Attractions of Melbourne

Melbourne is the most multicultural city in the country and this is reflected in the many ethnic festivals – Italian, Greek, Chinese, among others – that are celebrated here each year. There are a host of other festivals including the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, the Fashion Festival, and the Writer’s Festival. In the avant-garde Federal Square , patrons of the arts can visit the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and the Ian Potter Centre. For shoppers, the place to go is the St. Kilda district which has everything from stylish shops with designer boutiques to seedy bars and nightclubs. In the evening you can find bands at The Prince and The Esplanade Hotel or visit upbeat nightspots in Kings Cross. To see fauna of the region, visit the zoo located at Royal Park .

There are many interesting spots near the city. The Great Ocean Road lets visitors view the splendors of the coast from Geelong to South Australia . One hour north of Melbourne are the verdant hills of the Yarra Valley . This is the center of the area’s wine region with some 55 wineries. To see koalas, dingoes, and other animals, visit the Healesville Sanctuary 60k north of the city. To meet penguins, you should go to Phillip Island where 4500 live. Wilsons Promontory National Park extends down 130K of the coast and is considered the outstanding wilderness area of Victoria .