Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 11 . MELBOURNE
allowed. Amenities: Golf course nearby; tour desk; laundry; nonsmoking rooms. In room: A/C (portable),
TV/VCR, kitchen, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.
AROUND PORT PHILLIP BAY
West of Melbourne, the Princes Freeway (or M1) heads toward Geelong via a
bypass at Werribee. To the east of Melbourne, the Nepean Highway travels along
the coast to the Mornington Peninsula as far as Portsea. If you have time to stay
the night, you can combine the two options, heading first down to the Mornington
Peninsula and then taking the car and passenger ferry from Sorrento to
Queenscliff.
WERRIBEE
This small country town is 32km (20 miles) southwest of Melbourne, a 30-
minute drive along the Princes Freeway. Trains run from Melbourne to Werribee
station; a taxi from the station to the zoo will cost around A$5 (US$3.25).
The Mansion at Werribee Park Known as “the palace in the paddock,” this
60-room Italianate mansion was built in 1877. It was quite the extravagant project
in its day. In addition to touring the house, you may stroll around the
grounds and have a picnic; it’s surrounded by 132 hectares (326 acres) of bushland
fronting the Werribee River. You can also pre-arrange to take one of the
popular carriage rides that make their way through the property. Allow 1 to 2
hours. The afternoon tea is great.
K Rd., Werribee.& 13 19 63 in Australia, or 03/9741 2444. www.visitvictoria.com/mansions. Free admission
park and picnic grounds; admission to mansion A$10.60 (US$6.50) adults, A$5.40 (US$3.40) children 5–15,
A$27.50 (US$18) families. Nov–Mar daily 10am–5pm; Apr–Oct daily 10am–4pm. Closed Christmas.
Victoria’s Open Range Zoo at Werribee From inside your zebra-striped
safari bus you can almost touch the animals (mainly African) that wander almost
freely over the plains—no depressing cages here. This high-caliber open-air zoo is
closely associated with the Melbourne Zoo. There is also a walk-through section
featuring African cats, including cheetahs, and monkeys. The safari-bus tour takes
50 minutes.
K Rd., Werribee.& 03/9731 9600. www.zoo.org.au. Admission A$16 (US$10) adults, A$7.80 (US$5.05) children,
A$43 (US$28) families. Daily 9am–5pm (the entrance gate closes at 3:30pm). Safari tours hourly
10am–3pm.