Melbourne
Melbourne's cricket season gets going in December, when the MCG fills up for touring sides like New Zealand and the Boxing Day Test becomes the center of the city for a week. January hands things over to the Australian Open at Melbourne Park, one of the loudest Grand Slams on the calendar. By April, Albert Park swaps tennis crowds for Formula 1 engines at the Australian Grand Prix. Winter belongs to something else entirely: footy. AFL is a genuine religion here, even if it's not part of what we cover. Between fixtures, the city doesn't leave you stuck: laneway cafes, beaches twenty minutes from the CBD, Yarra Valley wineries an hour out. Not many cities stack this many major events into five months. Fewer still make the gaps between them feel like part of the trip.
Sporting events in Melbourne
Sports Venues
Albert Park Circuit — Inside the Track
A public park 361 days a year, an FIA Grade 1 circuit for one week — the layout, the history, the overtaking spots.
Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit
Margaret Court Arena & John Cain Arena
The two other roofed courts — where second-week tennis is often better than the price tag suggests
Melbourne Park
Attractions
A Day in Melbourne — Laneways, Coffee & Beyond the Sports
Why Melbourne calls itself the coffee capital, and where the street art actually is
Melbourne CBD
Yarra Valley — Melbourne's Wine Country Day Trip
Cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot, a Moët & Chandon outpost, an hour east of the city
Yarra Valley / Coldstream
