Why not enjoy a cruise up the Yarra, or hire a bike for
a peddle along the river? Stroll through some of the City's
500 hectares of parks and gardens, or view the city from
the highest rooftop in the Southern Hemisphere at the Observation
Deck on top of the Rialto, just on block from the hotel.
Whatever your reason for visiting, Melbourne has much to offer and staying
at the Kingsgate you are never far away...
To find out how Melbourne became the graceful city it is today, spend a day
or two at one of the many local museums. The Melbourne Museum houses the state
collection in an imposing modern building. The Maritime Museum and the Immigration
Museum, both on the Yarra River, unveil key events in the growth of Melbourne.
Other histories include the stomach-turning tales of the Old Melbourne Gaol,
the genteel accounts of life within La Trobe’s Cottage, home of Victoria’s
first governor; or Cooks’ Cottage, the parental home of Captain James
Cook, one of the first European navigators to chart the east coast of Australia,
relocated to Fitzroy Gardens from Yorkshire, England. No matter what you’re
interested in, you’ll find it in the City of Melbourne.
Melbourne is Australia's centre for shopping, restaurants, sport, arts, culture
and big events. Vibrant, friendly, with a cosmopolitan spirit and a youthful
outlook, Melbourne breathes a life of its own.
Melbourne is host to major cultural festivals, world famous horse race, smash
hit musicals and international sporting events throughout the year.
The Melbourne Festival, Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Australian Grand Prix,
Australian Football League Grand Final, Australian Motorcycle
Grand Prix, Melbourne Cup and Spring Racing Carnival, Australian Open, Melbourne
Comedy Festival and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival are just a few key events.
The Docklands
Docklands is the hub of Melbourne's best waterside shopping and entertainment.
Docklands attractions include bars, restaurants, markets, shopping, performance spaces and cinemas.
There's always something exciting happening at Docklands. Highlights: Art Walk, Ice skating,
Farmers' markets Southern Star Observation Wheel, Outlet shopping, Bars and restaurants.
Etihad Stadium
Etihad Stadium is a multi-purpose facility designed to cater for major sporting and
entertainment events, as well as social, business and private functions. The stadium is
situated in the heart of Melbourne’s Docklands, 9, 2000 more than 19-million people have passed
through the just minutes from the CBD. Etihad Stadium is the only football stadium in the Southern
Hemisphere with a fully retractable roof.
Federation Square
The development of Federation Square with its bold architecture
and varied cultural offerings has provided Melbourne with
a new contemporary dimension to its appeal.
The size of an entire new city block, Federation Square
took over four years to complete and hosts the Ian Potter
Centre: NGV Australia, Australian Centre for the Moving Image,
Melbourne Visitor Information Centre, a selection of restaurants,
cafes, bars and Function Centre and a range of public open
spaces.
A project the size and nature of Federation Square probably
arises only every century. Melbourne’s major 19th century
building contribution to civic life was the Royal Exhibition
Building. Melbourne’s 21st century civic icon is Federation
Square.
Queen Victoria Market
The Queen Victoria Market is more than just Melbourne’s
shopping Mecca. This 19th century market is a historic landmark,
a tourist attraction and an institution for all Melburnians.
The ‘Queen Vic’ was opened in 1878, but the meat
market building (except the Victorian facade) operated from
1866.
The area where the back open-air sheds stand used to be Melbourne’s first
cemetery. Over the years, the market has been a wholesale fruit and vegetable
market, and has gone through various expansions and changes reflecting the
shopping habits of the growing Melbourne populace.
Fresh is the flavour of the market. More than fresh seafood and fresh fruits
and vegetables, the market takes a fresh approach. Find clothing, baggage,
toys, jewellery, new-age products and souvenirs at sinful prices.
The complex of enclosed food halls, open sheds, shops and stores illustrate
the variety of Melbourne culture through its produce whilst maintaining a vibrant
sense of how a 19th century market functioned.
Royal Botanic Gardens
Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens were established in 1846.
The gardens are home to over 12,000 different species of
plants and are a natural sanctuary for native wildlife. Features
of the gardens include the Ornamental Lake, the National
Herbarium of Victoria, Old Melbourne Observatory, the Australian
Rainforest Walk and the Water Conservation Garden. During
summer the gardens host the Moonlight Cinema, an outdoor
cinema with twilight screenings of classic and cult movies.
A visitor’s centre for the gardens can be found opposite the Shrine of
Remembrance. Open daily from 900am–5.30pm, the centre can provide details
about the gardens and guided tours.
Sovereign Hill
One
of Victoria’s most popular
tourist attractions, Sovereign Hill is a fabulous re-creation
of the hustle and bustle of life in Ballarat in the 1850s.
Set on a former goldmining site, the compound has more than
60 buildings, while over 200 people volunteer to dress in
period costume on a regular basis.
You can do all the traditional activities like pan for real
gold, buy boiled sweets from the confectioner’s, ride
in horse-drawn carriages, travel underground on a tour of
the Red Hill Mine, or simply observe the working and living
conditions that existed last century.
At night, Sovereign Hill holds a spectacular 80-minute sound
and light show on the Eureka Rebellion, dramatically called ‘Blood
on the Southern Cross’, which is Australia’s
only uprising and took place in 1854 at Ballarat.
Phillip Island - Fairy Penguin Parade
As the sun sinks in the sky, groups of Little Penguins
waddle up the beach to the safety of their burrows in the
sand dunes of Summerland Beach. Having fished for food in
the waters around Phillip Island during the day, the colony
of around 4,500 penguins return home for the night to rest
and in the breeding season (August to March), to feed their
young. You can experience a close encounter with this wild
penguin colony from the viewing stands and observation boardwalks
at Phillip Island Nature Park.
The Penguin Parade is located on Phillip Island, 140 kilometres
south-east of Melbourne.
There are various tour operators that offer tours to Phillip Island. Please
see the Concierge for further information and assistance.
The Princess Theatre
Seeped in History and Listed in the
National Register of Historic Places, the Princess Theatre
was completed refurshibed at a cost of $6 million, the renovation
and expansion project restored the beautiful facade and marquee,
rebuilt a new stage house, upgraded the infrastructure and
equipment and expanded into an adjacent building with a new
lobby and dressing rooms.
The Theatre now operates a larger and more technically equipped
facility while preserving one of the city's most historic
landmarks.
The Great Ocean Road
Cross over Melbourne's Westgate Bridge to the long highway
cliff hugs its way from Port Phillip Bay, Port Melbourne,
the city skyline and the western region from Geelong to Adelaide.
Have our hotel arrange a hire car or tour to take you on
a trip along Victoria's famous Great Ocean Road and discover
golden sandy beaches, sheer cliff faces, surf beaches and
amazing rock formations. Pass through restful fishing villages
and seaside resorts such as the famous surfing town of Torquay,
Australia's surfing capital and home of Rip Curl. It also
features the world-famous Bells Beach and is home to the
World Surfing Championships.
Pass through the beautiful coastal towns of Anglesea, Lorne
and Wye River, and visit the spectacular Cape Patton Lookout
before reaching Apollo Bay; even take your swimwear. Go inland
from the coastline and discover the magic of the Otway National
Park, silent and untouched, lush tree-fern gullies and towering
mountain ash forests. A photographers paradise, there are
many opportunities to shoot stunning scenery at sunset or
dusk, such as the stone monoliths of the Twelve Apostles
or the remains of the London Bridge.
Healesville Sanctuary
Open
daily, Healesville Sanctuary, just one hour from Melbourne
in the picturesque Yarra Valley,
and you'll find yourself closer than you ever thought possible
to Australia’s unique wildlife.
Featuring more than 200 species of native birds, mammals
and reptiles displayed in a beautiful bushland setting. As
you make your way along the accessible system of pathways
linking the habitats and exhibits, look out for roaming animals
like kangaroos, emus and wallabies. You can also see the
platypus exhibit, which provides an intimate encounter with
this nocturnal creature, and participate in meet-the-keeper
sessions featuring hunting demonstrations by birds of prey
and daily dingo walks.
Concierge at the Kingsgate Hotel can arrange a day trip to
Healesville Sanctuary. This Australian experience and a great
way to immerse yourself in the sights, scents and sounds
of the Australian bush.
Yarra Valley
The Valley is easily accessible from Melbourne around an
hours drive east of Melbourne. Mountains and valleys sidle
along Melbourne’s eastern fringe. The Yarra Valley
is the ideal destination for wine enthusiasts wanting to
stimulate their taste buds with 35 cellar doors. Let us arrange
for you to relax at some of Australia's most notable wineries
such as Domain Chandon, De Bortoli and Rochford Wines.
The region is most famous for its production of dry white wines with fruit
accents that are being recognised in world-class rankings. Enjoy local fresh
produce at local cafes and restaurants.
From this location, you can also view the Dandenong’s
and Sherbrooke Forest while taking a ride on the Puffing
Billy Steam Train. Once you have reached your destination,
you can wander among the koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and
wombats at Healesville Sanctuary or perhaps spot them on
your journey through the green and undulating cool hills.
Melbourne Aquarium
The Melbourne Aquarium is home of over 10,000 aquatic creatures,
see the sharks being fed, wiggle with the octopus, enjoy
the jellies, bask with the rays and be thrilled by the simulator
rides.
Travel through billabongs, rock pool, a transparent tunnel surrounded by sharks
and giant sting rays, and finally go right off the deep end to the 2.2 million
litre Oceanarium.
Within easy walking distance of the hotel, located on the banks of the Yarra
the Aquarium is open every day of the year.
Melbourne Cricket Ground
(MCG) The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
is close proximity to the Kingsgate Hotel with just a short
train or tram ride.
Built way back in 1853 when the then 15-year-old Melbourne
Cricket Club was forced by the government to move from its
former site because the route of Australia’s first
steam train was to pass through the oval.
Since then the MCG has established a marvellous history,
this can be viewed in its well-known Australian Gallery of
Sport, which includes some of the most priceless pieces of
memorabilia in Australian sporting history. Hosting plenty
of international cricket including the first-ever Test and
the 1992 World Cup final, countless VFL/AFL Grand Finals,
and the 1956 Olympic Games.
Other sporting spectacles that have been held there are Australian
World Cup soccer qualifiers, rugby league home and away matches
and State of Origin, and international rugby union clashes.
Apart from its sporting events, the MCG has also witnessed
many blockbuster music concerts, and even the current Pope,
John Paul II, held a mass there when he visited Melbourne
in 1986.
People from all over Australia, and indeed all over the world,
speak reverently about the MCG, a ground that is as well
known as any other and will no doubt further enhance its
reputation when it hosts the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Melbourne Exhibition Centre
Only a few minutes walk from the Kingsgate Hotel is the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC),
comprising of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and Melbourne’s latest offering in architectural
ingenuity - the Melbourne Convention Centre.
Set to impress as the first, and one and only, ‘6 Star Green Star’ convention centre in the world,
the Melbourne Convention Centre represents world leadership in best practice, innovation and sustainability
and is raising standards to new heights in technology, imaginative catering and service options.
The convention centre features
| - | 32 meeting rooms of various sizes |
| - | a ground floor cocktail space capable of accommodating 8400 people |
| - | a grand banquet room |
| - | a 5000 seat plenary hall that can be divided into three self-contained, acoustically separate theatres |
| - | With a stunning 18-metre tall glass façade fronting the Yarra River offering unequalled views of the
Melbourne city skyline, the centre offers an unparalleled experience for delegates and visitors alike. |
Crown Entertainment Complex
Located on the opposite bank of the river, the complex combines gaming, convention, restaurant,
retail and comprehensive entertainment facilities in one of the most innovative and technologically
advanced sites in the world.
Experience a wide range of prestigious brands including Burberry, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Brioni,
Lk Jewellery, Versace and more. Streetwear and lifestyle apparel includes French Connection, Witchery,
Guess, Nine West, Politix just to name a few, all within a short stroll of each other. If you appreciate
elegance, adore good design and live for style, you'll love shopping at Crown.
Crown offers some of Melbourne's finest and most cosmopolitan dining overlooking the Yarra River and city skyline.
There is also the popular Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons, Bistro Guillaume, Nobu, Rockpool Bar and Grill. If you're not hungry,
visit KingPin for a bowling match or Galactic Circus for some arcade games. If that takes up too much energy, relax
in front of the movie screen with your choice of 10 different cinemas and 433 screenings weekly!
Melbourne Museum
The modernist Melbourne Museum is the largest museum complex
in the southern hemisphere. Spread over six huge levels,
half of which are below ground level, the museum draws on
the latest technology to give an insight into Australia’s
flora, fauna and culture. Exhibitions include the Bunjilaka
Aboriginal Centre, Phar Lap, one of Australia's leading thoroughbreds,
and the living Forest Gallery.
Learn about yourself in the Mind and Body gallery, or investigate evolution
from a prehistoric and genetic viewpoint.
Melbourne Park
Melbourne & Olympic Parks play host to Australia's premier
sports and entertainment events, providing a vast array of
corporate hospitality options to suit your client portfolio.
Melbourne Zoo
The Melbourne zoo is Australia’s oldest having opened
in 1862. More than 350 animal’s species from Australia
and around the world are on view just 4km from the hotel,
in a botanic setting of 55 acres / 22 hectares. Visit the
Kangaroo’s, Koala’s or perhaps take a wander
amongst the colourful butterflies in the hot-house. The Zoo
also has ‘Twilight Festival’ such as Jazz at
the Zoo. Check with the hotel for further details.
Mornington Peninsula A scenic 80-minute drive from Melbourne
is the Mornington Peninsula region of Victoria.
The beautiful Peninsula curves lazily southwards, from Melbourne
along Port Phillip Bay to a patchwork of bushland, pastures,
hills, vineyards, national parks and beautiful beaches. The
area is a scenic region rich in wineries, restaurants and
art galleries.
Museum Victoria
Museum Victoria operates three
vibrant campuses: Melbourne Museum in Carlton Gardens,
Scienceworks Museum and Melbourne Planetarium in Spotswood,
and the Immigration Museum in Melbourne's Old Customs House
in Flinders Street. It is also the custodian for the heritage
listed Royal Exhibition Building.
History:
The organisation's origins date back to 1854 with the founding
of the National Museum of Victoria, and the establishment
of the Industrial and Technological Museum of Victoria (later
known as the Science Museum of Victoria) in 1870. These institutions
were amalgamated to form what is today known as Museum Victoria.
For further information please contact our concierge at the
Kingsgate Hotel.
Victorian Arts Centre
Topped by a spire reaching 162 metres above St Kilda Road,
the Victorian Arts Centre contains four theatres each individually
designed by Oscar-winning Australian designer John Truscott.
The complex is built with the theatres reaching six levels
below the street; the largest is the State Theatre used for
major opera, ballet and musical productions, seating over
2000. Attend a viewing of the latest show while you explore
the home of Australia's premier performing-art companies
and the theatres they work in.
Shopping in Melbourne
Think Melbourne, think shopping - the rest of Australia
does. For decades, the city has been known as the country’s
shopping capital, and the question isn’t what you can
buy but what can’t you buy!
From the
large department stores David Jones and Myer located a couple
of blocks from the hotel, there are shopping
centres such as the Galleria, Australia
on Collins and Melbourne Central, to the network of lanes and arcades; every
turn reveals a new shopping space with its own personality. So if you want
it, the City's got it - all within a short walk or a tram stop or two. See
reception for a local city map or to arrange a shopping tour!
All fashion tastes are catered for, whether you are sticking to
a student budget we suggest Bridge Road, Richmond for all the factory
outlets such as Country
Road, Bonds or want the very latest in designer chic. The City offers An A-Z of fine fashion names from
La Perla, Gucci, Prada, Gianni Versace located
at Crown Entertainment complex to Allanah Hill to Zegna and Zambesi.
The City also offer brand shopping Outlets a 10 minute walk from the hotel is DFO.
Most
stores are open seven days, and many stay open late on Fridays
to 9pm. As a general rule trading hours for
the City shops are:
| Sunday to Wednesday: |
10.00am - 6.00pm |
| Thursday: |
10.00am - 7.00pm |
| Friday: |
10.00am - 9.00pm |
| Nearest Subway: |
Southern Cross Railway Station is located a two-minute walk
from the hotel, and Flinders Street Station is a ten-minute
walk or a tram service operates from outside the main
entrance of the hotel. |
Neighbours Ramsay Street
If you’re a Neighbours fan then let us book you on
tour so you can take photos of the Houses on Ramsay Street,
drive past Erinsborough High School and Studio Complex. See
the "History of Neighbours".
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