Melbourne - Things to see & do

Take a stroll along the Yarra River - often the butt of jokes because of its brownish colour is not actually dirty - just muddy.  The best way to experience the river is to walk Princes Bridge, St Kilda Rd or catch a cruise along the river from Princes Walk (below Princes Bridge).  Melbourne is a beautiful city to walk around or if your feet don't hold up - catch the tram...

Image courtesy of Tourism Victoria

The Melbourne Cup stops the nation on the first Tuesday in November every year but in Melbourne it's actually a public holiday. All around Australia people put down wagers, don frocks and racing hats, drink champagne and eat canapés and the parties begin... often the parties outshadow the racing itself.

The International Dragon Boat Festival will be held as part of the Moomba celebrations this year on March 11 at the Docklands Precinct. There's a lot of water action but also plenty of traditional Chinese culture to appreciate including the Buddhist blessing for the fleet and competitors and lion and dragon dances.

Teams come from all over Australia and Asia for this event - not to be missed! People all over the world wonder exactly what Australian Football League (AFL) is, also known as Aussie Rules, and Melbourne is the place to acquaint yourself with it. The game originated in Melbourne as a way of keeping cricketers fit in the off season but it now has the third highest number of registered players of any Australian sport. The other states have also picked it up and won 10 of the last 15 premierships. Footy season runs March to September in five Australian states. Make sure you see some of the action!