Activities in Melbourne

Every evening at sunset, little penguins emerge from the sea and waddle up Summerland Beach to their burrows — a spectacle known as the Penguin Parade. Phillip Island, 90 minutes south of Melbourne, is home to one of the world's largest little-penguin colonies.

Kayaking the Yarra River through central Melbourne offers a unique perspective of the city skyline, passing beneath bridges and alongside the Southbank arts precinct and Docklands.

Melbourne Zoo is Australia's oldest zoo, established in 1862 in the leafy inner suburb of Parkville. Home to over 320 species, it combines heritage architecture with modern open-range exhibits.

Luna Park Melbourne is a heritage-listed amusement park on the St Kilda foreshore, instantly recognisable by its enormous grinning face entrance. It has been providing old-school fun since 1912.

Just an hour east of the CBD, the Yarra Valley is Victoria's premier cool-climate wine region. Over 80 cellar doors offer tastings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wine against a backdrop of rolling green hills and eucalyptus bush.

Melbourne's laneways street-art scene is world-famous, and a guided tour is the best way to decode it. Expert guides lead two-hour walks through Hosier Lane, AC/DC Lane, Blender Lane and lesser-known alleys, explaining the artists, techniques and culture behind the murals.

The Great Ocean Road is one of the world's most spectacular coastal drives, hugging 243 km of cliff-tops, rainforest gorges and surf beaches west of Melbourne. The headline attraction is the Twelve Apostles — towering limestone sea stacks rising from the Southern Ocean.

The Great Ocean Road is one of the world's most scenic coastal drives, stretching 243 kilometres along Victoria's southwest coast. The famous Twelve Apostles limestone stacks are its centrepiece.