KSC07

I'm being sent to Melbourne on a 5 day business trip and am planning to tack on a few extra days to spend exploring the area. Any suggestions on must see places or experiences?

DownUnder

1. Great Ocean Road
2. Healsville Sancturary and Yarra Valley wineries
3. Ballarat and Daylesford
4. Mornington Peninsula
5. If you are a Golfer, Melbourne has some of the best sandbelt Golflinks in the world. Just ask Tiger Woods.
6. In the city: the National Galleries, the Botanic Gardens, the M.C.G (1956 Olympics held here) the Tennis Centre and of course the shopping and restaurants are "musts".

For 1-4 you may need a car, but I think the tour buses also visit those areas.

beryl800

When are you going? Makes a big difference in Melbourne.

DownUnder

All of the above can be enjoyed anytime of the year!

beryl800

Downunder must be from Melbourne. Take it with a grain of salt. Even people from Melbourne say they make "the weather" in Ballarat. Cold rain doesn't make the Great Ocean Road a very good trip, especially if you are driving on a narrow and winding wet road on the wrong side. However, depending when you are going to be there, maybe some more options open up. The galleries are superb, with an excellent collection of Australian art, and a superb one of European masterpieces. MCG and Tennis centre and a bit parochial, sorry downunder. Vic Markets are fun - they are closed 2 days (3?) a week, and best visited early. Yarra valley wineries are also good, but as downunder says, get to the shiraz country of Daysleford if you like wine, and the boutique wineries making some very intersting stuff on the Mornington Peninsuala. There are several companies that will drive you around to do this in a small group, avoiding having to drive. However, Melbourne's fundamentally an internal city, so look to the restaurants, galleries etc. If you want to see Healesville in the wild, there's a day trip just to the west of Melbourne where you'll see wild kangaroos, koalas, emus and a whole lot of other wildlife.

DownUnder

Yes I am from Melbourne and I certainly don't want to get involved in one of those boring tit for tat postings. A couple of points though. We haven't had decent rain in Melbourne for months. We are on stage 3 water restrictions and will probably go to stage 4 in May so I don't know where you are getting this "cold rain" thing from. I have travelled the GOR many times and it is most dramatic in winter!.
The 100,000 seat MCG with it's Olympic Museum is the best sporting stadium in Australia and one of the best in the world. The majority of tennis players here for the Australian Open agree that Rod Laver Arena and Vodaphone Arena, with the facility to close the roof, have no equal anywhere for Grand Slam Tennis. Why would Wimbledon be copying.
KSCO7 Melbourne is a great place so enjoy your visit.

JakeB

I'm from Canada and have been living in Melbourne for 5 months. I've done all the options DownUnder has suggested and they are all great, especially the Great Ocean Road. I haven't seen anyone mention the Grampians though. I did a three day trip through YHA which does a day tour and then leaves you there for 2 nights in Halls Gap which was amazing. You'll definitely see kangaroo's there. If you add a couple weeks I would say go to Tasmania. I drove the perimeter of Tazzie in 9 days (which was kind of rushed). You should go there if you have the time, it's amazing. Enjoy.

Bokhara

Hi KSCO7: Melbourne's a very user-friendly city with easy access to the countryside & coastal areas nearby(and I don't live there, but did for a year and absolutely loved it). There are myriad options available, and it would help to know:
* What your interests are
* How many extra days you will have
* When you will be in Melbourne
* Whether you would rent a car

BTW I quite enjoyed watching Federer & Williams in the Australian Open from my seat in the parochial Rod Laver Arena of the Tennis Centre, with the roof conveniently closed against the drizzle & the airconditioning keeping us cool.

harsha

Things you should'nt miss in Melbourne:
Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride over the Yarra Valley

You get to fly for approximately one hour over the beautiful Yarra Valley and its vineyards, completing the experience with a sumptuous champagne breakfast.
Tramcar:
An unforgettable experience of dining in the 1927 colonial tram car restaurant as it cruises Melbourne's streets
A sumptuous three course dinner including beverages.
The Little Penguine Parade:
At dusk, view the wonderful phenomenon of the little penguins as they emerge from the southern surf, returning to the safety of their dune rookeries. From your nearby vantage point watch these cute creatures feed their waiting young and experience life in the penguin colony.
Queen Victoria Market:
Spread over 7 hectares,its suppose to be the largest open air market in the southern hemisphere.Here you get practically everything.From vegetables,fish poultry,gourmet food to clothing, artefacts, souvenirs etal.
A must see place.
And ofcourse the South Yerra & Toorak,a fashionably & ultra chic suburb.Chapel street where you find the Jam Factory,a huge shopping complex offering trendy fashion wear.

These are some places unique to Melbourne apart from the ones mentioned in the posts above.
Though off season,Mt Baw Baw is great during winter.

JohnFitz

Laughing at bokhara .Excellent.
I have a good friend who comes here from the USA and he goes all over the world all the time but he was ecstatic after his ballooning trip .Besides the Yarra Valley ballooning you can also do it over the city . He did it in September last year .March is also popular because of winds or lack of .

North of the Yarra River are Brunswick and Smnith Streets which provide alternative shopping / bars etc .Worth a wander especially for an ice cream from Trampoline in Brunswick St or the chocolate chillie from Charmaines ice cream in the same street.
There are 2 weekend craft markets on Sundays - one at the Art Centre precinct near the galleries and running along the river and one at St.Kilda on the foreshore of the beach .That is a lovely tram trip on a vintage w Class tram down past the botanical gardens and galleries and takes about 30 mins from the city .The old pier runs out to a lovely kiosk that serves coffee etc . A ferry service from that pier runs across the bay to Williamstown on a Sunday .This was intended to be the major port of Melbourne .Old and historic .The trip gives wonderful skyline views of the city .You can always take a bicycle on board and can hire them at St.Kilda .Good Luck

Bokhara

Yes! Johnj, you just reminded me ... when I was there in October (for the provincial Caulfield Guineas), I had the most wonderful view from the top of the Hyatt of several hot air balloons drifting across the Yarra, early one morning.

Have you been to the Collingwood Childrens Children's Farm Market? One of my all time favourite "hidden gems" of Melbourne. www.farm.org.au

KSC07 ... while you're working - try & get to Causeway lane & Centreway Arcade(off Collins St) (funky street art in the latter) Good coffee spots too.

Where are you from KSC07?

JohnFitz

The childrens farm is a little gem .If that happens to be on then a lovely adjunct to that is a visit to Studley Park which is a bushland park setting minutes from the city .The Fairfield boathouse is also a lovely thing to do . KSC07 we are bombarding you with suggestions but really do need to know more about your trip , when it is and what appeals to you . You might hate nature and want to eat, shop and party . If so we can also help you .

Clifton

All of DownUnders list, others suggestions are good too. I like Phillip Island for not just the penguins, but just as a place to look around.

There's some shops up in the Dandenongs, but the best part of that area is a look at the tree ferns.

Also, although every major city has a zoo, Melbournians may not realize they have one of the nicest I've seen in the world. Very naturally set, with tree canopies and such, especially around the gorillas area. The "new" Thai based elephant area is excellent. So, if you're into zoos...

beryl800

Seems my parochial comment hit a bit of a nerve. Of course the MCG and the Rod Laver/Vodaphone arenas are great worldclass venues. But, if there's nothing on, then unless you want to see the memorabilia of tennis or football, etc, they are not a highpoint for an international visitor. If you can watch a game there, then of course it's a different matter. I still feel that any well planned itinerary, especially when time is short, will take into account the time of the year and hence potential weather when deciding or recommending activities. Bokhara asked exactly the right questions to be able to give a good, helpful response.

koaljay

Worth a visit - Melbourne Zoo and Healesvile Sanctuary. The free tram around Melbourne, along with a visit to the Fitzroy Gardens and its cafe/restaurant. Also the Botanical Gardens-Melbourne, and a visit to St.Kilda and Port Melbourne via tram is worth a couple of hours. Mont de Lacy homestead just outside Melb. is worth a visit, along with the nearby wineries. And on a more morbid note, the Melbourne General Cemetery, with many of its early-day pioneers.

Ness_07

Another vote for the Grampians, plus Hanging Rock if you are feeling energetic.
Ko Ko Black chocolates in Carlton also get a big thumbs up.
Exploring Kelly Country a little further afield.

Daneille

I'm with Downunder. I've returned to Melbourne recently and have found the weather in the last 2 years to be far more mild than I ever remembered it 10+ years ago. That being said - the Great Ocean Road is spectactular whatever the weather (just be more careful driving on the winding roads in wet weather) and there is a certain charm in visiting places like the Yarra Valley wineries, Ballarat and Daylesford on colder days when you can lunch at places with lovely open fires and a homely country atmosphere and partake of some rich reds. I still reckon Autumn (Fall) in Melbourne in the most fantastic season in this fair state.