Five of the Best in Melbourne

5 Top Tastes

  • Choosing from a host of colourful Italian restaurants along Lygon Street in Carlton, Melbourne's very own little Italy
  • The signature (decadent) hot chocolate at the Lindt Chocolat Café
  • Reaching the front of the queue for mouth-wateringly good dim sims at South Melbourne Market
  • Tasting handmade Belgian chocolates, historic treats and French pastries at local specialists on a Chocoholics Tour
  • Sampling international cuisine, local wines and regional produce at the Queen Victoria Market's summer Suzuki Night Market.

5 Glorious Views in and Around Melbourne

  • 360° views of Melbourne from Eureka Skydeck 88, Australia's highest observation tower
  • The sight of Shannon Bennett's acclaimed food and the views from Vue de Monde's new home on the top (55th) floor of the Rialto Tower
  • Aerial views of scenic Melbourne or the famous Twelve Apostles from a scenic charter flight
  • The view of the city, the Mornington Peninsula and the outline of the You Yangs Regional Park across Port Phillip Bay from Arthurs Seat
  • An early morning, bird's eye view of iconic landmarks, such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground, from a hot air balloon.

5 Distinctive Sounds in Melbourne

  • The laughter of appreciative audiences having their funny bone tickled at the annual Melbourne International Comedy Festival
  • The high pitched buzz of the fastest men on four wheels at the annual Formula 1™ Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park
  • Classic arias and contemporary productions performed by Opera Australia at the Arts Centre
  • The 'ding' of an approaching Melbourne tram as it winds its way around the CBD and surrounding suburbs
  • The roar of the crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the Australian rules football season.

5 Arousing Aromas

  • The malty smell of hops outside local boutique beer brewers or on the Carlton BrewHouse and Brewery Tour
  • The heady fragrance of fresh cut blooms in the Great Hall of Flowers at the annual Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show
  • Coffee roasting at Seven Seeds, a café that strives to extract the perfect flavour from each batch of beans
  • The smell of chocolate being made by hand by expert chocolatiers in city arcades
  • The smell of Shannon Bennett's in-house baked bread at Café Vue, St Kilda Road.

5 Moments With Meaning

  • Re-enactments, ghost and hangman tours at the 19th century Old Melbourne Gaol, where Ned Kelly and other infamous characters met their end
  • Seeing the Tasmanian Devils that have been bred at Healesville Sanctuary as part of the drive to revive this endangered species
  • Navigating the winding Black Spur Drive through tall mountain ash trees and lush ferns from the Yarra Valley to Marysville
  • Seeing Australia's southern coastline on foot along the spectacular Great Ocean Walk between Apollo Bay and the Twelve Apostles
  • Climbing on board Puffing Billy, Australia's oldest surviving steam railway, for an historic 25 kilometre ride through the tall trees and fern gullies of the Dandenongs.