Melbourne is the neatest city – it’s modern, sophisticated, and artsy. It’s the second largest city in Australia and boasts a nifty China Town, the largest free community festival in Australia – the Moomba Festival, the home base for the Australian Open, and the fiercely loved Melbourne Rebels rugby team. Like Sydney, the people are lovely and friendly; they adore their city and love to show it off, going so far as to offer a free bus service around the center area of town. And, if you’re lucky like me, your wonderful cousin lives in Melbourne, which made the city all the better. Here’s the stops you shouldn’t miss:
Parliament House: Don’t miss a free tour of the Parliament House, located on Spring Street in East Melbourne. It currently serves as the Victorian Parliament chambers. Parliament offers three different tours, all free; the Public Tour, Express Tour, and Group Tour.
The Public Tour is offered every weekday when the Parliament is not sitting at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. To see sitting days go here. This tour is limited to the first 25 people.
The Express Tour is designed for people who don’t have a ton of time and/or speak limited English. The tour lasts only 20 minutes and there is limited commentary. These tours are offered every weekday when Parliament is not sitting at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Group Tours are offered for groups of 6 or more and must be booked in advance. Group tours are available every weekday when Parliament is not sitting at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., Noon, 2:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. Unlike the Express Tour and the Public Tour, Group Tours are allowed to see Parliament when they are sitting on Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. (Question Time), 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 7:45 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. (Question Time), 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
The guides are friendly and knowledgeable. You are free to take pictures in most areas of Parliament and can even sit in the Parliament seats. It’s a great way to learn about the State of Victoria and how the Australian government functions.
Penguin Parade: Make sure you take time to embark on the “Penguin Parade” located on Phillip Island to watch the most adorable little penguins waddle their way out of the ocean at sunset. Phillips Island Nature Park is located about an hour and a half from Melbourne and exists to promote conservation of areas of natural interest or beauty or of scientific, historic or archaeological interest. An area that used to be dotted in vacation homes, the nature park is now a sanctuary for birds, koalas, possums, fur seals, and of course…penguins.
The penguins you will see on Phillips Island are called “Little Penguins”; there are roughly 32,000 on Phillips Island. They are the smallest species of penguin, growing only up to about 17 inches in length. The main predator of the little penguins are large predatory birds that circle around waiting for them to emerge from the sea. Consequently, the little penguins wait until around Sunset to break away from the comfort of the sea and run (literally) back to their burrows in the sand.
Phillips Island Nature Park is laid out in such a way that you can watch this fascinating nightly routine with your own eyes. The nature park offers a few different opportunities to see these little guys in action. You can (1) pay simply $25.10 (Australian) for the self-guided tickets with general viewing of the penguins, (2) you can do the “Penguin Parade,” which costs $47.20 (Australian) which gets you on to an exclusive viewing platform, or (3) you can purchase underground viewing tickets for $60.00 which allows you to view the penguins from an underground area beneath the viewing platform. Purchase tickets here.
We highly recommend doing at least the Penguin Parade, if not, both the Penguin Parade and the underground viewing. This is one of the most popular Melbourne side attractions and it gets crowded. Doing a self-guided tour is simply not worth your money – you don’t get any kind of tour guide to answer questions and tell you about the penguins and you are lucky if you get anyhwere near the front row to see the penguins. It’s worth it to pay the extra and snag a seat on the platform.
One big rule: NO PICTURES.
Yarra Valley Wine Tour: This is a fun side trip from Melbourne that allows you to learn about and indulge in some of the best Yarra Valley wines. The Yarra Valley is about one hour east of Melbourne; its cool climate and sprawling land is ideal for grape growing and has produced some of the top wines in Australia.
The company offers public tours for $140 (9:30 am to 4:30 pm) or $110 (10:30 am to 3:30 pm). We chose to do the shorter public tour but we would recommend doing the longer one as we did not get to spend as much time at the wineries as we would have liked. The company also offers private tours, group tours, and corporate group tours. Check them all out here.
We toured three wineries, all unique and fun. Our first stop was Rochford, a more modern style winery with a restaurant, cafe, retail shop and amphitheater. We had a nice lunch here and sipped on their 2015 Cerberus and 2016 Rosé. Our next stop was Dominique Portet, an adorable little winery with a Mediterranean atmosphere and some excellent wine selections. As we were tasting, we were treated to a very informative introduction and lesson on the wines and how they are made. The young man giving the introduction was very knowledgable; it was a nice addition to the tasting.
Our last stop was my favorite, Yering Farm, a cute rustic winery in a 100 year-old refurbished hay shed. It is family owned and functions as a farm as well, offering wine tours, different types of events, and weddings. What made this winery my favorite was not the wine however…when we walked into the re-designed hay shed, sitting on the couch was a lamb named Arnie. He was the hit of the tour for everyone.
Old Melbourne Gaol: Located on Russell Street between Victoria and La Trobe Streets is the Old Melbourne Gaol (pronounced “jail”; “goal” is the old British spelling of “jail”). Old Melbourne Gaol, now a museum, was a prison that operated between 1842 and 1929. It housed some of Australia’s most infamous criminals including Ned Kelly and Frederick Bailey Deeming.
The prison museum is somewhat creepy; the old fashioned accommodations and punishment tactics will make you appreciate the 8th amendment like never before. Despite this, the museum is full of history and interesting things to learn.
As you stroll around, you can go inside the old cells which now contain informative billboards and artifacts, check out the beam from which numerous executions by hanging took place, and read extensively about Ned Kelly.
If you have time, stroll down the street and check out the Watch House, the place where felons were brought to first face justice after being arrested. Participate in the roughly 40 minute “arrest experience,” where a real Charge Sergeant “arrests” you, books you in and puts you in jail. It’s a little scary, so pause before taking any kids under 13. At the end you get to take a booking photo.
Restaurants: We recommend The Mess Hall for breakfast, located at the top end of Bourke Street. For lunch check out The Crafty Squire on Russell Street. When dinner time rolls around, make a stop at Supernormal, located on Flinders Lane, or Movida Aqui, a Spanish restaurant located in Hosier Lane.
Enjoy this awesome city! Happy Melbourne travels!