Travel Victoria – tourism blog

Author: Travel Victoria management team

  • The 12 Days of Christmas in Victoria

    With Christmas just around the corner, here is our version of the timeless carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas“.

    On the 12th day of Christmas, Victoria gave to me…

    …12 famous apostles

    12 Apostles
    12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road

    The 12 Apostles are Victoria’s most famous coastal attraction consisting of towering limestone stacks near Port Campbell on the Great Ocean Road. However, they are the 12 Apostles in name only.  Just 8 remain standing today due to relentless wind and ocean erosion over the years.

    …11 public holidays

    Horse racing
    Racing at the Melbourne Cup

    There are 11 days of celebration in Victoria that are declared non-working days. Unique to Victoria is a public holiday to mark the running of Australia’s richest horse race, the Melbourne Cup, which is held on the first Tuesday of November. Due to the good weather that time of year, some people also take the Monday off work (sometimes illegitimately!) and turn the Melbourne Cup holiday into a mega 4 day long weekend.

    …10 winter snowfields

    Snowfields
    Mt Buller snowfields

    Victoria has 10 designated snowfields, all located in the east and north-east. They include large commercial resorts such as Falls Creek, Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and Mount Baw Baw. For sightseeing snow and tobogganing that is very close to Melbourne, head to Mount Donna Buang, just over 90 kilometres east of Melbourne via Warburton.

    …9 big things

    Murray cod
    The giant Murray cod at Swan Hill

    Australia is home to many novelty structures that are vastly over-sized monuments to something of local significance. 9 of Victoria’s most iconic big things include a cigar, earthworm, koala, fish, a statute of Ned Kelly, pheasant, potatoes with forks, wine bottle and wool bales.

    …8 diverse islands

    A number of Victoria’s islands are uninhabited or inaccessible, however there are 8 islands which the general public are permitted access to and can reach fairly easily. The most visited is Phillip Island – within easy reach of Melbourne and internationally recognised for its penguin parade and grand prix. Also in Western Port is the heritage farm of Churchill Island and French Island with its significant koala population. Raymond Island, accessible by car ferry from Paynesville, is renowned for its native wildlife, while Griffiths Island at Port Fairy is linked by a pedestrian causeway to the mainland and is home to a large colony of mutton birds. Snake Island is Victoria’s largest sand island, located off the coast of Port Welshpool, noted for great fishing on its beaches. Gabo Island, located off the coast of Mallacoota, is home to large colonies of sea birds and features a pink granite lighthouse. And the final island is Swan Island, located off the coast of Queenscliff. Visitors are welcome to play at the local golf course which boasts being an all weather course given it resides on an island made up of drifting sand.

    …7 historic paddlesteamers

    Emmylou paddlesteamer
    P.S. Emmylou, Port of Echuca

    Echuca, once Australia’s busiest inland port, is home to 7 paddlesteamers that operate from the historic Port of Echuca precinct on the Murray River. Enjoy a short day cruise, a dining experience, special occasion or overnight cruise on one of the paddlesteamers Adelaide, Alexander Arbuthnot, Canberra, Emmylou, Hero, Pevensey or Pride Of The Murray. The paddlsteamer Adelaide is the oldest wooden-hull paddlesteamer that is still operating anywhere in the world.

    …6 wine zones

    Wineries
    Montalto Vineyard, Red Hill

    Victorians love their wine, and the state is divided up into 6 flourishing cool and warm climate wine zones. There are hundreds of wineries ranging from boutique family-owned establishments to large scale operations that export world-wide. Many wineries provide a complete destination experience with their own cellar doors, sales of local produce, restaurants and beautiful gardens.

    …5 enthralling zoos

    Lion
    Lion, Melbourne Zoo

    Zoos Victoria manages 3 zoos in Melbourne and its surroundings – Melbourne Zoo,  Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary. There are two other zoos in Victoria which are well worth visiting. The Halls Gap Zoo, located in the scenic Grampians between Halls Gap and Pomonal, is home to over 160 species of animals, with a strong emphasis on native fauna. The Mansfield Zoo, located within picturesque parkland to the south of Mansfield, with particular emphasis on allowing visitors to feed many of the animals.

    …4 mineral springs

    Mineral spring
    Sulphur spring, Mineral Springs Reserve

    Victoria’s Macedon Ranges are home to Australia’s largest concentration of natural mineral springs, and one of the best places to see this is at Hepburn Springs. Head to the Mineral Springs Reserve where you will find the iconic Hepburn Bathhouse health complex, parkland and bush tracks. There are 4 mineral springs within the park that you can sample and fill up at – Locarno, Soda, Sulphur and Wyuna.

    …3 gold mines

    Gold mine
    Central Deborah Gold Mine, Bendigo

    Victoria’s gold rush period of the 1850s has left the state with a lasting legacy of history, wealth and prosperity. Get a taste for what life was like for miners in those days, as they toiled for riches without the equipment and technology of today, by visiting 3 of Victoria’s gold mines that are open for public underground tours. Descend 61 metres below the surface and walk in the foot steps of past miners at Central Deborah Gold Mine in Bendigo. Visit Sovereign Hill at Ballarat and take a fully guided tour in a mine tram for a unique themed underground experience. Or head to the quaint village of Walhalla, where time has stood still, and take a guided tour of the original workings of the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine.

    …2 folklore legends

    Ned Kelly
    Ned Kelly statue, Glenrowan

    There are 2 Australian folklore legends which Victoria is synonymous with. The Man from Snowy River, portrayed in Banjo Paterson’s poem, was written in 1890 and is believed to have been inspired by Corryong stockman Jack Riley. Ned Kelly, the infamous, daring and charismatic bushranger, who spent years defying the law, was eventually captured in the small town of Glenrowan where a large monument dedicated to him stands there today.

    …and 1 award-winning city

    Melbourne
    Tram at Flinders Street Station, Melbourne

    Melbourne was named by the Economist Intelligence Unit as the world’s most liveable city in 2014, scoring very well in areas of health, education, safety, stability and infrastructure. Visit Melbourne today and experience its multicultural heritage, great shopping, abundance of parks and iconic sporting events.

  • How to get to Phillip Island from Melbourne

    Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island
    Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island

    Phillip Island is one of Victoria’s most popular tourist destinations. It is well-known for its famous penguin parade, large fur seal colony,  native wildlife, exciting racing at the island’s Grand Prix circuit, its scenic coastline, quaint fishing villages, beautiful beaches, outdoor dining, and so much more.

    The island’s reasonably close proximity to Melbourne makes it a popular choice for visitors, be it a day trip or longer stay.

    As the crow flies, Phillip Island is only 75 kilometres from Melbourne.  There are a number of ways to get there.

    By car

    Phillip Island map
    Driving from Melbourne to Phillip Island

    Phillip Island is linked to the Victorian mainland by a bridge at San Remo. The distance to drive from the heart of Melbourne to the bridge is just over 120 kilometres.

    Head south-east along the Monash Freeway (M1), taking either the South Gippsland Freeway (M420), Clyde Road (C407) or Koo Wee Rup Road (C422) exit.  Follow the M420 and B420 signs as you travel along the South Gippsland Highway, Bass Highway and Phillip Island Road.

    The journey time is usually around 90 minutes.

    Note that there is no car ferry to Phillip Island, so if you wish to bring your vehicle onto the island, you must use the bridge at San Remo.

    Driving directions from Melbourne to Phillip Island

    By bus

    A number of V/Line bus services run between Southern Cross Station in Melbourne and several towns on Phillip Island including Newhaven, Cape Woolamai, Surf Beach, Sunderland Bay and Cowes.  The journey from Melbourne requires a change of bus at Koo Wee Rup and takes around 2 hours to get to the bridge and a further 20 to 25 minutes to Cowes.

    Refer to the V/Line timetable for Melbourne to Cowes.

    By train and bus

    Another option is to catch a suburban train service to Dandenong. From there, catch a V/Line bus that travels direct to Phillip Island. The train journey to Dandenong takes between 40 to 50 minutes, depending from which station in Melbourne’s city centre is used. The bus journey from Dandenong to the Phillip Island bridge takes around one hour and 45 minutes, and a further 20 to 25 minutes to Cowes.

    Refer to timetable for Melbourne to Cowes which also includes details of the train service to Dandenong.

    By train and ferry

    Passenger ferry service from Stony Point to Cowes
    Passenger ferry service from Stony Point to Cowes

    For something a little different, you can catch a suburban train from Melbourne to Frankston (1 hour), then switch onto a diesel service which runs from Frankston to Stony Point (35 minutes).

    From Stony Point Jetty, board the Inter Island Ferries passenger catamaran which docks at the Cowes Jetty.  The boat trip takes around 45 minutes, usually with a stop at French Island.

    By car and ferry

    Driving from Melbourne to Stony Point
    Driving from Melbourne to Stony Point

    If you have a vehicle but don’t want to drive all the way around the eastern side of Western Port to the Phillip Island bridge at San Remo, you can instead drive to Stony Point and catch a passenger ferry from there.

    Head south-east along the Monash Freeway (M1), take the South Gippsland Freeway (M420) exit and continue along that road which becomes the Western Port Highway (M780/A780) and ends up at Hastings.  Alternatively, take the EastLink (M3) exit off the Monash Freeway, then the Peninsula Link (M11) exit and follow that freeway to the Frankston-Flinders Road (C777) exit which takes you to Hastings.

    Once in Hastings, follow the Frankston-Flinders Road (C777) to Bittern where there is a turn-off to Stony Point Road (C786) which ends up at the Stony Point railway station and jetty.

    There is a public car park in the vicinity of the railway station and jetty. Alternatively, secure parking is available for a nominal daily fee at the Stony Point Caravan Park.

    From Stony Point Jetty, board the Inter Island Ferries passenger catamaran which docks at the Cowes Jetty.  The boat trip takes around 45 minutes, usually with a stop at French Island.

    By air

    Phillip Island Helicopters
    Phillip Island Helicopters

    Did you know that Phillip Island has its own airfield?  So you can get to the island by air!

    Fronting Phillip Island Road at Newhaven are Phillip Island Helicopters who not only conduct scenic flights, but also offer charter services.  In just 30 minutes, you can be flown from suitable landing locations in Melbourne, such as Essendon Airport or Moorabbin Airport, directly to Phillip Island. Avoid the traffic and save time! See  www.phillipislandhelicopters.com.au for further details.

    Join a tour

    Take the hassle out of getting to Phillip Island and finding your way around by joining one of the many guided day tours that departs from Melbourne.

    Day tours include a range of activities such as a visit to the famous Penguin Parade and eco-tours that explore the island’s diverse flora and fauna. Tours may also include visits to Churchill Island, the Koala Conservation Centre, The Nobbies and the island’s beautiful coastline and beaches.

    Phillip Island tours from Melbourne

    Coming from Melbourne Airport?

    If you are coming to Melbourne by air, see our guide to transport between Melbourne Airport and the city centre.  Once in Melbourne’s city centre, choose from the above options to get to Phillip Island.

  • Queensland Vs. Victoria for shopping hours

    As highlighted in our post from last year, Queensland Vs. Victoria for Summer Holidays in the Sun, visitors enjoy several hours of extra daylight in the evening when choosing to holiday in Victoria during summer rather than in Queensland.

    Extra daylight is not the only thing visitors to Victoria enjoy more of. Queensland has some of Australia’s most restricted trading hours. This means that when in Queensland, you do have to plan your holiday around shopping hours. In Victoria, you are set free from those restrictions.

    Pelican Waters Shopping Village
    Shopping in Queensland – restricted trading hours apply.

    To illustrate the differences, let us consider the trading hours for the Woolworths chain of supermarkets in various locations across Queensland and Victoria.

    First, let’s look at the major population centres in Queensland.

    Area of Queensland Day Opening hours
    • Brisbane suburbs
    • Gold Coast (*)
    • Sunshine Coast
    • Major regional cities
    		 Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm
    Saturday 8am to 5 or 5:30pm
    Sunday 9am to 6pm
    (*) Extended trading hours apply to a small number of highly popular tourist areas along the Gold Coast which permits some supermarkets to open later on weekends.

     

    Once you start going to smaller cities and towns in Queensland, both along the coast and inland, you will struggle to even find a supermarket open on a Sunday.

    Area of Queensland Day Opening hours
    • Bowen
    • Charters Towers
    • Dalby
    • Roma
    • Mt Isa
    • Warwick
    		 Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm
    Saturday 8am to 5pm
    Sunday closed

     

    In Victoria, Woolworths trading hours are much simpler and longer than those in Queensland, particularly on weekends.  This is of great benefit for those who are enjoying a weekend getaway and are trying to fit as much into their schedule as possible.  Importantly, these longer trading hours not only apply just to Melbourne’s suburbs and regional cities, but also to smaller country towns throughout Victoria.

    Trading hours in Victoria
    Monday to Friday 6-7am to 10-midnight
    Saturday 6-7am to 10-midnight
    Sunday 6-7am to 10-midnight

     

    Woolworths
    A Woolworths supermaket in Victoria, open 7 days a week and long hours, for the convenience of locals and visitors.

    Visiting Queensland on a Saturday? Chances are major supermarkets only open after breakfast and close before dinner time.  Needing to shop on a Sunday? Good luck in finding a major supermarket that is actually open in smaller regional areas of Queensland.

    Visiting Victoria?  Enjoy our unrestricted trading hours and shop virtually whenever you want, every day of the week.

  • Caravan parks close to Melbourne

    A common question we get asked is where are the nearest caravan parks to the Melbourne city centre?

    While travellers towing a caravan, those with campervans, motorhomes or tents are well catered for in rural and regional Victoria, choices are limited close to the centre of Melbourne. This is mainly due to the amount of space caravan parks would occupy in areas where land is at a premium.

    We have compiled a list of all the caravan parks that are within 25 kilometres drive of Melbourne’s CBD that permit short stays, which means they are suitable for holidaymakers, travellers or casual visitors looking for somewhere to stay with their caravan or campervan.

    See the map at the end to see the location of all these caravan parks in relation to each other and Melbourne’s city centre.

     

    1. Melbourne BIG4 Holiday Park

    Melbourne BIG4 Holiday Park
    Melbourne BIG4 Holiday Park
    • 11 kilometres by road north of Melbourne CBD
    • 265 Elizabeth Street, Coburg
    • Ensuite sites, powered sites, unpowered camp sites
    • Solar heated pool, adventure playground, games room, movie room, camp kitchen
    • Secure luggage storage available
    • Official website – www.melbournebig4.com.au

    2. Discovery Parks BIG4 Melbourne

    Ashley Gardens BIG4 Holiday Village
    Discovery Parks BIG4 Melbourne (formerly Ashley Gardens BIG4 Holiday Village)

    3. Honey Hush Caravan Park

    Honey Hush Caravan Park
    Honey Hush Caravan Park
    • 18 kilometres by road west of Melbourne CBD
    • 6 Leakes Road, Laverton North
    • Powered sites, unpowered tent sites
    • Official website – www.honeyhush.com.au

    4. Crystal Brook Tourist Park

    Crystal Brook Tourist Park
    Crystal Brook Tourist Park
    • 24 kilometres by road north-east of Melbourne CBD
    • 182 Warrandyte Road, Doncaster East
    • Ensuite sites, powered sites, unpowered sites, tent sites
    • Games room, heated pool, playground, go karts, volleyball, Wi-Fi, bike tracks
    • Daily bird feeding
    • Storage facilities for vans, boats and luggage
    • Pet friendly
    • Official website – www.cbtp.com.au

    5. Sundowner Caravan Park

    Sundowner Caravan Park
    Sundowner Caravan Park
    • 25 kilometres by road south-east of Melbourne CBD
    • 870 Princes Highway, Springvale
    • Powered sites
    • Take away food shop at entrance
    • Official website – www.sundownercp.com

    6. Wantirna Park Caravan Park – NOW CLOSED

    Wantirna Park Caravan Park
    Wantirna Park Caravan Park
    • 25 kilometres by road east of Melbourne CBD
    • 203 Mountain Highway, Wantirna
    • Ensuite sites, powered sites
    • Pool, playground, tennis court, camp kitchen
    • Official website – www.wantirnapark.com.au

     

     

  • Tips when using Melbourne’s toll roads

    For those using Melbourne’s toll roads, there are a couple of tips or tricks motorists should be aware of.

    1. Some small parts of the toll roads are free to use

    The operators of CityLink (parts of the Monash Freeway and Tullamarine Freeway) and EastLink don’t publicise this, but there are short stretches of their toll roads which are free to use, thus you won’t need an electronic tag or be charged for using those sections.

    For a toll-free journey on part of CityLink, enter the M1 at Punt Road or Cremorne Street, head eastwards, then exit at Church Street.

    CityLink
    CityLink toll free route – Punt Road to Church Street

    For EastLink, enter the M3 from Caribbean Park Drive at the service centre, head southwards and exit at Wellington Road for a toll-free journey.

    EastLink
    EastLink toll free route – Carribean Park Drive to Wellington Road

    2. Use each toll road’s trip cap to your advantage

    Both CityLink and EastLink have trip caps.  This means that after accumulating a certain number of toll costs during an uninterrupted one-way journey, there are no additional costs to pay when driving in the same direction further along the toll road.

    These trip caps can save you money as it may be more economical to use one toll road for longer journey (thus reaching the trip cap) rather than combining shorter journeys across multiple toll roads.

    For example, consider the journey from Melbourne’s outer southern suburbs (Eg: Frankston) to the inner city.  There are two options:

    1. Travel north along the toll road EastLink (M3), then at Dandenong North enter the Monash Freeway (M1) which then becomes the toll road CityLink as it runs south of the city centre.
    2. Travel north along the toll road EastLink (M3) which then heads west and becomes the Eastern Freeway which takes you to the inner northern suburb of Collingwood.
    CityLink and EastLink
    Minimising toll costs – M1 vs M3 from Frankston to the city.

    While the first option is of a shorter distance, it will cost more than the second option, because smaller sections of two separate toll roads are being used.

    With the first option, you pay an EastLink toll of $4.37 plus a CityLink toll of either $4.24 to exit at Punt Road or $6.90 to Kings Way, taking the total toll cost to between $8.61 and $11.27.

    With the second option, the EastLink trip cap is reached, so currently the journey will cost $5.69.  So this option saves you between $2.92 and $5.58.

    In addition, EastLink offers a 20% discount on tolls for travel during weekends, so you can save even more by using EastLink instead of CityLink which offers no weekend travel discounts.

     

  • Experience the history and heritage of Victoria’s Gold Rush era

    Melbourne and the state of Victoria boomed in the 1850s after an influx of people from around the world entered the region to try their hand at winning big in the gold rush. In fact, in 1852 more immigrants leaving Britain purchased tickets to Melbourne than to any other destination around the world. While the capital and its surrounds have changed dramatically since then, there are still remnants of the era existing in the state that visitors can explore. If you want to visit Victoria to experience sites of the gold rush past, then read on for some of the top tourist attractions on offer.

     

    Arrive in Melbourne by ship

    spirit of tasmania
    Spirit of Tasmania – a trip to remember

    You can start your journey like so many goldminers did in the 1850s – by ship. However, unlike the gold rush prospectors of the past who battled appalling conditions, scurvy and other diseases on the journey, today’s tourists can instead visit Victoria on the Spirit of Tasmania, a stylish and comfortable cruise liner operating twice daily between Tasmania and Victoria. You can put your car on board in Tasmania and then enjoy a pleasant journey across the Tasman to Melbourne. Once there you have your vehicle on hand to tour around the best historical sites in and near Melbourne.

     

    Sovereign Hill

    Sovereign Hill
    Sovereign Hill – it’s pure gold!

    One of the most popular tourist attractions in Victoria is Sovereign Hill, an outdoor museum in Ballarat that tells the story of the region during the gold rush. Visitors to Sovereign Hill can enjoy feeling like they have stepped back in time on Main Street, where costumed actors parade up and down, or try their luck panning for gold. Children will love visiting the on-site theatre to watch a show or watching steam-driven machinery in action, as well as the multi-million dollar sound and light show that is presented at night. Adults are sure to enjoy the fully-guided gold mine tour, a horse-drawn coach tour of the town, or getting a glimpse of the many gold nuggets in the museum. Family tickets are available for around $117.

     

    Melbourne Museum

    Melbourne Museum
    Melbourne Museum – explore life in Victoria

    Located in inner-city Carlton, the Melbourne Museum provides an affordable day out for families. With tickets just $10 for adults and free for children, parents don’t need to spend a lot to take their family to this museum for an exploration of life in Victoria over the ages. The museum covers a wide array of subjects in its eight galleries, from the state’s culture and history to its natural environment. The Melbourne Story exhibition features over 1200 objects from Museum Victoria’s vast collection, including a Cobb & Co Coach and a gold mining model from 1858.

     

    The Old Melbourne Gaol

    Old Melbourne Gaol
    Old Melbourne Gaol – a crime & justice experience

    Built in the mid-1800s, the Old Melbourne Gaol housed criminals, petty offenders, the mentally ill and the homeless during the peak Gold Rush period. At the oldest prison in Melbourne families can explore the three levels of the gaol and see Ned Kelly’s death mask; take a tour of the cells and visit the Police City Watch House; take part in a trial recreation at the old Magistrate’s Court; or take an evening tour of the facilities…if they dare! Family passes cost around $55 for the day.

     

    Melbourne Walks

    Goldrush cottage
    Visit Melbourne’s oldest residence on a Melbourne Walks tour

    Melbourne Walks is a company that operates walking tours throughout Melbourne. For tourists who would like to learn some more about the Gold Rush period, they can embark on a cottage tour of the city’s oldest residence and its surrounds. The gold rush cottage is owned by George and Lola Russell and was built in 1850. Tours cost around $70 per person, last for approximately 2 and a half hours and include morning or afternoon tea.

  • 6 must see attractions for kids in Melbourne

    Melbourne is a magic city for a fun and family friendly holiday. It’s easy to get around, there are loads to see and do and the kids will be delighted by the novelty of travelling around on the vintage trams. There’s also lots of budget accommodation and fantastic cheap eats, so a holiday in Melbourne needn’t break the family budget.

    Here are six must see attractions in Melbourne and surrounds that all the family will enjoy.

     

    1. Watch the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island

    Penguin Parade
    The nightly penguin parade at Phillip Island

    Take a waddle on the wild side at the famous Penguin Parade on Phillip Island, a 90 minute drive from Melbourne. Every evening at sunset thousands of little penguins (the world’s smallest and cutest) cross the beach and settle into their burrows for the night. A family ticket for two adults and two children costs from $56.50. While at Phillip Island, be sure to stop by the Koala Conservation Centre and Churchill Heritage Farm.

    Phillip Island tours from Melbourne

     

    2. Visit Melbourne Museum

    Phar Lap
    Phar Lap – Australia’s wonder horse

    Located in Carlton, the award-winning Melbourne Museum explores the nature, culture and history of Victoria. Highlights include a complete skeleton of a blue whale, the famous race horse Phar Lap, a living rainforest, the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre and an IMAX theatre. Entry is around $10 for adults, while children up to 16 years of age are free.

     

    3. Old Melbourne Gaol

    Old Melbourne Gaol
    Old Melbourne Gaol – a crime & justice experience

    Located in Russell Street in Melbourne’s CBD, the Old Melbourne Gaol precinct includes Melbourne’s oldest gaol, the historic Magistrate’s Court and former Police City Watch House. A day tour ticket for two adults and two children costs around $55, or thrill children over 12 by taking The Hangman’s tour or an evening ghost tour by candlelight.

     

     

     

    4. Travel on the Spirit of Tasmania

    Spirit of Tasmania
    Spirit of Tasmania – a trip to remember

    Take the kids ‘overseas’ on a side trip to Tasmania cruising across Bass Strait with the Spirit of Tasmania. Choose from day or night sailings between Melbourne and Devonport and enjoy a range of facilities on board including dining and bars, a playroom, games arcade and cinema. Adult day tickets start from around $79 and children $5. Take your car along with you from around $89.

     

    5. Eureka Sky Deck 88

    Eureka Skydeck
    Eureka Skydeck

    Located atop the Eureka Tower in Southbank, the Eureka Sky Deck 88 offers awe-inspiring 360 degree views from the highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere. For a real thrill seeker experience try The Edge, a glass cube that projects three metres out from the building. Family tickets for two adults and two children cost around $42. The Edge experience is extra.

     

     

     

     

     

    6. Fairy Park

    Fairy Park
    Fairy Park – tales, myths and legends

    A one-hour drive from Melbourne, Fairy Park at Anakie is a wonderland for the whole family. Kids can become a knight, a princess, a hero or a villain for the day and enter a world dedicated to storytelling, fairy tales, myths and legends. Tickets are from around $16 per adult and $8 per child, children under three years free.

     

     

    These six must-see attractions are just the beginning of the many family-friendly activities on offer in Melbourne. So take the family to Melbourne for a fun-packed holiday of a lifetime.

  • Website domain registration scam by Domain Name Group

    Last week, we reported the domain registration scam by DomainRegister.  Now, a week later, another one has popped up, this time by Domain Name Group.

    It’s very similar to the DomainRegister scam – you are sent an official looking document which resembles an invoice that needs to be paid.  The document comes from:

    Domain Name Group Pty Ltd
Level 1, 530 Little Collins Street
GPO Box 4111
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Phone: 1300 255 144
Website: www.domainnamegroup.com.au
ACN: 135 462 305
Bank deposit details: Bank of Cyprus (Delphi Bank)

    An example of their letter with payment options is included below.  It looks extremely similar to the one from DomainRegister.

    Domain Name Group
    Domain Name Group with their unsolicited invitation to register a domain name at a high price, which very closely resembles a bill for a service that you should pay.

     

    They attempt to get you to register an additional domain which is quite similar to one of your existing domain names. For example, it may be a .com or .net.au version of a .com.au domain you already own. The offer to register is aimed at either convincing you that you are simply renewing your existing domain, or that you should register the similar name to protect your internet identity. They push the legal boundaries of billing you for something you didn’t order by the use of wording that says “this is an invitation to register – if you are not the proprietor or do not wish to register, disregard this letter”. The registration fee is very excessive, typically several hundreds of dollars, which is up to 10 times the amount of an equivalent service provided by a reputable provider. The offer of free web or email forwarding does not offset the large total of the bill.

    Before deciding to renew your existing domain, or registering a similar domain to one you already own, you should definitely look around for the best deal.  But most importantly, ensure that your selected domain registrar has been accredited by auDA – the Australian domain name administrator. See the official list of accredited domain registrars and then visit each registrar’s website to compare their domain name pricing.

    auDA posted out a warning two years ago about the ongoing unsolicited letters to businesses from Domain Name Group and Domain Register.

  • Website domain registration scam by DomainRegister

    If you have registered an internet domain for your website, you may be the target of scams by other domain registrars who may employ a number of procedures to trick you into registering additional similar domains at inflated prices.

    These organisations are able to find out your contact details, as the registered domain owner, by consulting the Whois Database. They then post you out an official looking letter in the mail which may closely resemble an invoice to be paid.

    A recent perpetrator of such a scheme is “DomainRegister”. Their contact details are:

    Domain Register Pty Ltd
Level 3, 480 Collins Street
PO Box 37 Collins Street West
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Phone: 1300 855 811
Website: www.domainregister.com.au
ACN: 127 506 807
Bank details: ANZ, Cloverdale, Western Australia

    An example of a letter they may post out to you is included below:

    DomainRegister
    Domain Register Pty Ltd with their unsolicited invitation to register a domain at a very inflated price, which closely resembles a bill for a service that you should pay.

     

    They are trying to get you to register an additional domain which is very similar to one of your existing domain names. For example, it may be a .com or .net.au version of a .com.au domain. The offer to register is aimed at either convincing you that you are in fact renewing your existing domain, or that you should register the similar name to protect your internet identity. They push the legal boundaries of billing you for something you didn’t order by the use of headers and wording that includes “domain name available” and “this is an invitation to register”. The registration prices are very excessive, typically several hundreds of dollars or up to 10 times the amount of an equivalent service provided by a reputable provider. Any offers for free gifts or bundled in services do not offset the large total of the bill.

    Before deciding to renew your existing domain, or registering a similar domain to one you already own, you should shop around for the best deal and ensure that your selected domain registrar has been accredited by auDA – the Australian domain name administrator. See the official list of accredited domain registrars and visit each registrar’s website to compare domain name pricing.

    Two years ago, auDA posted out a warning about the ongoing unsolicited letters being sent out by Domain Name Group and Domain Register.

  • Queensland Vs. Victoria for summer holidays in the sun

    Sunset in Melbourne
    Sunset in Melbourne.

    Many have the impression that the perfect example of an Australian summer beach holiday is spending time in Queensland with family or friends. However, for those that love the daylight, your number one choice during summer should really be Victoria.

    With Queensland not observing daylight saving time, and being closer to the equator which ensures its summer days don’t get too long, both those factors ensure that sun lovers should consider Victoria for that summer beach holiday.

    Let’s compare the summer sunrise and sunset times for an iconic beach location in those two states:

    21st December 21st January
    Location Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset
    Sorrento
    (Mornington Peninsula, Victoria)    		 5:54am 8:44pm 6:21am 8:43pm
    Surfers Paradise
    (Gold Coast, Queensland)    		 4:47am 6:42pm 5:09am 6:46pm

    If you’re planning to get the first rays of the morning sun on Queensland’s Gold Coast, you’ll need to ensure you’re up at the unearthly hour of 4:47am on 21st December. However, you can almost forget that evening BBQ in the sun, with darkness falling from 6:42pm.

    Compare that to a summer beach holiday at Sorrento, on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Sunrise is at the more reasonable time of just before 6am on 21st December.  And you can still feel the warmth of the sun until just before 9pm at night – perfect for those evening meals, walks and swims.  Fast forward one month, and while the days are half an hour shorter near the end of January, all that lost daylight time is taken out of the morning, so you can sleep in a bit longer and still enjoy those sunny evenings.

    If your ideal summer holiday is evenings filled with daylight right up until quite late, then Victoria is a much better choice than Queensland…by 2 hours a night!