While I'm not the biggest fan of sea-travel (if you can call cruising across Port Phillip Bay sea…read moretravel) the Williamstown Ferry was a great, relaxing afternoon. It takes about 45 minutes each way and costs about $40 return but this scenic route gave us a great view of the CBD skyline from afar and enough of an escape from the city to be more than worthwhile. WIlliamstown is quaint and with plenty of alfresco dining it's a good place to venture for a lazy meal in the sunshine. The lady taking our booking over the phone had a bit of trouble adapting to us wanting to be picked up at Southbank and not in the City which led to the captain cruising straight past us so keep the number handy to avoid being stranded. A quick phone call and he turned to starboard faster than you can say shiver me timbers. In short, a great afternoon cruise with friendly crew and it was more than worthwhile.

Live in Melbourne? Why haven't you done this yet?! It took me a couple of years to finally get…read morearound to taking the Williamstown Ferry service, and boy, am I ever glad I did. It ranks up there as one of my all-time favourite outings with my boyfriend in Melbs. What's so great about it? It's just an overpriced ferry, right? Wrong, my friends, wrong. The ferry is so special because it shows you a completely and utterly different view of the city than you'd normally get. Sure, you may have been to Ponyfish Island a zillion times; you might even has ponyed up (see what I did there?) and gone paddle-boarding or canoeing on the Yarra. But there's nothing quite like gliding by the whole of Southbank in your very own boat. (Well, one with other passengers on it, mind.) Past the glorious views of Eureka Tower and the Immigration Museum, past Scienceworks, towards Williamstown... You'll zoom by people cycling along the river, past expensive condos and stacked containers alike, heading for the open sea (or close enough), dodging tugboats and watching enormous ships pulling in to dock. The Yarra's maritime life is alive and well, and you'll get to see all of it. Alighting in Williamstown, you couldn't be in a more convenient place to enjoy a gelato and a wander in the sunshine (time it for their market, or hope the Sea Shepherd boats are docked so you can take a gander). Back on the train to the CBD, or back on the ferry home? I know what I'd choose.

This is the first visit to Melbourne for my husband and me, and we thought it'd be a good idea to…read moreget moving and get an orientation of the city after being on a plane for sixteen hours (we were delayed an hour departing from LAX). Our plane landed at Tullamarine a touch late at 7:20am and we joined the 10am tour from Fed Square. Our excellent guide, Geoff, was waiting for us clearly marked in the designated meeting place right on time (probably early as we'd just barely made it on time). We were delighted to learn that it was just us, but requested no customization as the overview was for what we were looking. We thought it was a great way to see the city and to learn a bit about the history of area in which we're staying. Geoff did a great job explaining to us the plan so we knew what to expect each time we got going again and keeping us safe (he kept saying that Melbourne not quite there yet in bike friendliness, but we found none of it as terrifying as riding in Los Angeles!). We thought it was well-planned and just enough information to be informative but not overwhelming. He sent us on our way with a Melbourne map with all of our stops marked on it for reference to make it easier to return to points of interest. The weather cooperated (didn't rain on us as was forecasted), and it was a lovely start to our honeymoon. I'd highly recommend this tour! Thank you, Geoff, for sharing your beautiful city with us :)

This tour is a cut above others in Melbourne!!! We booked through them because they limit group…read moresizes (that is important to us when riding bikes in a busy metropolitan area like Melbourne). Our wonderful experience began even before the tour when we called to ask for help with directions. Michelle gladly took down the address of where we were staying and then send us personalized directions so we wouldn't get lost on the way. She even explain how to use the public transit system. Once on the tour, our guide Trine did an amazing job of showing us the city and personalizing the experience for our interests. Beyond biking, we had a delicious lunch and walked on foot through a few places we wanted to see. Trine even took pictures of us along the way and emailed them to us that evening along with a list of restaurant and bar recommendations from the tour. I did see some of the other bike tours in the city while we were going along, and I can honestly say they didn't look like they were having as much fun as we were. While this company is slightly more expensive than others, it's totally worth it. Do yourself a favor and book here.

For $35 AUD, you get a 24-hour pass that gives you access to a 90-minute St. Kilda tour and a…read more2-hour City Tour. They overlap at a few stops but for the most part, they go different ways. Really the best thing is to start at Stop 1, at Federation Square. The stop is on Flinders Street, right in front of the Atrium, the National Gallery of Victoria, and next to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. There is a representative at the stop, but you won't buy your ticket until just before you leave. (This will maximize the time on your ticket.) If you need to wait, the Atrium is a good place for this. There are places to sit and wait. There are several restaurants, and restrooms to the back and right. There are steps but also ramps, so it is all accessible. The first City Tour leaves at 9:30 am and then leaves every 40 minutes. St. Kilda starts at 9:45 am then every 2 hours. These are the double-decker red buses you've probably seen. They're open on top. There are steep stairs to get up there. Downstairs there are bench seats which turned out to be surprisingly comfortable. I didn't slide around like I have on other bus tours like this in other cities. Warning, though, if you have long legs - there's not a lot of room between seats downstairs. I don't know about upstairs. Also, some windows downstairs are covered by the company's advertising, so choose your seat wisely downstairs. There are no headphones. The commentary comes over the speakers. I could hear it fine downstairs, although I could have done without the bad jokes (which really were bad). Please be courteous toward other passengers who are listening. About halfway through one of the tours three women came downstairs and sat in three seats around me. They proceeded to talk non-stop and played videos for each other - with the sound going - on their phones. The one in front of me was a gum-chewing machine who also kept popping her gum. These were mature women who should have known better. Shame on you. Alas, the bus I was on was not accessible. It was the same bus for both tours. However, I *think* other buses are accessible. Check with the company for sure. You can also get a 48 hour ticket, a family pass, concession tickets, combo tickets with river tours, and packages that give you entry discounts at various sites like the zoo or Sea Life Melbourne. We were nine minutes from leaving when my digestion kicked in. I had to get off the bus. I'm slow, so it took awhile to get to the restroom and back. I told them it was okay for them to go, but they waited. They also helped me out of the bus as that last step was tough for me. I liked both tours, but especially the St. Kilda one. I found it to be more scenic, and with more nature involved. The City Tour does live up to its name, although you do see a bit of nature, too. This company also runs river cruises (Melbourne River Cruises).

Words won't even begin to express how great our guides, Greg and Taylor, were, but exceptional is a…read morestart! They went above and beyond (from constantly checking reports from other tours, muliple weather stats, finding snowshoe rentals, and Guido intuition) to make sure we found fresh turns for all 10 days of our tour, even during a dry spell in the middle of the 10 days we still found untouched snow at Tomamu when it could have been just a lodge day. Their great attitude and knowledge of the area/Japap were the cherries on the top a frothy, powder tour. As climate changes and seasons either deliver the goods or leave you skunked, I would feel confident booking another tour with Whiteroom and Greg and Taylor knowing we will find freshies.

Great way to see the Central Business District in Melbourne on the City Circle Trams…read more Hop on a historic W-class tram for free. Route 35 goes in a clockwise direction. The 60 minute ride has a narration in English and stops at highlights along the way. The W-class trams were built from the 1920s to the 1950s. They remind me a bit of the streetcars in New Orleans. We used the trams to get a nice overview of Melbourne with stops to reach museums, Flagstaff Gardens and Queen Victoria Market. Had a great view of Marvel Stadium, Flinders Street Station, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Immigration Museum from the tram. So interesting to also see all of the Australian Open/AO advertising throughout Melbourne. A nice way to explore Melbourne especially when you have limited time in the city.

We purchased a MetroCard and tapped it each time we got onto a tram. The trams in the central…read moreshopping / business district are free and we did not have to tap. All of the trams that we got onto during the weekend were very very crowded it was standing room only. most were wearing masks since we were squeezed on top of each other. The City Circle Tram is a free and convenient way to see the sights of central Melbourne and the Docklands while experiencing a ride on one of the city's much loved older & historic trams. An audio commentary should have provided details of city landmarks & major attractions. We waited for the number 35 tram that never came. There was no notice that it was not running for the three days we were in Melbourne. We stopped another tram driver and asked, we were told it's not running.

I love visiting the mansion. I try every couple years. I bring as many as I can that's never been…read more The restaurant/cafe is expensive. Probably better to take food and have a picnic. (YES ALLOWED). The grounds are impeccable. There's more than the mansion also. The back houses. The farm. There's a trail of art works. Amazing day out. 3 hours in house. 1hr out buildings. Art trail 45 mins. A small bus ride through grounds looking for birds and gliders 10mins. Was the background for The Pirate Movie. Rose Garden available during season rivals any on earth.

If you are looking for that "perfect" place to relax and enjoy your surroundings, Werribbe Park and…read moreMansion is that perfect destination - run by Parks Victoria. It is only 30 minutes from Melbourne by car, with plenty of free parking available and the best part is... entry to this magnificent Werribee Park Gardens and Victoria State Rose Garden is FREE. We strolled through the park and absorbed the well laid out landscape of roses in many colours and took time in smelling their fragrances. Plenty of places where you could sit down on their sculpted seats or pick a spot on their luscious green lawn - the area is huge to walk around that enables you to find a suitable piece of lawn to rest upon, under a shade of tree or sunlight - your choice. I even saw a family kicking the ball - a family-friendly place to visit. Many photo opportunities and then there is "The Mansion". You cannot miss the mansion because it truly is a mansion, it was built during the 19th Century (Victorian era) with Italianate architecture style. They do run tours there where you have the opportunity to see inside the Mansion and the history that goes with it, but we chose not to do it, we were quite happy enjoying the free views of 'The Mansion'. There is also a café located near the mansion where you could buy something to eat, have a cuppa or an ice-cream or why not bring along a picnic basket instead? And yes... they do have toilet facilities there as well. If you had a stressful day, smell the rose that would surely make you forget the past and an opportunity to recoup!

Matt and his company were great. We wanted something much more personal than a big bus tour. We…read moresaw amazing sights on the Great Ocean Road, heard a lot of interesting facts, saw koalas and kangaroo up close in the wild, and had numerous nice stops to break up the trip. Matt is a local, and you can tell from his depth of knowledge of the plants, animals and terrain. Our family highly recommends Matt and his company. Support a local small business!

We had an amazing time with Matt as our guide! He took us from Melbourne to Adelaide over a 4 day…read moreadventure! We added an extra day trip out of Melbourne to see the Penguin Parade and Churchill Island. He personalized our tour to meet our needs, and gave us a wonderful tour of wildlife, beaches, 12 Apostles, seaside towns, and wonderful food! Also, made extra trips to get us coffee and playground time for my two kids. Australia is amazing, but to have a personal guide that became a friend made it exceptional! We visited places we probably would never have found on our own, and he was able to give us information about each and every place. I highly recommend this group to show you the Great Ocean Road!

Wonderful tour with Chris on Great Ocean Road! Saw pods of wild kangaroos, koalas clinging to…read moretrees, and beautiful parrots tame enough to land on our heads. Chris knew where to park and best place to have lunch, always trying to get ahead of larger crowds of people. Seemed so much better than the bigger tour groups!