In This Issue:

Cheeky Gentoo and majestic King penguins star at Melbourne Aquarium’s Antarctica exhibition
Melbourne Aquarium is celebrating the opening of a brand-new exhibit five years in the making –Antarctica. .

New Melbourne Hot Spots
Cuisine lovers are salivating at the news that two major players in the Australian foodie scene are opening new premises this month. Also, a hot international bar group sets up its first Australian venue in Melbourne’s QV building.

Abseiling introduced at the Otway Fly Tree Top Walk
Visitors to the famous Otway Fly can now not only walk among the tree tops, but abseil down from them. 

The Slow Coach – Victoria’s only horse drawn restaurant
Luxurious horse-drawn touring is back in fashion in Healesville for the first time since the end of the early 1900s.

Crown confirmed to host Gordon Ramsey’s Maze restaurant
Gordon Ramsay’s Maze, one of London’s most popular and successful restaurant concepts, will open in Melbourne in 2010 at a new hotel currently being constructed at Crown in Southbank.

Travel to regional hot spots over summer with V/Line cheap fares
V/Line have released a special low cost ‘Family Traveller’ ticket aimed at providing families with a cheap return travel option to key regional locations including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Warrnambool, Swan Hill Shepparton and Echuca.

First stop: Victorian Alps, next stop: Tour de France!
Victoria's seven alpine resorts - Dinner Plain, Mt Buller, Hotham, Falls Creek, Lake Mountain, Mt Baw Baw and Mt Buffalo - have joined forces to offer a great incentive for cyclists to head for the hills this summer with the annual Alpine Ascent Challenge.

Phillip Island welcomes Rusty Water Brewery Restaurant & Café
Rusty Water Brewery Restaurant and Café, a new bar and eatery, has just opened in Cowes in Phillip Island.

New Mornington Peninsula Pinot Tour
Georges Boutique Bed and Breakfast and Culinary Retreat have launched a new tour honouring the iconic vineyards of the highly regarded Mornington Peninsula pinot growing region.

Melbourne – a guide to gourmet wine and dining on a budget
Melbourne’s dining spots offer a dizzying spread of the world’s great cuisines, serving meals from the substantial and classic to the truly exotic.

Spiegelworld at Australian Open
Tennis Australia has added a new major ‘festival’ program of live entertainment to complement tennis action at the 2009 Australian Open, which will include the Australian premiere appearance of Spiegelworld, direct from New York City. This ultra-cool carnival village  - which features the beautiful and historic European spiegeltent at the centre - will be taking over The Oval along Swan Street.

Every Month:

Special Packages:
The High Country is renowned for its gourmet food and wine, fascinating heritage and adrenalin-pumping adventure, all set against a backdrop of spectacular mountain scenery. Escape to the High Country over spring and summer and take advantage of these great packages.

Important Diary Notes

© 2009 Tourism Victoria