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The Sportiest City In Australia :Melbourne

By Anonymous

Most of the sports city of Australia is a vibrant and diverse. Mark Chipperfield offers a guide to the best things to do in Melbourne during the Ashes test.

Birthplace of Australian soccer, the host 1956 Olympic Games at home and the Australian Open and Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne can be rightly claims to be the sportiest cities in the country where the sport is the only true religion .

Melbourne Cup may in fact be the horse race that "stops a nation", but the same can be said for the traditional Boxing Day Test at the "G" (Melbourne Cricket Ground) - or the AFL Grand Final, when 100,000 fans packing the stands.

Despite the obsession with sports, Melbourne is not a one-dimensional society. Even Sydney - the most severe critics - now admit that Melbourne has a high quality restaurant and bar scene. It also sets the pace in terms of fashion, theater, design and architecture - and can be fun. Remember that a housewife from Moonee Ponds little superstar?

After decades of playing second fiddle to Sydney, Melbourne Grande "is recovering its luster, with a pile of the city skyline, a new entertainment district and a bustling Docklands.

There is something very, un-Australian for the city trams in Viennese style, neo-classical parks, broad avenues and grand city. Also, the waitresses dress up a bit 'of Paris, bibs, which is not much Paul Hogan.

Of course, you will not find surf beaches. Or the Sydney Opera House. But anyway just the texture of the place is sufficient, if you explore the bohemian Fitzroy, sipping a cup of coffee at Federation Square or drink some sea air in St Kilda.

Guided tours are a quick way of getting a grip on this large, complex and bustling city. Kick off with The Lanes and Arcade tour (00 61 3 9663 3358;
www.hiddensecretstours.com), a three-hour guided walk around its charming laneways, visiting some 30 specialty stores. Tours cost $115 (£66). Apart from the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the city’s other great landmark is Queen Victoria Market on Elizabeth Street. The Foodie’s Dream Tour (00 61 3 9320 5822; www.qvm.com.au) offers a fascinating insight into these wonderful old markets. Tours cost $35 (£20).

For a taste of Australia’s convict past visit the Old Melbourne Goal (00 61 3 (8663 7228; www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au) in Russell Street. The hairy bushranger Ned Kelly was hanged here in 1880 – you can see the trapdoor where he once stood.

Despite its sporty reputation, Melbourne is packed with art galleries and museums. One of the most heart-rending is the Immigration Museum (00 61 3 9927 2700) on Flinders Street, which traces the city’s history through the lives of individual migrants. Open daily. Entry: $8 (£4.60). For something altogether more frivolous drop into the National Sports Museum (00 61 3 9657 8888; www.mcg.org.au) in Yarra Park, where you can meet a hologram of Shane Warne and see Ian Thorpe’s swimming trunks.

The city’s newest attraction, the Eureka Skydeck 88 (00 61 3 9693 8888, www.eurekaskydeck.com.au) is the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere and offers a glimpse into Melbourne’s shimmering future. Entry is $16.50/$9 (£9.50/5.20) adult/child.
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