What to do with Children in Tow

1.Melbourne Aquarium

The ocean is an enchanting place with vibrancy in life which varies from clime to clime and geographical area adding a certain mystery to the wonders of the sea. Australia which by virtue of its location is home to some of the most wonderful sea life found anywhere in the world. And although many of us would love to see it first hand, that is not always possible.

This is where the Melbourne Aquarium comes in which is home to one of the largest collection of sea life from the Southern Ocean. Located on the banks of the Yarra River the Aquarium houses 10,000 animals which are divided into four levels.

Not only do you and your children get to enjoy watching the daily feeding sessions, the 2.2 million litre Oceanarium and the exhilarating virtual-reality simulator ride at the Aquarium, the educational value of a stop at the Melbourne Aquarium is immense.

Address:

Cnr King & Flinders Streets
Melbourne 3000
Victoria, Australia

Front Desk: +61-3-9923-5925
Fax: +61-3-9620-0222
Website: www.melbourneaquarium.com.au

Working Hours: Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. including public holidays.

Admission Charges:

Adult: $26.50
Child (3-15yrs): $16.00
Concession: $18.00

Family (2 adults & up to 3 children): $75.00
Single Family (1 adult & up to 3 children): $55.00
Additional Children: $11.50

Every Tuesday is Seniors Tuesday, which allows seniors to avail a 10% discount.

2. ArtPlay

Getting your children to enjoy art can be a tricky proposition. Where do you take them, how do you get them involved, how do you get them exposed to the work of professionals are just some of the questions which come to mind, and with no clear cut solution in mind.

Well that is until you visit ArtPlay on your next trip to Melbourne. One of the city’s major initiatives to bring a balance between academic and recreational activities for kids aged up to 12, this unique program allows your child the opportunity to work with professionals in diverse fields such paintings, printmaking, music and drama workshops.

Address:

Birrarung Marr
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
PO Box 1603
Melbourne Vic 3001

Tel: +61-3-9664-7900

Website: www.artplay.com.au

Working Hours:

Wednesday to Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Fee Structure:

Since a variety of workshops and classes are offered at ArtPlay, please do enquire about the availability and fee applicable to the program you want your child to take.

3. Melbourne 360 Degrees – Observation Deck at Rialto

When in Melbourne make it a point to visit the Observation Deck at Rialto which provides panoramic vies of this great metropolis. While up there you can also enjoy a spectacular film, Rialto Vision among many other facilities such as a café and bar, souvenir shops and of course outdoor viewing decks but this not for the faint hearted as the Rialto is 823 feet above the ground and the elevators taking you there travel at 25 kilometres per hour

Address

525 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia 3000

Tel: +61-3-9629-8222
Website: www.melbournedeck.com.au/

Working Hours

Open Daily: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Closed on these days during the mentioned times:

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and Good Friday

Christmas Day: 10:00 a.m. to 5: 00 p.m.

Admission Charges

Adults: $14.50
Child: $8.00
Family: (Two adults and up to four children between the ages of five and 15) $39.50
Single Parent Family: (One adult and two children between the ages of five and 15) $27.50

A discount voucher of 15% is also available.

4. Puffing Billy

Australia is one of those countries that has been settled due to the indomitable spirit of the first settlers who took this large expanse of land head on and conquered it. So it goes without saying that it is one of those places that is worth exploring.

But when you have kids with you such exploration can often be mired by calls of when can we go back and is it over yet. To counter such dispirited behaviour, Melbourne features a century old steam train which is bound to provide the entire family a fun time out and about.

The train which is over 100 years old runs on its original track on it original route from Belgrave to Gembrook in the idyllic Dandenong Ranges about 40 kilometres to the east of Melbourne. And when kids find out that they will be spending their day with Thomas the Tank Engine, or that they will get to see the animals at the Thomas Animal Nursery, or that they can get their faces painted, or savour mouth watering snacks, the enthusiasm is bound to return to the faces of your children. So make sure that when you are in Melbourne, one of your stops is at Emerald Town Station.

Address:

PO Box 451, Belgrave 3160, Victoria, Australia
Street address: Old Monbulk Road, Belgrave 3160

Tel: (03) 9757-0700

Website: http://www.puffingbilly.com.au

Working Hours

Works everyday except Christmas Day

Fares:

All rates are in Australian Dollars

Belgrave to Gembrook

Adult single: $30
Child single: $15
Child return: $23
Family return:$94

Belgrave to Emerald or Lakeside/Emerald or Lakeside to Gembrook

Adult single: $19.50
Child single: $10.50
Concession single: $16
Family return:$68

Belgrave to Menzies Creek/Menzies Creek to Lakeside

Adult single: $14.50
Child single: $8

5. Melbourne Zoo (Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens)

A zoo is an integral part of any city claiming to be cosmopolitan and a place where all children and even adults love to go. The Melbourne Zoo is no exception with over 320 species housed within its confines. What perhaps makes a zoo in Australia more appealing is the indigenous wildlife of the country.

Located a mere four kilometres from the city, the zoo is easily accessible and awaits to transport you to the a variety of different and exotic locations as you visit the wonderful collection of wildlife in surroundings which are bound to make you relax for the four or so hours that you will spend in this scenic wonderland.

Address

Elliott Avenue
Parkville Victoria 3052

Tel: (03) 9285 9300

Website: www.zoo.org.au/MelbourneZoo

Working Hours

Open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily – no holidays.
Open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. to accommodate Zoo Twilights concert series.

Admission Charge

All prices are in Australian Dollars

Adults (16 and over): $23.60
Children (4 to 15 years): $11.80
Adult concession (16 and over): $17.80
Seniors concession: $ 21.20

Family Passes:

Two adults – one child: $53.90
Two adults – two children: $53.90
Two adults – three children: $60.40
Two adults – four children: $66.90
Two adults – five children: $73.40

6. Melbourne Museum

Museums are always a fun way to get the children’s imagination to come to life as well as make them take more interest in the city they are visiting. And when in Australia, museums have so much to offer as they put on show the British heritage and the Aboriginal groundings of this great country.

Keeping that in mind the one place that you wouldn’t want to miss out visiting is the Melbourne Museum. It is the best place to explore Victoria as you take in the relics housed in the eight galleries of the Royal Exhibition Building; and when there doesn’t miss the gallery which is especially for children.

Some of the things to watch out for at the Museum include the complete skeleton of a blue whale, a living rainforest and the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, not to mention the IMAX Theatre, the world’s largest cinema format towering eight storeys high. And after you have enjoyed the exhibits you can head on over to the Melbourne Museum Shop for a souvenir or two.

Address

Melbourne Museum
Nicholson St, Carlton, Melbourne, 3053

Tel: +61-3-8341-7777 (International)
Website: museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum

Working Hours

* Daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
* Closed on Good Friday and Christmas Day

Admission Charges

All charges are in Australian Dollars

* Adults: $6
* Concession and children: free entry

7. Scienceworks and Melbourne Planetarium

Kids these days are always into anything to do with science and technology. The same goes for anything to do with space. Just the mere mention of these two things is bound to get your teenager excited about the latest gadget or some planet being found.

This is where the Scienceworks and Melbourne Planetarium come into the picture. It is sure to not intrigue your children but to keep them engaged the whole time that you choose to spend there through a series of fun and interactive activities. This is done through live demonstrations in which visitors can take part, guided tours and other special activities.

The Melbourne Planetarium for its part does its best to transport all visitors into outer space through a series of hyper-real, digital simulations of astronomical shows. A 16 metre domed ceiling and the latest Sky-Skan DigitalSky projection system go a long way in assuring a high quality experience for you.

Address

2 Booker St, Spotswood, Victoria

Tel: +61-3-9392-4800
For group bookings telephone 03-9392-4819

Website: museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks

Postal Address
Scienceworks
PO Box 666
Melbourne VIC 3001
Australia

Working Hours:

* Daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
* Closed on Good Friday and Christmas Day

Admission Charges:

* Adults $6
* Concessions and children free
* Melbourne Planetarium and Lightning Room shows each cost an additional $ 5 for Adults, $4 for concessions and $ 3.50 for children three to 16 years.