Melbourne is a city full of things to see and do. With airport accommodation being a popular choice for those making a brief visit to Melbourne, time is of the essence. Luckily, there are plenty of places of interest within a 20-minute drive of Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport.
Located north of Melbourne’s CBD, the destinations on this list will help you avoid the city traffic for hassle-free days out. Whether you are spending a long weekend in Melbourne, travelling for business or exploring with your family, you will certainly find plenty of things to do within close proximity of the airport hotel.
DFO – Essendon Fields
Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) is a shopaholics dream and is just a 15-minute drive away from the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport. With more than 100 different stores, including G-star, Ralph Lauren, Converse and Fossil it is the perfect place to stock up on a few bargains. Whether you are looking for cosmetics and perfume, children’s fashion and accessories, men’s fashion and accessories, toys, hobbies and crafts, electronics or homewares, DFO has it all. If you didn’t fly into Melbourne Airport with a suitcase, you may well find yourself flying out with one.
If all of that shopping works up an appetite, you can refuel at the food court. There are plenty of choices available from sushi, kebabs, burgers, coffees and fresh juice bars. Heading out of the shopping center will take you along the river side, which is also the perfect place to grab a bite to eat and soak up the atmosphere. If shopping is your thing, then you will be hard pushed to find anywhere better near Melbourne Airport to indulge in a little bit of retail therapy.
Essendon Fields VIC 3041, Australia
Living Legends
Living Legends is the best place to visit and retired champion racehorses in their paddocks and is located just a 20 minute drive from the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport. Located in The Woodlands Historic Park, it makes for the ideal family day out. You can visit 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For those who want to get up close and personal with turf track royalty, Public tours are available at 11 a.m. and then again at 2 p.m. Enjoy a traditional Devonshire Cream tea at the Black Caviar Cafe and Dining Room, which comes with and indulgent jam and cream scone before meeting the legends.
There is something magical about visiting these majestic animals and discovering more about their achievements. Aside from horses, there are also plenty of roo’s darting about and impressive natural parkland to enjoy. For those without a car, you can arrange to be collected from the airport as part of a tour package, spend the day enjoying yourself before being delivered back to the airport in the evening. The Woodlands Historic Park is a day trip and itself so we have given it its own place in the next section.
Living Legends. Woodlands Dr, Greenvale VIC 3059, Australia
*Living Legends offer airport shuttles to their location, subject to availability
Woodlands Historic Park
Sometimes there is nothing better than heading out into nature and enjoying undisturbed beauty. The Woodlands Historic Park is located just an 8 minute drive from the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport. While there are no public transport links that serve the park, a shuttle service can be arranged in advance for those who would like to visit living legends and then it’s just a few minutes walk from there. The park is the ideal place for a bush walk. Filled with kangaroos and other native wildlife, and you will also find an indigenous cemetery.
It offers a toned-down taste of the Australian bush and is suitable for everyone from toddlers to pensioners. It is a popular destination for dog walkers, horseback riders and cyclists and the bush trails guide you through gently rolling wooded landscapes. There are also amenities available, including an on-site cafe and public toilets. If you intend on spending the whole day, it is a good idea to take a picnic to enjoy off of any of the nature trails.
Woodlands Historic Park. Somerton Rd, Greenvale VIC 3059, Australia
*Living Legends offer airport shuttles to their location, subject to availability
Airport Golf Course
For golfing enthusiasts, Melbourne Airport Golf Club is one of the best around. Situated opposite the airports North – South runway, it is just an 8-minute drive from the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport. The 18-hole course spreads out over 6000 square meters and features elevated greens and 37 different bunkers. For an experience like no other, reaching the feature hole (17th) puts you just 60 meters beneath incoming and outgoing aircraft.
Once you have finished with your round of golf, you can head over to the licence the clubhouse and enjoy a tipple or two. For those who just want to practice their swing, the practice nets are the perfect place. The putting green is ideal for whiling away a few hours in the afternoon and the on-site pro shop means that you can enjoy a round or two, even if you have forgotten some of your equipment. There is nothing like a round of golf to let off some steam and the low-flying planes add an exciting edge to it.
Melbourne Airport Golf Course. Melbourne Airport VIC 3045, Australia
Arundel Farm Estate
Arundel Farm Estate is the perfect destination for those who appreciate fine wine, good food and beautiful surroundings. The bluestone homestead was constructed in 1868 and today is one of Melbourne’s finest boutique wineries. Nestled within the Sunbury wine region, the vineyard spreads across 20 acres of fertile land producing grapes for Shiraz production. Here you can sample some of the wines produced at Arundel Farm Estate, including the 2011 or 2015 Shiraz or 2013 Viognier.
For those looking to take a bottle or two back with them, cellar door sales are available. If you visit on the weekend, you can indulge in a spot of lunch at the on-site restaurant. Open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and 11 a.m to 3 p.m. on Fridays, enjoy a plate of calamari or “salmon alla menta e limone” while treating yourself to an Arundel Farm Estate lunch time wine tasting. You also have the option of cocktails, beers and ciders, and sparkling, rose, white and red wine. The restaurant can also be booked for private functions and the entire estate sets the tone for a luxurious yet intimate afternoon.
Arundel Farm Estate. 321 Arundel Rd, Keilor VIC 3036, Australia
Heli Experience
If you really want to enjoy a truly special experience when staying at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport, a helicopter ride will be hard to top. Located just a 12-minute drive away from the hotel and easily accessible via public transport, you are able to select a tour of your liking. Whether you want to soar above the 12 apostles and the great ocean road or experience a winery helicopter tour that takes in the Melbourne city skyline from afar, you are in for a real treat.
One of the best things about enjoying a heli experience is that you can see so much more than you would do compared to traveling by road. Not only from a scenic standpoint, but also a time one. City traffic is completely eliminated and you get a bird’s eye view of the best that Melbourne has to offer. Heli experiences are a safe and time saving way to see the things that you really want to. There is nothing quite as special as seeing Melbourne at sunset cast in a golden glow.
81 Bristol St, Essendon Fields VIC 3041, Australia
URBNSURF Melbourne
For those planning a stay at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport in 2019, URBNSURF Melbourne will be a must-do activity perfect for the whole family. Not only will it be the first man-made surf park in Australia, it will be right on the doorstep of the hotel. Another first is that it will be the First full sized wavegarden cove in the world. Approximately 1000 perfect waves will be produced every hour suitable for all ability levels. Lagoon lighting will enable surf enthusiastic to be able to hit the waves day and night.
Aside from the abundant surf opportunities, the addition of mountain bike pump tracks, rock climbing, playgrounds, skate ramps, beach cabanas and a multi-outlet precinct perfect for grabbing a coffee, a beer and a bite to eat we’ll all be on site. There will also be no need to bring your own surf equipment as this will be available for rental when you visit. The surf centre is due to open in the early part of 2019 and will undoubtedly become one of Melbourne’s premiere attractions. To keep up-to-date with the progress and anticipated opening of the centre, you can visit the website for more information.
URBNSURF Melbourne. Airport Dr, Melbourne Airport VIC 3045, Australia
