Welcome to cosmopolitan Melbourne. Well known for its shopping and cafe culture, today your guide will give you an insiders tour of all of the best parts to see.
We start this experience by travelling through the government precinct admiring the Treasury Building, Windsor Hotel, State Parliament House, Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum. This leads us to a couple of the inner northern suburbs. Fitzroy’s Brunswick Street is very bohemian with a vast array of pubs, bars, restaurants, record shops and local designer shops. Carlton’s Lygon Street is the Italian precinct and famous for its coffee and cakes, spaghetti restaurants, pizzerias and Ferraris.
Morning tea will be at a local Café. Coffee is a fundamental component of contemporary society in Australia and is a very real part of Melbourne’s own culture.
We then drive past the sporting precinct that became famous with the 1956 Olympic Games and now roars to the cheers of Aussie Rules crowds each weekend. See the nearby Rod Laver Tennis Centre that hosts the Australian Tennis Open each year as well as the world famous MCG which has hosted most of the major events that have come to this city. Travelling westwards we pass through the beautiful Victorian terraces of Albert Park, to the historic Station Pier in Port Melbourne. This was an arrival point of many of Melbourne’s European immigrants.
Driving along Port Phillip Bay admire locals walking dogs, rollerblading, cycling and kite boarding before arriving at remarkable St Kilda. Situated on one of the most picturesque points of the Bay this pretty bay side suburb is one of the main tourist destinations renowned for its sandy beaches, music venues, restaurants and cafe lifestyle. Here we enjoy breathtaking views of Melbourne’s city skyline, West Gate Bridge and the Dandenong Ranges from an historic vantage point.
We then drive through St Kilda’s funky Acland and Fitzroy Streets before entering the Australian Formula One Grand Prix track at Albert Lake. Pretend you’re in the driver’s seat and motoring at 200 miles per hour. ‘Safely’ we drive back into the city where you can enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.