If you’re read some of my prior blog posts, you probably know that my husband and son are really into tennis. They enjoy watching it in person (thanks to miles and points travel to the Laver Cup, US Open and Cincinnati Open), watching it on TV, and playing it a few times a week. While it’s sometimes a bit annoying that there’s always a tennis tournament on TV at our house, at least it’s not football. (Joking! Sorta).
For the last two weeks, the Australian Open Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne, Australia has been airing nonstop in our house. While I don’t watch it as much as my husband does, I’ve seen a fair amount of the matches. However, watching the tennis tournament has yielded an unintended consequence: I’m convinced we must add Melbourne to our short list of travel destinations!
Why Visit Melbourne, Australia?
The commercials for Melbourne that have aired during the Australian Open have definitely worked on me. My family visited Sydney in 2019, but Melbourne wasn’t on my radar at all. It’s not even about the city itself, but also day trip destinations in the state of Victoria.
Penguin Parade on Phillip Island: Phillip Island looks stunning. Penguins, koalas, and a chocolate factory? Yes, please!
Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles: The coast line of Victoria looks amazing. The 12 Apostles rock formation would make an incredible day trip.
Puffing Billy Railway: What’s not to like about an open-air scenic train ride? Puffing Billy Railway lets you dangle your legs out while you choo-choo through the forest.
Qantas conveniently offers nonstop flights from DFW to Melbourne. My family flew on Qantas to Sydney, and even in economy, it was one of our favorite flights due to comfort and service.
If we fly all the way to Melbourne, I’d have to loop in a trip to the famous Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin’s zoo).
And just like that, a new trip idea is forming. The possibilities are endless. That’s the great thing about travel!
If you’ve been to Melbourne/Victoria, I’d love to hear about your experience.
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Haha! Yup, was part of my itinerary when we went to Tahiti, NZ and Australia in 2018. But I didn’t focus on it much, as I prioritized reviewing points redemptions and we rented a house in Melbourne. Speaking of, we were victims of a scam and had no place to stay when we landed. Had to scramble to find something to fit all 7 of us at the last minute. I meant to write about it and forgot.
Just know that the Australia Zoo is in Brisbane, a three hour flight from Melbourne
@Bob Yes, what a bummer! I was hoping we could rent a car, but it’s a 20-hour drive.
We’ve done all three activities you’ve mentioned here. If I had to skip one, I would cut off the train ride. It was fun, but I don’t believe it’s a must when visiting Melbourne. The scenery was similar to North Carolina.
I loved the penguin parade! Very cool and unique. The drive to Twelve Apostles is an obligatory thing, and I don’t regret going. Plus, we got to see kangaroos roaming in the wild. It did remind me of Oregon coastline. Overall, Melbourne was a neat place to visit and I recommend it. But winters there are frigid, with the winds blowing from Antarctica. I was shocked by how cold it was.
Leana! How did I not know you’ve traveled to Melbourne?? We will have to chat about it someday.
Just returned to the freezing cold Midwest after attending the first week of AO and can tell you the tournament grounds and experience are superior to the US and Cinncy Open. The tennis fans will definitely enjoy that part of the trip.
@Andy G That’s great to hear! Unfortunately, the tournament takes place during the school year, so we’d have to wait a few more years to attend it unless we ditch our kids. My husband said our son would never forgive us if he went to the AO without him.