I'm not really all that sure whether I can consider this place to be a Melbourne institution…read moreconsidering that it is a park, and I'm not sure whether you can consider parks institutions in the same way that you can consider pubs to be institutions. Still, this part certainly does have a reputation, not only because it is big, and that it has a rather large lake in the middle of it, but for four days every year they block it off just so that a bunch of cars can go for a pleasant drive around the said lake why making so much noise that you can hear it from the other side of the city, and a bunch of people come from all over the world to sit in stands and to basically wave flags while watching the said cars drive aorund the lake. Still, it is a delightful place to spend some time, and there are lots of things to do here, and lots of picnic grounds as well, and a number of sporting places, including a golf course, driving range and numerous ovals. Actually, they have a huge sporting complex here in fact. Yeah, I do rather like this place, and if you are keen for a challenge, try running around the lake.

What a peaceful place to visit and do your jogging and / or walking!…read more I really enjoyed the calmness of the location despite sporting events happening all around us. The ducks and other fowl were all over - just loved the place!

While this park is nowhere near as large as Albert Park, it certainly does have some charm. I have…read morewandered through here a couple of times and I must admit that I do rather like it. I like it even more now that I have spent some time exploring the place. On one side there is the bowling green, and on the other some tennis courts, and some play equipment for the children. There as also some lovely decorations that have been set up here. Oh, and the terrace houses along one side are pretty awesome as well.

The Australian Grand Prix was my third F1 race and my absolutely favorite race that I've attended…read more Albert Park is a great venue and I can't believe that they made a racetrack at this park every year! Everything is very well-kept and the lake in the middle was such a peaceful juxtaposition to the fast cars on track. There were multiple spots to enter the park and different tram spots that only really got crazy on race day but throughout the rest of the race weekend it didn't get too overwhelming. I loved all the hills and grassy areas. Be sure to bring something to sit on, there's tons of grassy areas but not too many benches etc.

American BBQ at its best in Albert Park. Small venue but loads of flavor. A bit pricey but always…read moresuper tasty. Indoor and outdoor seating plus a block from the beach. Cheers

Catani gardens was named after a prominent landscape designer in the 1800s Carlo Catani…read more A Lava Rock wall encloses the park on the west side, and stretches across to The Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron. The park has all the facilities you need for a perfect summer day barbecue. It also has a few historical sites scattered about such as a sculpture of Caption James Cook, and a water fountain installed in 1911 in memory of another designer from the St. Kilda; area Sali. You can often find locals sunbaking, drinking, cooking as well as playing the odd game of football throughout the park. As it is a little more sheltered from the wind than the actual shore of St. Kilda beach, the luscious green grass is a much cleaner alternative for catching some rays than the somewhat dirty sandbank that stretches along St. Kilda to the water. The park has a running track and a great gazebo smack bang in the centre, so grab your friends, take a picnic and enjoy at drink in the park.

Nice park, not so much a garden. Lots of open grassy space. The trees and the lawns are well…read moremanicured. There are typical park bathrooms, minimalist with metal toilets, but there's running water. He variety of trees is nice. It's right along the water. The paths crisscrossing it are gravel and sand, so not great for biking. There are Los of benches. The lawns feel like they're meant to be used, and people were doing it, playing frisbee and generally lying out.

Our first port of call was the lovely and historic Australian city of Melbourne. We compared our…read morepre-cruise visit in bustling, contemporary, modern architecture, and high-finance areas of Sydney's CBD, like the USA's Los Angeles, to the more politically-centric, traditional British architecture and environment, and historic Melbourne city, like the USA's New York City, as we drove through Australia's second most populous city. We noticed Melbourne's CBD (Central Business District) was designed as a grid with wide thoroughfares alternating with narrow, smaller "Little" streets running parallel to them and plentiful laneways. Many street names honor British colonial leaders, British Royals, local politicians, and influential 19th-century residents. Our guide mentioned themed street clusters in newer suburban residential developments named after sports figures (cricket, football, & golf), Beatles' Strawberry Fields, medieval Camelot, literary figures, aviation companies, photography, and more. We were then treated to the historic, Victorian-era park where we strolled and relaxed along its tree-lined avenues, fountains, sculptures, conservatory, and looked forward to visiting the historic Cook's Cottage (original English home of Captain James Cook's parents), Fairies' Tree, and model Tudor Village on a chilly and slightly wet morning. I could imagine picnicking or just lazing back under the shade of trees during their warmer, clear-sky Spring or Summer seasons. Anyway, knowing we were going to stroll through the gardens, I made sure to take an allergy tablet, since the gardens have various plant and tree species our home state doesn't have. During our two-hour meandering through the Fitzroy Gardens, I felt my stress leave my body as my eyes, ears, and breathing embraced this beautiful English garden.

While Fitzroy Gardens is known as a historical garden built in 1800's, I found the park lacking in…read moreinteresting attractions. It's a good park to take a stroll but that's about it. Personally, I think you can skip and not miss much. The Captain Cook's Cottage wasn't even occupied by Captain Cook and requires an entrance fee to enter. The Conservatory with floral displays is so small you'll finish exploring in about 5 minutes.