Hanging
around takes on a completely different
meaning inside this grisly 19th century
penal institution. More than 130 prisoners
were hanged at the Old Melbourne Gaol
between 1841 and 1929, including the
infamous bushranger Ned Kelly who met his
fate in November 1880.
For
those who want proof that the executions
occurred, there is a ghoulish display of
death masks from the just-hanged inmates.
The gaol is also home to Kelly's
bullet-dented suit of armour and shows
restored cells and the gallows in which the
hangings took place.
For
those not easily spooked, there are night
performance tours of the gaol. An actor
adopts the character of a prison employee
from 1901 and escorts a small group of
visitors around the facility, explaining
what happened behind the thick walls. These
tours are popular, and it's best to book at
least a week in advance.
Russell Street
Web site: www.vtoa.asn.au/attract/p148.htm
Transport: Museum station; or City Circle
Tram to corner Latrobe Street and Russell
Street.
Opening hours: 0930-1630 daily.
Admission: A$8 (concessions available).
Royal Botanic Gardens
Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens contain
extensively landscaped gardens covering 35
hectares (86 acres) and feature thousands of
plants from across Australia and around the
world. Free guided walks or self-guided
audio walks available.
Birdwood Avenue
Web site: http://www.rbgmelb.org.au/
Transport: Numerous trams along St Kilda
Road.
Opening hours: Apr-Oct 0730-1730 daily;
Nov-Mar 0730-2030 daily.
Admission: Free.
Rialto
Towers
Observation Deck
The tallest building in the southern
hemisphere, the Rialto Towers Observation
Deck offers 360-degree panoramic views of
Melbourne and the surrounding areas. The
facilities also include a licensed
café-bar.
525 Collins Street
Web site: www.vtoa.asm.au/attract/p154.htm
Transport: Spencer Street station; tram 11,
12 or 109.
Opening hours: 1000-2200 Sun-Thurs;
1000-2300 Fri and Sat.
Admission: A$7.50 (concessions available).
Melbourne
Cricket Ground
Yarra Park is home to the world-famous
Melbourne Cricket Ground, or MCG, the venue
for many national and international cricket
matches. The ground contains the Australian
Cricket Hall of Fame, Olympic Museum and
Australian Gallery Sport.
Yarra Park, Jolimont
Web site: www.vtoa.asn.au/attract/p143.htm
Transport: Jolimont train station.
Opening hours: (guided tours) 1000 and 1500,
not match days.
Admission: A$9.50 (concessions available).
Melbourne Zoo
Melbourne Zoo is Australia's oldest zoo and
over recent years has enjoyed large-scale
investment to improve facilities for both
the resident animals and visitors. There is
an African rainforest with gorillas,
orangutans, hippos and big cats; a
particularly impressive butterfly house; and
a bushland exhibit, which is home to many of
Australia's native wildlife.
Elliott Avenue, Parkville
Web site: http://www.zoo.org.au/
Transport: Royal Park station; tram 55
Mon-Sat or tram 68 Sun.
Opening hours: 0900-1700 daily.
Admission: A$14.50 (concessions available).
Rippon Lea House Museum & Historic
Garden
The grounds of Rippon Lea House are as
impressive as the grand nineteenth-century
Victorian mansion. Built during the gold
rush, the interior of the mansion is also
very opulent.
Luna
Park
in Lower
Esplenade
St:Kilda.
That great,
gaping mouth with its bad hairdo has been
part of Melbourne for nigh on 100 years.
Multitudes have frolicked within its
brightly coloured tin walls, yet strangely,
it has always looked more exciting than it
is. A mixture of fun rides, tacky
weather-beaten facades, cheap prizes and a
hint of sleaziness (this is St Kilda, after
all), it provides all the amusement and
history one could look for in an old
amusement park.
William
Ricketts Sanctuary
Located in Mountain Ash forest in the Dandeongs, tranquil William
Ricketts Sanctuary is the location where the sculptor,
William Ricketts, positioned his mystical kiln-fired clay
sculptures of Aboriginal figures among the rocks and ferns.
Web site: http://www.parks.vic.gov.au/
Transport: Car along the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road.
Opening hours: 1000-1630 daily.
Admission: A$5
SOVEREIGN
HILL, BALLARAT Sovereign
Hill in Ballarat is a perfectly re-created example of life
during Victoria's gold rush era of the 1850's. Explore the daily
ritual of this gold town and stroll the main street to visit the
goldsmiths, craftsmen, traders and the recreation of local folk
at work and play. Seek your fortune whilst panning for gold in
the stream, go underground to the fascinating gold mine and
museum, or ride a stagecoach through the village.
Check this
page for instructions on getting around Melbourne
Dining:
COLONIAL
TRAMCAR DINNER Enjoy dinner aboard the world's only working tram car
restaurant. The oldest tram in Melbourne dates back to
1927, its tone is reminiscent of the Orient Express. The
tram travels leisurely along Melbourne's grand leafy
boulevards, beneath century old Dutch elms and serene
views. The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant is a delightful and
novel way to experience the sights and tastes of
Melbourne.
Luna
Park
Film
clip