Perfect day in Melbourne for travelers on ocean cruise or short stay

You ship will arrive in Melbourne’s port at 8:00 am, and at 9:00 you may descend from the gangway onto the pier. You will experience an entertaining trip through the greenest city in Australia, and then visit the most interesting sights in suburban Melbourne.

You will be driven through the center of Melbourne and on the way, learn briefly about the history of the city’s foundation. You will see preserved buildings with colonial architecture and the city’s modern buildings. Your guide will tell you about the stages of Melbourne’s development, about the long-standing rivalry with Sydney and show you the historically significant houses and structures.

You will see:
• Parliament House
• The Treasury
• The Royal Exhibition Building
• The Queen Victoria Market

Then you will go to Dandenong National Park, located 40 minutes outside of Melbourne. There a walk under the canopy of giant eucalyptus trees in this tropical forest await you. Giant ferns and relict trees are home to many unique Australian animals. This forest is inhabited by colourful Rosella parrots and noisy cockatoos. You can feed the sociable birds from a designated platform. A pleasant activity during the trip will be a ride on the Puffing Billy steam train which will take you through the rainforest, and the most colourful and picturesque areas of the Dandenong park.

In the park you will make a stop for a lunch of pie in the ‘Pie in the Sky’ or a cafe in the ‘Grants Picnic Area’.

Moving forward you will make your way to the charming Yarra river valley, which is famous for its wineries. The vast slopes of the valley are dotted with gardens and vineyards, here many varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Shiraz, and Cabernet are grown. More than 80 wineries produce magnificent red, white and sparkling wines, popular both here and overseas. After a couple of wine tasting, we can make a stop for a picnic at one of the wineries or have some lunch at one of the valley’s restaurants. During the trip through the Yarra Valley, you will also visit a dairy farm, where you can try the farmer’s’ soft local cheeses. At the end of the tour, you will visit a chocolate factory that produces delicacies popular among Australians. In the shop at the factory, you will be offered to try cakes, sweets and sweet desserts over a cup of fragrant tea or coffee. Take along a bag of local sweets to extend the pleasure of this journey for evening tea or morning coffee on another day.

If you are not tempted by wine, cheese, and chocolate tastings, after lunch you can go to one of the oldest wildlife parks in Victoria. In the Healesville Nature Reserve are many Australian animals both commonly known, like kangaroos and koalas and somewhat rare animals like Tree Kangaroo, Tasmanian devils, Platypuse and Bilby. To familiarise yourself with all animals at the park you will need about two hours.