Outdoors

Take A Walk

Get out of the grid into the green spaces that encircle the city for a breath of fresh air.

The Royal Botanic Gardens are a cool green place on the edge of Melbourne's CBD. Ringed by a popular running track known as 'the Tan', the Gardens include a rainforest, exotic plants from faraway places, a café and quaint traditional herb gardens.

Visit Captain Cook's cottage and wander amongst the public art, curiosities and historic monuments at Fitzroy Gardens. Look out for cheeky possums roaming around at dusk in nearby Treasury Gardens, or retreat to the quiet oasis in the city that is Flagstaff Gardens.

Cycle or stroll around the lake in Albert Park, explore the Melbourne Zoo located in expansive Royal Park in Parkville, or hop on a tram to Collingwood to explore Yarra Bend National Park.

Every autumn The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show transforms the Carlton Gardens and Royal Exhibition Building into a celebration of outdoor lifestyles and all things green. The largest, most successful horticultural event in the Southern Hemisphere showcases work by Australia's most talented landscape and floral designers.

Art and Heritage

Board the free burgundy and gold City Circle tram as it makes its way around the CBD, past parks, museums and historic sites including the Melbourne Museum, the Old Melbourne Gaol (where infamous bushranger, Ned Kelly, was hanged), the State Library of Victoria, Parliament House and Federation Square. The trip takes 50 minutes or you can hop on and off at the signposted stops.

Head out of the CBD to visit heritage mansions such as Rippon Lea and Como House, or discover one of the country's best collections of modern Australian art at Heide Museum of Contemporary Art in Bulleen. The National Gallery of Victoria is the state's main public gallery and home to a collection of 70,000 artworks housed in two magnificent city buildings located within a short stroll of one another.

Melbourne's Waterways

The Yarra River flows from the Dandenong Mountains, winding its way through the suburbs and city to Port Phillip Bay. Along its way, the river is lined with bike paths, historic boat sheds and cafés. It passes sporting stadiums and Federation Square, is traversed by historic bridges and passes the riverside dining and shopping of Southbank, Crown Entertainment Complex, and Docklands residential and restaurant precinct.

The river exits at Melbourne's shipping port (the country's busiest) and into Port Phillip Bay. The bay is busy all year round with family beachgoers, pleasure boats, yachts, windsurfers, fishing enthusiasts, divers and snorkellers. Pods of bottlenose dolphins and fur seals are a common sight as well as little penguins. Venture out on the bay onboard a day cruise or ride the St Kilda/Williamstown ferry.