Melbourne - Study in Style

Events

Australian Open Tennis Championships:  January

The Australian Open will see the return of the world’s hottest tennis players to Melbourne for two weeks of explosive action. Watch the drama unfold as they battle it out for the first Grand Slam title of the year.

The Australian Open attracts the world's best tennis players and over 500 000 spectators over the fortnight making it the highest attended annual sporting event in Australia.

Formula One Grand Prix:  March

The Formula 1 Foster's Australian Grand Prix is four days of action on and off the track. Each year Melbourne comes alive to the roar of engines, hosting the first round of the FIA World Championship.

Live it up with F1 action, fans, fashion, food and festivities – at the purpose-built 5.3 km track around Victoria’s scenic Albert Park Lake, only minutes from the centre of Melbourne.

Rip Curl Pro Surfing Contest: 

The Rip Curl Pro is a major world championship tour event and forms part of the professional tour of the Top 44 Male surfers chasing the world championship title. The contest, started in 1975, is one of the most prestigious surfing events in the world.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival: 

Melbourne is the funniest place on earth when the Melbourne International Comedy Festival hits town. Along with Montreal and Edinburgh, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is one of the world's three largest comedy festivals.

Australian Football League Finals Series: 

From March to September Australian Rules Football (AFL) teams fight it out to make the top eight and qualify for the final series. Don’t miss the spectacular crescendo of 22 weeks of fantastic competition in the 2007 AFL Finals Series.

Royal Melbourne Show: September

The Royal Melbourne Show highlights the best in agriculture and rural lifestyle through competition, education, food and plenty of interactive fun.  It's entertainment for everyone - with extreme rides and hundreds of showbags, to awesome art and crafts and great food.  Check out www.royalshow.com.au

Melbourne Fringe Festival:  September

Catch more than 3000 artists at the Melbourne Fringe Festival.  With an independent program representing performance, comedy, circus, cabaret, music, visual arts, dance and movement and digital art. For more information check out www.melbournefringe.com.au

Spring Racing Carnival:  October

Welcome to the Spring Racing Carnival, the World’s Greatest Racing Celebration! Once again, it’s time to enjoy the best of racing, here in Melbourne, Australia.

Whether for you it’s the horses; the jockeys and trainers; the fashion, colour and glamour, or just a great day out, this year’s carnival will be bigger and better than ever before and we invite you to be a part of it.

Go For Your Life: October

Come and join the Go for your Life/Yarra Trams Melbourne City Romp.  Starting at Federation Square, people will walk and tram their way around Melbourne during this big city treasure hunt with a twist.  Romp teams use a map, clue sheet and mobile phones to locate checkpoints, answer questions and solve riddles.  Proceeds from the entry fees will go directly to the Burnet Institute's medical research programs.

Melbourne International Arts Festival:  October

Melbourne International Arts Festival has an outstanding reputation for presenting unique international and Australian attractions in the fields of dance, theatre, music, opera, visual arts and free outdoor events.  

Carols by Candlelight:  December 

You are invited to celebrate the magic of Christmas with song at the 2007 Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight presented by Myer. This year the iconic event turns 70 and it is expected to be as vibrant and magical as ever.  Held in the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne on Monday 24 December, the night will feature an array of contemporary and traditional performers that is sure to delight and entertain the whole family.  All proceeds raised from Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight go towards enabling children who are blind or have low vision to access and participate in every part of life they choose.

Melbourne Boxing Day Test Match: From 26 December

Melbourne Boxing Day Test Match is arguably the greatest and most anticipated Test Match on the world cricket calendar.

Activities

These occur on Saturdays and are optional for students. By participating in these events, students enhance their total experience. Some of these include:

Great Ocean Road
This section of the Victorian coastline is world famous. The road takes you along cliff edges, around hilly slopes, onto the edge of beaches, across river estuaries and up to breathtaking headlands. And just when you thought the scenery could not get any better you are faced with the magnificent 12 apostles rising from the ocean. Truly amazing.

Philip Island Penguin Parade
Phillip Island is home to a large colony of little penguins that make an appearance on Summerland Beach each day at dusk. This race up the beach from the ocean to the safety of their burrows has become known as the popular Penguin Parade.

Puffing Billy & Healesville Sanctuary
This tour is one of our most popular for a number of reasons. We drive through the magnificent Dandenong Ranges passing quaint country towns on the way to the Puffing Billy steam train. This old fashioned coal locomotive chugs though magnificent forest and even through the mountains!! To finish the day, we visit our Australian furry friends, the koala and kangaroos, and many other animals.

The Grampians
This national park is a natural beauty, with soaring ranges, deep forests, gigantic waterfalls, sculpture gardens and an array wildflowers. You can even see Australian wildlife in their natural habitat. Keep your eyes open!!

Surfing at Mornington Peninsula
What trip to Australia is complete without experiencing our love for the beach? Students travel to the untouched Mornington Peninsula for a professional learn-to-surf lesson. After all your efforts to stand up you will be rewarded with a traditional Australian barbecue followed by another beach visit and bushwalk. Bring your spirit of adventure and you will tell stories to your friends for years to come.

Horseriding at Mornington Peninsula
Experience the beauty of this forest on horseback. Follow the tracks with experienced instructors and well behaved horses. This is another unique experience in a stunning and beautiful part of the world.