1. Meet the Neighbours
Melbourne has many claims to fame, but the biggest is that it’s home to Neighbours. Take a tour to Pin Oak Court, the filming location for Ramsay Street and/or meet Dr Karl at a Neighbours Night.

2. Aussie rules’ home town
Australian rules footy is a religion in Melbourne and most weekends worshippers go to the MCG church. Go along for the atmosphere and the quintessential Victoria experience. Meat pies compulsory.

%TNT Magazine% richmond afl team

3. Wilsons Prom
Walking tracks, abundant wildlife and stunning beaches – it’s not hard to see why the “Prom” is one of the most popular national parks in the country.

4. Shoot to Kelly Country
Relive the days of Australia’s favourite “crim”, Ned Kelly, around Glenrowan. Visit the gloriously over-the-top Kellyland, or put a bucket on your head and recreate the famous final shoot-out.

5. See Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade
Watch the “oh-so-cute” little penguins waddle out of the water and head for home, seemingly oblivious to the camera-wielding hordes.

6. Speed around Luna Park
Say “hello” to your inner-child as you hurtle along the heritage-listed rollercoaster in this St Kilda icon. You’ll come out with a smile bigger than the one on the giant freaky-looking face.

7. Lighthouse at Cape Otway
They don’t call this infamous stretch of coast the Shipwreck Coast for nothing. For the best views, walk to the top of the Cape Otway lighthouse.

8. Find a bargain at Queen Victoria Markets1. Meet the Neighbours
Melbourne has many claims to fame, but the biggest is that it’s home to Neighbours. Take a tour to Pin Oak Court, the filming location for Ramsay Street and/or meet Dr Karl at a Neighbours Night.

2. Aussie rules’ home town
Australian rules footy is a religion in Melbourne and most weekends worshippers go to the MCG church. Go along for the atmosphere and the quintessential Victoria experience. Meat pies compulsory.

3. Wilsons Prom
Walking tracks, abundant wildlife and stunning beaches – it’s not hard to see why the “Prom” is one of the most popular national parks in the country.

%TNT Magazine% ned kelly statue

4. Shoot to Kelly Country
Relive the days of Australia’s favourite “crim”, Ned Kelly, around Glenrowan. Visit the gloriously over-the-top Kellyland, or put a bucket on your head and recreate the famous final shoot-out.

5. See Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade
Watch the “oh-so-cute” little penguins waddle out of the water and head for home, seemingly oblivious to the camera-wielding hordes.

6. Speed around Luna Park
Say “hello” to your inner-child as you hurtle along the heritage-listed rollercoaster in this St Kilda icon. You’ll come out with a smile bigger than the one on the giant freaky-looking face.

7. Lighthouse at Cape Otway
They don’t call this infamous stretch of coast the Shipwreck Coast for nothing. For the best views, walk to the top of the Cape Otway lighthouse.

8. Find a bargain at Queen Victoria Markets
This mega-mental market is a source of everything from cheese to fashion. It’s also a great place to pick up a few souvenirs for mum.

9. Blow your wad at Crown Casino
The Aussie’s love casinos and none come as big and glitzy as Crown (Southbank). Have a meal, dance the night away in a club or lose all your hard-earned dollars on the blackjack table – it’s all possible here.

%TNT Magazine% melbourne nightlife fosters

10. Check out a band at “the Espy”
A St Kilda institution, you can’t say you’ve been to Melbourne unless you’ve been to check out a band in the grungy Esplanade Hotel. Long live
rock ‘n’ roll.

11. Get locked up in Melbourne Gaol
Spend an atmospheric day wandering around this spooky building. Peer into the cells that housed the city’s unsavoury element and see where Ned Kelly stayed.

12. Ride the free tram
You can’t get nothing for free nowadays? Not true in Melbourne. Hop on the city-circle tram which loops around the heart of the city, stopping at many of the major attractions, and it won’t cost you a cent.

13. Feel the powder at the skifields
Snow bunnies should feel right at home in Victoria in winter, as there’s plenty of skiing, snowboarding and all manner of other ways to break a few limbs. The most popular snowfields are Mt Buller, Mt Hotham and Falls Creek.

14. Clubbing
Pull out your ironed shirts and dancing shoes, as Melbourne has one of the best clubbing scenes in the country. Check the local street press for an up-to-date guide.

15. Wipe out in Bells Beach
Bells is one of the best surfing beaches on the Victorian coast, famously named but not used in Point Break. Only for the experienced.

16. Cruise the Murray
The Mississippi of the Antipodes, the Murray River winds majestically through NSW, Victoria and South Australia, and there’s no better way to see it than from the deck of a paddle steamer.

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17. Worship the Twelve Apostles
One of Victoria’s most famous sights, these rocks jut dramatically out of the ocean – it’s been scientifically proven it’s impossible to take a bad photo of them.

18. Yarra Valley
Conveniently situated just a short distance just an hour east of Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is one of the state’s top wine producing areas, with dozens of wineries to be visited. Hic.

19. the Melbourne Comedy Festival
Every autumn, laughter comes to Melbourne in the form of the comedy festival. Comedians from around the world converge here to tickle your funny bone.

20. Have a punt on the Melbourne Cup
The “race that stops a nation” is held on the first Tuesday of November, and Melbourne literally grinds to a halt as everyone takes the day off and blows a week’s wages on a rank outsider. 

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21. Snowy River NP
If you want to get away from it all, head to one of Victoria’s most isolated parks. It also just happens to be the most spectacular.

22. All aboard Puffing Billy
If bushwalking isn’t your thing but you still want to explore the Dandenongs, take a ride on this restored steam engine. It makes its way through fern gullies and forested hills, and you can even hang your legs out of the window. Woo-hoo!

23. Build sandcastles on ninety Mile Beach
The endless sandy beach, just past the NSW border, separates the lakes King, Victoria and Wellington from the ocean. It’s backed by dunes and lagoons and is a stunning place to explore. 

24. Pan for gold in Sovereign Hill
Not enough people dressed in Victorian-era clothes in your life? Get to this recreated gold-mining town – a living history museum near Ballarat – full of actors in period costume. Plus you can pan for gold.

25. Indulge in Acland St cake shops
A walk along this St Kilda street is torture for a dieter. There’s a seemingly never-ending stream of bakers and patisseries with windows. Naughty but very nice.

26. Escape to the Dandenongs
Tired of the city? Well, the Dandenong Ranges are only 35km east of Melbourne and its national parks, ferns and exotic trees make for a great bushwalking escape.

27. Diving in Port Phillip Bay
Get dressed up in black rubber and jump into the waters of Port Phillip Bay for a close encounter with some of the local wildlife and a new wreck dive.

28. See the whales in Warrnambool
This seaside town is most famous for its whale watching. Head to Logan Beach between June and October for a birds-eye view.

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29. Shop till you drop in Melbourne
Sydney may be bigger, but when it comes to shopping, Melbourne is queen. There are more young and up-coming designers here then you can poke a needle at. Head to Chapel St and give your credit card the shock of its life. 

30. Bushwalk the Grampians NP
For a taste of the Victorian wilderness, head to the Grampians. There’s plenty of opportunities for bushwalking, horse riding and rockclimbing, plus Aboriginal rock art sites and wildlife.

31. Bar crawl in Fitzroy
If you want to be a part of Melbourne’s alternative crowd, take a bar-hop around the many pubs of this lively, cosmopolitan suburb. Brunswick and Smith Streets are the places to head for.

32. Stroll along St Kilda foreshore 
Melbourne’s favourite seaside suburb, the foreshore is the place to be seen. Take a stroll and enjoy the city and bay views, while you work off the beer and cakes.

33. Look for Harold Holt
It’s a pretty laidback country that can misplace a Prime Minister, but that’s exactly what happened in Australia in the 60s. PM Harold Holt went for a swim in the Mornington Peninsula and was never seen again. Oop.

Photos: Getty