• Charter a boat to fish in Port Phillip and Westernport bays. Or, head to the ocean waters of Bass Strait where your quarry might be larger sharks, southern bluefin tuna and smaller mackerel tuna. Or, fish from the surf beaches of Bass Strait.

• For unique housing, head a ways out of town to sleep over at the Cape Otway Lightstation, in the keeper’s quarters. Or, overnight in a former cell at the Castlemaine Gaol, now a B&B.

• Scuba dive in Port Phillip Bay, where — besides coral and other abundant marine life — you may see some of more than 60 19th century shipwrecks or one of the World War I submarines. Tip: If you have not dived in Victoria, it is recommended you do so with an organized tour or with a guide.

• Cycle for relaxation on some of Melbourne’s more than 600 miles of designated bike paths, but if you prefer biking in the mountains, head to the area’s national parks where you can work out on uphill and downhill runs. Another option, in the Grampians National Park, is a guided night bike ride to see the park’s nocturnal animals.

• Sign on for the Slumber Safari at the Werribee Open Range Zoo. Enjoy your barbecued dinner at a deluxe safari campsite overlooking a savanna crawling with African wildlife.

• Go windsurfing or kite surfing in the waters near Melbourne. Take lessons, if necessary, at Sandringham Harbour Headquarters.
Or, go parasailing over Port Phillip Bay. Or, charter a vessel for sailing in the bay.

• Kayak on the Yarra River, or try sea kayaking along the bay coastline. Not to be overlooked, the boathouses along the Yarra offer afternoon tea as part of their services.
• See the city from a hot-air balloon. Or, board a seaplane, with a water take-off and landing, for your up-in-the-air sightseeing over Melbourne and the bay areas.
You don’t have to fly at all to view the city from Skydeck 88, 935 feet above ground at the Eureka Tower. Walk into The Edge, an all-glass cube that projects almost 10 feet out from the building.

• Observe surgery in progress at the Healesville Sanctuary, located in the Yarra Valley and home to the world’s largest collection of Australian wildlife. You can also view the recovery area.

• Take the opportunity to eat uniquely Australian foods, whether emu or kangaroo. Or, how about a crocodile fillet?
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• For delicious entertainment, book space at Dracula’s Cabaret Restaurant, then hang on for a ride on a ghost train into the Theatre of the Vampyre, a dinner served by some pretty odd waiters and a potpourri of special effects and chilling/amusing antics by talented actors.

• See the Little Penguins on Phillip Island, but use the journey for other purposes, too. Take a treetop walk for a close-up encounter with the island’s koalas. Also, you can bike on cycle tracks and take a cruise to Seal Rocks to see the country’s largest fur seal colony.

• Go where the gold is — Ballarat, 68 miles away — and pan for gold at Sovereign Hill, an open-air museum on the site of a once-active gold mine, and see a show at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Australia’s oldest purpose-built theater, or the Theatre Royal, where Lola Montez performed her spider dance for miners nearly 150 years ago. Overnight on site at Sovereign Hill Lodge.

• Taste beers at the city’s annual beer festival, set for May. Or, you have a year-round option to take the Foster’s brewery tour which includes beer tasting.

• Make a night of it where choices include plenty of bars, music venues, nightclubs and pubs. Melbourne bills itself as the top jazz destination in the Southern Hemisphere.

• Sign on for a day trip to the wineries in Yarra Valley, which are less than 20 miles from the city. The valley counts more than 70 wineries.
Or, make that a self-drive tour, remembering you will be driving on the left side of the road.

• Hear Dreamtime stories at Narana Creations, an Aboriginal cultural tourism and educational facility in nearby Geelong. Visitors can see cultural demonstrations and try throwing a boomerang, too.

• Go dolphin watching, or better yet, don snorkeler’s gear and swim with them in Port Phillip Bay.

• Play tennis in Melbourne Park, where tennis greats compete in the Australian Open. Or, time your visit to attend some of the matches.

• Participate in master cooking classes at the Taste of Slow food fest in and around Melbourne in February. The event encompasses food forums and sustainability discussions, as well. Or, choose from any of a number of other food and wine festivals in and around Melbourne.
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• Join a guided walk along the Golden Mile Heritage Trail and learn about Melbourne’s colorful past as a town that blossomed during a gold rush. Alternatively, buy a Golden Mile booklet and make that a self-guided tour.

• If you are a lover of cars and racing, schedule your visit to coincide with the annual (March) Australian Grand Prix.

• Go shopping in a city where choices range from the elegant Collins Street, funky Little Collins Street and distinctly Melbournian boutiques on Flinders Lane to bargain hunting on Bridge Road in Richmond, home to outlets and second-hand stores. Shop for opals and Aboriginal art, too.

• Have coffee at Mr. Tulk, a cafe located inside the State Library of Victoria. It is one of many such comfort zones in a city that calls itself the coffee capital of Australia.

• Take a sightseeing cruise on the city’s Yarra River. Or, take a Champagne cruise along the Yarra River in a luxury Venetian-style gondola.

• Ride the Puffing Billy Steam Railway through the Dandenong Ranges from Belgrave, an hour east of Melbourne, to Emerald Lake Park and Gembrook. Wine and dine options are available in luxury dining carriages.

• Play golf in Bundoora Park, or at any of several other courses.

• Drop out for a day — at a day spa. This isn’t just for women; one business, called ZIPT, caters to men only, with a staff that is mostly female. For a more ambitious approach, get thee to Daylesford, an hour’s drive away in the Macedon Ranges; it is the site of Australia’s largest number of naturally occurring mineral springs and probably the highest concentration of masseurs and therapists. Organized day trips to Daylesford are available.

• Let someone else do the driving when you go on your shopping spree. Join an escorted shopping excursion to factories and warehouses, with lunch, too.

• Enjoy an eclectic collection of dining choices, from some of Australia’s hottest fine dining establishments to pub food, or lively cafes tucked away in the maze of popular laneways in the center of the city. Your concierge can help with selections.
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