A little history…
The Australian Goldrush in the late nineteenth century led to Melbourne’s development and boom as a city on Australia’s southern coast. It didn’t take long for it to become a hub of architecture, fashion, food, fine arts, and outdoor exploration. With Port Phillip Bay as a gateway to its maritime history and present-day charm, Melbourne sits on what may still be called Australia’s “southern jewel”.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia is a booming metropolis filled with diverse cultures, foods, events, and beauty. I visited back in 2001 on a tour (attended an AFL game, meandered through Queen Victoria Markets, and explored the city’s main attractions), but knew that wouldn’t be my only visit. Fast forward 16.5 years…Melbourne is even more exciting and interesting – and way more fun to explore through the eyes of my children!
With only three days in Melbourne, we had to pare down our list of things “to see”. I conducted most of my research using Lonely Planet and THIS “free things” site. Knowing we were traveling with 4 children under the age of 10, we opted to save the winery tours and thorough city exploration for another visit. Playgrounds, parks, beaches, yummy food, and tram rides were the highlight of this visit – all of which were FREE (except the food, of course).
Playgrounds
Melbourne is home to some of the most incredible playgrounds we have, well, played on since arriving in Australia! Our first stop was at St. Kilda’s Adventure Playground. This was an absolute highlight of our first day! Constructed of recycled and refurbished materials, it really is any child’s adventure park – supporting and encouraging free play, creativity, problem-solving, resilience, and empowerment through the use of uniquely designed play spaces. Super cool! Having never heard of adventure playgrounds, I was glad to see a sign with a bit of the history (but here’s more info if you desire to know more). Basically, the idea behind this type of playground is to spark children’s curiosity to play with the use of reusable materials including old planes, statues, wood, metal, etc. Most adventure parks are funded by the community in which they exist and run by volunteers who believe in the purpose of free, creative play. This was a perfect place for my three oldest kiddos to run and play – poor little N was sound asleep in the van and missed out on all the fun, but I am sure she would have loved it just as much as her siblings.
Booran Reserve Playground was our next playground stop! This was only minutes away from our Airbnb, which I write about below, and such a gem to discover. There was literally something for everyone, including adults! A giant 10m high climbing rope play structure, slides, mini in-ground trampolines, water play, splash pad, a life-size hamster wheel, basketball, tennis, open space for running, picnic areas, shady and sunny spots to simply sit and enjoy the squeals of joy echoing throughout the park. Our kids were devastated when we had to leave – the ultimate sign that this playground was a 10/10!
Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, in the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, blew us away! Each path led to something more intriguing and incredible than the stop before. Between a bamboo forest, a kitchen garden, water features in the wetlands area and throughout the playground, and many other unique places to explore, boredom is simply an impossibility. As was the theme with all the other playgrounds we visited, the time we allotted for playing was not enough. We all could have spent an entire afternoon exploring, resting, and romping. Not to mention the Children’s Garden sits at the edge of Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens, which is another MUST when in Melbourne.
Parks
The Shrine of Remembrance, simply put, is a war memorial which opened in 1934 as a way to honor the over 19,000 lives lost during WWI. It is still a place of honor, remembrance, and gratitude for all the men and women who have fought and served in Australia’s military. The architectural design of the shire and views of Melbourne from the balcony are breathtaking. One of the volunteers overheard us talking (about dinosaurs, because who doesn’t think of dinos when at a war memorial) and invited us to see one of the oldest fossils discovered in Australia – safe and preserved in one of the marble pillars inside the shrine. Incredible!
Royal Botanic Gardens is a sprawling natural haven just outside of Melbourne’s CBD. We definitely did not plan enough time to explore even half of the gardens on our visit (such as the theme of this trip), but what we saw was pure beauty. Tree-lined walking/running paths surround the RBG, allowing visitors and residents alike a place to explore, exercise and meander whilst enjoying the views and scents of the gardens from within. Choose from an afternoon of punting on Ornamental Lake, picnicking on one of the many lawns surrounded by native Australian flora and fauna, or strolling along miles of walking trails in the hopes of discovering one of the intentionally designed gardens. The Royal Botanic Gardens will not disappoint – just remember to give yourself plenty of time to explore and breathe in the yumminess of green space in the middle of a bustling city!
Beaches
Brighton Beach – The absolute HIGHLIGHT of our time in Melbourne was visiting the iconic Brighton Bathing Boxes. There are 82 Victorian-era bathing boxes that line the shore of Port Philip Bay. Built as early as 1862 in Melbourne, these wooden structures were used as changing rooms for beach-goers who wished to maintain their decency and morality while enjoying the Australian sun and sand. Our kids had to have a photo taken with almost every box. I secretly wanted to do the same, but settled for a few of my faves! If you look past the colorfully designed boxes, you will find a gorgeous beach where spending an afternoon in the sun would not be impossible in any way, especially if you enjoy watching kite surfers dance in the wind and waves.
St. Kilda Beach – PENGUINS! That’s what we will remember from this beach in Melbourne surrounds. Honestly, I didn’t even take notice of the actual beach at St. Kilda. I was too excited and focused on walking out along the pier to the fairy penguin viewing area, in hopes of spotting one of the smallest penguins on this earth! We were not the only ones who had the same idea, but somehow we managed to work out way through the crowds and down to the water’s edge – a perfect spot for penguin viewing. After a couple of hours of waiting patiently and thinking a large water-rat was a penguin (several times over), we finally witnessed the nightly ritual. The penguins head out to sea during the day to feed and return each night at sunset to feed their little ones who nestle in the rocks along the marina. It was not easy to see them, but you knew they were coming when a small, consistent wave began moving closer and closer toward our viewing area. All of a sudden a little penguin would pop its head out of the water and waddle its way up to the young – time to eat! The chicks would be chirping and yelping as their food came near. Definitely, something we will never forget. Pictures were quite difficult to take due to lighting, but you can check out the images on the main website for St. Kilda’s Penguins. You will fall in love with the little creatures, guaranteed!
Frankston Beach – On our third day, we opted to hit the road for a driving tour of Port Philip Bay. Luckily our kiddos are not strangers to long car rides, so they barely noticed that we were driving most of the day! Frankston was one of our first stops as there was a sand sculpture exhibit we didn’t want to miss. Check out the photos below! We did take a quick walk down to the beach, but didn’t spend much time evaluating it since we were trying to catch a ferry across Port Philip Bay!
Transportation – Tram and Ferry Rides
Melbourne is known for being a very accessible city – the network of buses, trams, and trains is outstanding. We did have a rental car, so we opted to drive into the city and pay for parking (ended up being about $30 for the day) instead of buying bus/train passes (which would have cost us over $100). Once in the city, there is a FREE tram (City Circle Tram) that makes a loop around the City – if you don’t have a lot of time or if you just need a break from walking, this is a perfect activity! You can get on/off throughout the day – this really is the best way to get around the CBD.
Searoad Ferries offer a ferry ride from Sorrento to Queenscliff, which allows you to literally travel around the entire circumference of Port Philip Bay. Our kids had never driven on a ferry before, so this was their top pick of the options for our 3rd day. The trip from our accommodation to Sorrento was breathtaking. We wished for several more days to explore the coastline and inland wineries. Next time. The highlight of the ferry ride was definitely driving on the boat in our van, but the views were quite lovely as well.
Yummy Food
Not necessarily remembering everywhere we consumed food while we were in Melbourne, I did manage to capture a few photos of our favorite stops! I will leave the photos to do the talking on this one…
Ok, maybe I need to say a tad about this one! During the week you will find grocers, artists, and small business vendors set-up at QVM in the heart of Melbourne (the largest open-air markets in the Southern Hemisphere). But on Wednesday evenings the markets come alive for The Night Market – where food, drink, art, and entertainment fuse causing all your senses to burst with excitement.
And last, but not least…Airbnb
Melbourne tends to be a very pricey city in terms of accommodation options. In my search for places to stay, I came across an affordable Airbnb in Caulfield, which is just a short drive from St. Kilda. Here’s my review for the stay –
April’s home is perfectly located when visiting Melbourne. It is a quaint, yet spacious home that has everything travelers need to feel right at home – including fish, which our four kiddos loved feeding and watching each day! April definitely caters to families – books, games, coloring tools, and even LEGO fill her shelves. The bedrooms are comfortable, clean, and a perfect place to rest after a busy day of exploring the surrounding areas. Having laundry available was a great bonus to the home. Check-in and out were seamless as April accommodated our schedule and needs. She is very quick to reply to any communication and puts forth the utmost concern for her guests’ comfort while in her home. It was hard to leave such a great place! April’s home is one we highly recommend!
