Dare tc be Cifferent
any visitors to Melbourne 6nd your trip to Melbourne is not only enjoyable,
that once they have explored
and enjoyed the major sights
ofthe city and the well-known
surrounding tourist attractions,
they can be left with a little extra time and a desire
to experience something a bit different. Whether
it bejoining a specialised sports tour to e4lore
Melbourne's mania for anthing spotts related,
deciding to confiont a fear ofheights in a glass cube
300 metres above the ground, riding a Black Spur on
aBMW motorrycle tour, sailing Port Phillip Bay, or
getting up close and penonal with a large shark,
there is cerainiv no shortage ofoptions to ensure
l-rr r Pator I\ lnRraa rfr r
but also very memorable.
Au.tralia's preo((up.iiion with,porting pur.uirs
i' legendarl,and nowhere more.o than in
Melbourne, which is home to cricket matches and
the Australian Open Tennis in summer; the Grand
Pri{ in autumn; Australian Rules football, rugby and
soccer in winter; and the Spring Racing Carnival,
including the Melbourne Cup -"the race that
stops the nation"- in spring. All ofwhich could
be terribly confusing for visitors were it not for a
comparl deroted to reveal,ng our ciry. .porting
side. Melbourne Sports Tours offers a wide range
of tours incorporating major Melbourne football
Where 21

AID\e: Hit the ite11 rodd wilh Y,nlta,o. R;ght:
stadiums, tennis, horse racing, sking,
and even surfing in summer. For o\.erseas
visitors the rules ofAustralian Ilules
football, comnot-tly known as AFL, are
shrouded in mysteD'. Nlelbourne Sports
Tours host visits to major AFL matches,
and ensure a genuinelv t-vpical Melbournc
weekend pastime is not onl,v explained,
but also thoroughly enjol'ed. The iconic
Melbourne Cricket Cround (MCG) plays
ho)t i,' r rn) najor.portingeverr'.and i.
also home to the nervly e{ended Melbourne
Sports \,luseum, \\'hich has one ofthe
largest collectiors of Olympic memorabilia
outside of Switzerland.
A favourite starting point for visitors to
l\4elbourne *ho rre nrrg orJnf LourJge
short on a feal ofheights is The Edge u'ithin
the Eureka Skydeck. The Edge, a glass
that gradually extends J metres out from the
side ofthe iconic Eureka Touer, is probably
not the best place for those fbint ofheart
It is on the other hand a rvonderft place to
ratch people's reactions as the previousl,v
opaque glass cube that they are standing on
. \u.fended neart .100 rnetre: aborc tlr,
ground suddenlybecomes
very distant
transparent. Digital photographs of the
experience are available and provide
permanent reminder ofwhat is definitely
an intriguing tourist attraction.
lor tho'ernl-o ra rq r l'ig1'er
still, there are few experiences to compare
with hanging abovc Nlelbourne or the Yarra
22 Where
F lol d ddl o' i dre rfdr.r l!i//r /liJ.or.r sd;l'rg
balloon.lfthe weather
Valle,v in a hot air
conditions pernit,l'ou can experience the
beaut,v of hot air ballooning, the silence
broken only by the intermittent hiss ofthc
gas jets as,vour pjlot seeks out the perfect
rlird 'r'r.r.r highabovrthecin
ro 'leer voL
oLrildirg' ' 'r r irrcr ard'. { nutnbero rnell-
known ballooning conpanies offer flights,
including Balloon Sunrise, Picturc This
Ballooning and Global Ballooning. After'
being collected from your hotel you wili be
transterred to one ofthe launch sites, and bc
treated to the spectacle oftongues of flame
licking forrvard into tl'te balloons as they
gradtLally iillrvith hot air and begin to tug
at their mooring lines. \Vatching the ground
drop away as the balloon rises into the air
and begins to ddft toward 1-our destination,
cube skillflrlly piioted rvith intermittent bursts of
flane, and seeing Melbourne and the Yarra
Valleyviewed from thoLlsands of feet up,
is an experiencethat $,ill not be easily
forgotten. Ofcourse as the old saying goes,
\\dat goes up must come down! Once you
reach the ground safely and the balloons are
down and stowed arvay, a champagne
breakfast awaits you, tasting all the more
sr'veeter as vou reflect upon the flight 1ou
a have just experienced.
Some people, perhaps with memories of
the lamous flying aces ofthe past, naywish
per'pe.tir, to experience the visceral thrill olporvered
llight.lucky for us in Nlelbourne, it was
only a n-ratter of time before someone
I fit
decided to dust the mothballs offa biplane
or two and take to the skies. So for anyone
enleIlr'n r'g.' de'i c lo repl',.-rt. the exploit.
ofthe Red Baron, they leed drive no further
than Torqr.ra1,, located at the beginning of
the Great LJcean Road, and visit Tiger Moth
\^/orld. Fl,ving above the stunning coastline
ofthe Great Ocean Road in the open
cockpit ofa biplane ma). iot be something
the majoritv oltourists manage to do, but
the rn'ile on the Lrccr oi tho.e r" l-o 5lidc
back to terra firna aftenvard are testament
to the ldct that the hour and a half drive to
Torquaf is tine lvell spent. For those lvho
prcfer tn dcpa-t lrom Ihe cin,erlre rhotrgh.
a helicopter ride may rvell be the pefect
ansrver, ancl Nlicroflite Helicopters provide
the opportunity for flights to a number of
locations ranging from the Great Ocean
Road to lunch at theYarraValley or simply a
lig\r orcr rhe cin. flight. deparr from their
helipad located conveniently on the Yarta
River opposite Crown Casino.
And for anyone !\'ho preferc the lvater to
the skies, and has the courage to encounter
the dental h,vgiene of a shark or trvo theri
Melbourne Aquarium has the perfect
activity for you. Melboume Aquariullt offers
shark dives for both novice and experienccd
 betbre enjoying a relaxed dinner back at onr
of the many Docklands restaurants.
Fin;r1h., many visitors to Melbourne e1e.t
to includc a tour to the Great Ocean Road
or thel'arra \rallq', ho\{ever an increasing
number oflocal and overseas traveleLs arc
choosing to elrrbrace their inner Eas,vrider
and trade four wheels for fi^'o $,ith Vicmoro.
Admittedlv $'hen those two wheels are
attached to a sophisticared BMW
motorc\'.le and the tour includes
experiencecl riders who act as I'our guides
rnd lt' lr.lr r rdirg en.en ble. r lrc.e rour.
managc to attain a degree ofcomfort fal
be.vond what many people might normally
associate with motorcycle touring. The
combination ola large motorcycle, an open
load, and a plethora ofstunning scenery
reilains an intoricating one, whether it be
for a shorter city tour or perhaps even
several days following the coast along the
beautiftrl Great Ocean Road.
Melbourne is a lovely city that rewards
those inclined to explore it and the best and
most memorable way to experience this fair
citv may well be to do somethingjust a little
bit adventuroirsl

divers, and provides

the opportunitl' to
find yourselffloating
beside giant stingrays,
seren gilled sharks and
grey Durse sharks) not
to mention of course, Alrat c lcli: Miclallilht LtelioF.,r r.:.,i. rj.'$ o,r? Melbanne. Abarc t ryht: Lrettlt wiE Aqwmn Sha* Diw.
numerous different
lish. For those who
have never dived before, a short course is
provided and age and medical conditions do
apply. Ofcourse there is a distinct possibiliti, Melbourne Sports Tours Tiger Moth World
this could be one ofthose experiences that Tel: 8802 4547 Te1: 5261 5100
seem like a wonderfulidea at first but mat. www.melbournesportstours.com.au www.tigermothworld.com
just cause you to rapidly check the fine pnnt The Edge at Eureka Skydeck Microllite Helicop:ers
on your life insurance the 6rst time a gre) Tel: 9693 8888 Te!.9587 6411
nurse glides toward you and you realise vou www.eurekaskydeck.com.au www.microflite.com.au
are both on the same side ofthe glassl
\{hile it Picture This Ballooning Melbourne Aquarium
is ofcourse cluite comrnon to
look out to Tel:9429 0277 TeL 9620 0999
sea lrom Melbourlet beachcs,
it can be far more exciting to find yourself wwwpicturethis.com.au www.melbourneaquadum.com.au
looking back at the city and beaches honr Balloon Sunrise Discover Sailing
the ocean under a set ofsnapping sails on a Tel: 1800 992 105 TeL 9503 0l0l
yacht heeling over before the rvind. Discover www.hotairballooning,com.au www. discoyersailing. com. a u
Sailing offer the opportunit,v for 2 l0 people
Global Ballooning Vicmoto
to depart Waterfront Ciq' at Docklards and
Tel: 9428 5703 Tel: 0434 240 591
sail Port Phillip Ba1'. You can choose to sail
www.globalballooning.com.au www.vicmoto.com.au
to Brighton for lunch, or perhaps vou rvill
.njoy a brisk wiitert afternoon on the bav

Where 23