Local's Report
Down-Under Wonder
My
suburban town, Rowville is about 30 kilometers from the beautiful city of Melbourne,
Australia. There is a huge variety of places to visit for a day trip. Within
45 minutes’ drive is the beach, the Melbourne Zoo, National Parks, the famous
Melbourne Cricket Ground, magnificent gardens and the Dandenong Ranges.
We love heading to the beach in Summer (Dec-Feb here) where the waters are blue, the sand white and the sun warm. Our favorite is Seaford, Melbourne. The beach at Seaford is perfect for little ones with sand bars and shallow waters. We like the restaurant, Sails on the Bay —for families, check out the café, for adults, don’t miss the lovely dining room.
The Great Ocean Road is about an hour or so from Melbourne. It hugs the coastline and leads to many beautiful sites, including the Twelve Apostles—a rock formation in the ocean. Inland, there are gorgeous waterfalls and rainforests.
Melbourne Zoo is world famous and has wonderful habitats for at-risk animals. The gorillas, elephants and tigers are our family's favourites. The elephant exhibit is a huge area made to look like a Thai village and you get to see the elephants walk by! One of its sister zoos, Healesville Sanctuary, has all the Australian animals you could desire—platypus, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian Devils, native reptiles and native birds. Visit here for info on all zoos in Victoria.
The
Dandenong Ranges are only 10 minutes from our home and have wonderful walking
tracks through lush bush and picnic areas where native birds are happy to land
on your head or hands!
Melbourne, Victoria is known as the Garden State (lots of gardens and parks), so Autumn (Mar-May) and Spring (Sept-Nov) are also lovely times to visit; it’s a little cooler, hovering around 25 celsius. If you’re looking for a place to stay, visit stayz.com.au.
Down-Under Wonder
My
suburban town, Rowville is about 30 kilometers from the beautiful city of Melbourne,
Australia. There is a huge variety of places to visit for a day trip. Within
45 minutes’ drive is the beach, the Melbourne Zoo, National Parks, the famous
Melbourne Cricket Ground, magnificent gardens and the Dandenong Ranges. We love heading to the beach in Summer (Dec-Feb here) where the waters are blue, the sand white and the sun warm. Our favorite is Seaford, Melbourne. The beach at Seaford is perfect for little ones with sand bars and shallow waters. We like the restaurant, Sails on the Bay —for families, check out the café, for adults, don’t miss the lovely dining room.
TIP:
Being sun-smart is essential in Australia; never forget your sunscreen,
hat, t-shirts, etc. Swimshirts are a very good idea for kids. |
The Great Ocean Road is about an hour or so from Melbourne. It hugs the coastline and leads to many beautiful sites, including the Twelve Apostles—a rock formation in the ocean. Inland, there are gorgeous waterfalls and rainforests.
Melbourne Zoo is world famous and has wonderful habitats for at-risk animals. The gorillas, elephants and tigers are our family's favourites. The elephant exhibit is a huge area made to look like a Thai village and you get to see the elephants walk by! One of its sister zoos, Healesville Sanctuary, has all the Australian animals you could desire—platypus, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian Devils, native reptiles and native birds. Visit here for info on all zoos in Victoria.
The
Dandenong Ranges are only 10 minutes from our home and have wonderful walking
tracks through lush bush and picnic areas where native birds are happy to land
on your head or hands!Melbourne, Victoria is known as the Garden State (lots of gardens and parks), so Autumn (Mar-May) and Spring (Sept-Nov) are also lovely times to visit; it’s a little cooler, hovering around 25 celsius. If you’re looking for a place to stay, visit stayz.com.au.