23Travel Digest, October 2009

If you’re a first-timer to Melbourne, such as myself, I highly recommend a Real Melbourne Bike Tour. Not only is it a good way to gain your bearings of the

city, but it’s also the best way to get up close and personal with the “real”’ side of Melbourne. Melbourne-owned and operated since 2002, this bicycle tour company runs daily tours from the riverbank at Federation Square. Hop on your bike and explore the city’s grooviest streets, parks, shops, cafes, hidden laneways and multicultural neighbourhoods. All tours are in small personal groups making for a fun, informative and easy way to learn about some of Melbourne’s exciting history. Group tours can also be customised to include particular sights of interest and tour guides never follow the same path, creating a unique experience for each tour. Lunch is included at one of the many famous Italian restaurants in Lygon Street, also known as Little Italy. During our tour, we stop at the delightful patisserie,

Brunetti, famous for its lavishly designed cakes. With 15 full-time pastry chefs and an extensive selection of divine sweet and savoury treats, it’s easy to see why this place is always packed out!

The famous original Queen Victoria Market is also a popular stopover on this tour. With everything from fruit and vegetables, fresh produce and delicatessen goods to clothing, plants and pets, the market is renowned as a gourmet paradise with its vibrant and friendly atmosphere. Its origins date back to 1857, with many of its buildings classified by the National Trust.

From the very old, to the very new, Melbourne’s latest development, Docklands, is irrevocably changing the look and feel of the city. The area is quickly evolving into a premium waterfront destination for an estimated 20 million visitors each year, home for another 20,000 people and a thriving workplace for 25,000. Waterfront City, a 19.3 hectare, $1 billion mixed-use precinct at

Docklands, is home to the main public precinct, which boasts an exciting ongoing programme of events and festivals and visitor attractions. To further enhance Melbourne’s shopping experiences, recent additions to the precinct include the open air Harbour Town shopping precinct, containing a variety of brand direct outlet stores offering shoppers up to 70 per cent off the regular retail price - a great place to grab a bargain! The development also includes a Costco shopping outlet, which opened in August this year. To assist access, tram infrastructure is also being upgraded to facilitate the City Circle free tourist tram service to the site, which will be completed this year.

If you love living life on the edge, then prepare yourself for awe inspiring views from the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere at Melbourne’s iconic Eureka Tower, currently the world’s tallest residential building. Skydeck 88 is Melbourne’s newest “must see” attraction.

MelbourneMelbourneMust-see

A range of exciting new developments in Melbourne are contributing to its appeal as a leading world city and expanding its reputation as a “must-see” international destination, as SARAH WEEKS

discovers on her first visit to this truly cosmopolitan city.

Real Melbourne Bike Tour, along Melbourne’s Yarra River.

24 Travel Digest, October 2009

Two dedicated lifts propel visitors to Level 88 in under 40 seconds – and only Skydeck 88 can give you the world’s only Edge Experience – a switchable glass cube which slides out from the building – with you inside!

For those who are looking to venture out of the city, Oceania Tours and Safaris offer day tours from Melbourne to Phillip Island and the Great Ocean Road in small groups of up to 12, which are offered in four languages (English, German, Italian and Spanish). Being the nature and wildlife lover I am, a visit to Phillip Island seems like the perfect option during my stay. Only 90 minutes from Melbourne, penguins parade across the beach, treetop boardwalks lead alongside koalas, farm animals grace an island-farm and a new marine centre invites wild discovery at Phillip Island Nature Parks.

The world-famous Penguin Parade is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and must-see if you’re visiting Phillip Island. Each night just after sunset, the world’s smallest penguins, the Little Penguins, emerge from the sea and waddle ashore as fast as they can (they’re very shy creatures!) to their sand dune burrows, where their female companions lie waiting for their return after a day’s fishing at sea. This is a truly memorable natural wildlife experience. Elevated

boardwalks and viewing stands allow guests to enjoy all the penguin action, without harming them or their burrow homes.

Nearby the penguin action, the Koala Conservation Centre enables guests to encounter koalas from tree-top boardwalks that meander through a natural bush setting. Phillip Island Nature Parks will open a new Koala Conservation Centre with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and education to complement koala viewing in December this year.

Australia’s newest marine attraction, the Nobbies Centre, provides an awe-inspiring view of the spectacular “nobby” headland formation, which supports the country’s largest Australian Fur Seal colony close to the Penguin Parade.

Inside the Nobbies Centre, guests can enjoy live cameras that allow enthusiasts to zoom in and out when photographing the seal colony or unwind in the café after exploring the coastline on boardwalks that weave through nesting bird colonies to a blowhole formation.

Crown Towers is a rare haven of luxury located on the southern banks of Melbourne’s Yarra River in the heart of the city’s arts and leisure precincts. As soon as you arrive in the hotel foyer, you are instantly transported into a world of luxury as you are greeted with marble floors, a grand staircase and elegant chandeliers. Crown Towers hotel has recently completed a comprehensive enhancement of the property’s luxurious accommodation rooms and suites. The result is arguably Australia’s most refined and inviting hotel experience offering guests an unrivalled level of luxury, comfort and technology. My personal favourite feature is an LCD television actually set into the bathroom’s mirror above the deep soak bath - the perfect way to relax and unwind after a busy day!

Adjoining the hotel is the Crown Casino, one of the largest and most dazzling gaming facilities in the Southern Hemisphere offering an incredible array of gaming options in a vibrant and sophisticated setting. The main gaming floor stretches for more than half a kilometre – enough entertainment to keep you going all night long!

Causeway Hotels, Melbourne have recently opened the new Causeway 353 Hotel, which joins two other city-based hotels in the Causeway group. Offering a variety of deluxe, spa and suite

melbourne

InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto.

25Travel Digest, October 2009

accommodation within its 142-rooms, the hotel’s location is the primary attraction with only a brief walk to the major shopping precinct, festival venues and other attractions of Melbourne, including world-class restaurants and a variety of theatres. The hotel has an in-house gym, wireless internet and an in-house restaurant – not to mention the five-star service offered by the wonder-ful staff!

If you’re looking for accommodation that mixes old with new, a stay at the recently opened InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto is just the ticket. As the only luxury hotel in Melbourne’s financial district, it has been transformed from one of the city’s last and best remaining examples of 19th century gothic architecture into a world-class international hotel. The hotel combines the historical aspects of a true architectural icon with an exciting and unexpected contemporary design and offers all the

facilities and services expected of a luxury international hotel, including a variety of five star dining establishments and bars, Club InterContinental which overlooks Collins Street, private business environments and a unique collection of suits that take advantage of the building’s gothic heritage. Each room has its own unique character and one interesting feature is the remote-controlled blinds, adding that extra special touch in the evening.

The new $150 million, 20-storey Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, opened its doors for the first time this year. Located in the city’s evolving South Wharf district, the hotel provides guests with easy access through the hotel lobby to the new Melbourne Convention Centre. All 396 rooms feature striking wood interiors complementing the floor-to ceiling glass windows that provide one of the best views of the city and the Yarra River.

melbourne

FAST FACTS● Airlines flying to Melbourne

include Air, New Zealand, Qantas,

● Currency is the Australian dollar. $NZ1.00 equals $A0.81.

● Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, Australasia’s premier horse racing event, from 30 September to 18 November, with Melbourne Cup day on 3 November at Flemington Racecourse.

● Australian Open Tennis, the grand slam of Asia / Pacific, Melbourne Park, 18 to 31 January 2010.

● Australian Grand Prix, including motor shows and air displays, Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, 25 to 28 March 2010.

✈

Hotel Causeway275 Little Collins StreetMelbourne Vic 3000Tel: 61 3 9660 8888

Causeway 353 Hotel353 Little Collins StreetMelbourne Vic 3000Tel: 61 3 9668 1888

Causeway Inn On The Mall327 Bourke Street MallMelbourne Vic 3000Tel: 61 3 9650 0688

www.causeway.com.au reservations@causeway.com.au Toll Free: 1 800 650 688

Hotel Causeway• Accommodation Executive Room

• Continental Buffet Breakfast• Newspaper to the room

• Use of our Gym and Steam Room

AUD $168.00

per room per night

Causeway 353 Hotel• Accommodation in Deluxe King/Twin Room

• Continental Buffet Breakfast• Newspaper to the room

• Use of our Gym and Steam Room

AUD $140.00

per room per night(2 night minimum stay)

Causeway Inn On The Mall

• Continental Buffet Breakfast• Accommodation in a Queen Room

AUD $126.00

per room per night

Reservation code:TVLDG. Rate valid until 30 November 2009 excludes special events. Subject to availability.