mansion built for wealthy pastoralists in 1877, Werribee Mansion’s grand architecture, formal gardens and carefully restored furniture and furnishings are a fine example of life as it was lived by wealthy settlers in the 19th century.

The Crown Entertainment Complex offers a whole variety of experiences under one roof. Overlooking the city on the Yarra River at Southbank, the complex means different things to different people and includes places to stay, eat, drink, shop and gamble.

Each year Melbourne celebrates its beginnings on Melbourne Day, an annual celebration that marks the founding of the city on August 30, 1835.

If you want to do a spot of touring you can’t find a drive much better than Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Famous for its steep inclines, spectacular views, Bells Beach and the Twelve Apostles, the Great Ocean Road hugs the southern coast of Victoria for 263km (163m).

Melbourne’s bay side suburbs of St Kilda and Brighton have been a playground for Melburnians since the late 1800s.

There are many opportunities for visitors to Melbourne to enjoy the native Australian wildlife. Below we’ve listed several areas where you can encounter some of these critters in Melbourne.