Australia and its sporting culture
Australia has a relatively small population versus its active participation at an international level. Sports participants can become national celebrities and even have museums, for instance cricketer Donald Bradman is an icon for sporting prowess and sports like behaviour.
The warm climate encourages people to get outdoors and be active. Sports is also a social leveling agent whereby achievement, both financially and socially is dependent not on your education or family status rather physical attributes. Sports is egalitarian and having a go at things that could be difficult to achieve without constant hard physical training. The ability to be a sports celebrity is about the public acknowledging the discipline of training, the sense of fair play the individual brings to the game.
One of the worst criticisms of a player is being un-Australian, of cheating and not setting a good example of fair play, of the value of ‘mateship’
For sports fans Melbourne is a hot spot for all sports related tours. Join the club, purchase your favourite
SPORTS GUIDED TOURS
A local guide will add colour and depth to your guided tour. And you will be with fellow sports fans who will support every question you might have.
Melbourne is passionate about sport, especially cricket and Australian Rules Footfall. You might even consider attending an Aussie Rules match. It can be arranged. The Melbourne Cricket Ground bills itself as “Australia’s favourite stadium”, with good reason. Melbourne is a sports-mad city, and the MCG is the centre of the action. Melbourne Cricket Stadium is a venue for very popular AFL, soccer, rugby and other events.
The record for the largest crowd is 130,000 people. The stadium is the largest in Australia as well as being the 10th largest in the world.
The MCG is also home to the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum.
Check out the MCG website for the latest on what’s on at the stadium, and catch a game of cricket or AFL to experience Melbourne’s passion for sport!
AFL or Aussie Rules is a Australian Rules Football – a mixture of rugby, Soccer and Gaelic football — is part of the sporting fabric of Melbourne.
Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum is located within the stadium with extensive retail stocking memorabilia, everything from a footie ball to your favourite cricket team T-shirt.
Melbourne Cricket Ground Guided Tour
This tour of Melbourne’s Cricket Ground (MCG) is a must-do for sports buffs who want to know more about Australia’s sporting history. Combine the tour of the stadium’s world-class facilities with optional admission to the National Sports Museum (reopens March 2020) to upgrade your experience. Tour of the Melbourne Cricket Grounds Get a behind-the-scenes look at areas of the arena not open to the general public Choose from various departure times Upgrade your tour with admission to the National Sports Museum (reopens March 2020)
Duration 2-3 hours
Melbourne Sports Walking Guided Tour
Immerse yourself in nearly 200-years of sports and sports history during this guided, small-group walking tour designed for those who love all things athletic. See the National Tennis Center where the Australian Open is played and make a stop at important stadiums and arenas as well as the Olympic Park, AAMI Park and more. Learn about Melbourne’s sporting history and performance in international sport Walking tour with a small group and guide See venues where marquis sporting events are played like the Australian Open
Duration 2-3 hours
Sports Lovers Guided Tour
For sports lovers, Melbourne is hard to beat. With so many major stadiums packed into one metropolis, there’s always a game on and excitement in the air. Get an insider’s look into the city’s athletic obsession with a behind-the-scenes tour of several of its famed venues. Visit the site of the Melbourne Cup horse race at Flemington Racecourse and cruise around the Grand Prix Circuit at Albert Park. For more, upgrade to one of three different options to explore the Melbourne home of your favorite sports. Experience world-famous sporting venues on a sports lovers tour of Melbourne Visit Flemington Racecourse and the Formula 1 racetrack Enjoy lunch within the Etihad Stadium precinct Go behind the scenes at Melbourne’s famous MCG Add a tour of the National Sports Museum or Rod Laver Arena with the option to have a game of tennis on the show courts Tailor the tour to suit your time frame and sporting preferences Travel with a local to experience Melbourne’s unique sporting lifestyle
Duration 5 hours
Sports and Beer Guided Tour
Overview This tour is designed for those who love the thrill of the game and the refreshing taste of an ice-cold beer! Get an insider’s tour of some of Melbourne’s most iconic sporting venues including Flemington Race Course and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), to see where history is made and battles are won. Feel the rush of the Grand Prix as we drive a lap around the Formula 1 circuit, and top off the day with a tour and tastings at Stomping Ground Craft Brewery. Stomping Ground Craft Brewery Tour and beer tastings Covers all of sports-mad Melbourne’s iconic sporting arenas in one tour Behind-the-scenes view of Melbourne’s famous MCG or the National Sports Museum Lunch within the Etihad Stadium precinct
Duration 7 hours
AFL Aussie Rules match with guide
Even consider attending an Aussie Rules football match with a guide as an interpreter of the game’s rules.
Sports clothing
Melbourne Cricket Ground Shop MCG has Stocking the latest MCG, cricket and AFL team merchandise. The MCG Shop can be found inside Gate 3 of the MCG, behind Bay M51. Open every day, the MCG Shop is the perfect place for all of your official merchandise and memorabilia to capture your unique moment at the iconic MCG.
Australian Rules Clothing & Merchandise Shop
SPORTING EVENTS
Premier events you could attend. Remember that premier events can sell out months in advance.
Australian Open Tennis tournament is an electrifying start to the Melbourne sporting calendar. Treat yourself to semi-final tickets and see some of the world’s greatest tennis stars battle it out in the iconic Rod Laver Arena. Alternatively, for a slice of the action without the hefty price tag, grab some ground passes for a perfect summer’s day at the outdoor courts.
Formula One Australia Grand Prix
Formula One World Championship season has a kick start at the Australian Grand Prix. Held every March at Melbourne’s Albert Park street circuit. An entire weekend of on and off track action and entertainment is part of the race.
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach
Torquay is part and parcel of Bells Beach & Rip Curl Pro where world’s best surfers compete, riding the waves at Bells Beach. Any surfs focused trip should include a peek at Bells Beach and its surf culture. Another place to explore is the Australian National Surf Museum. A celebration of surf culture, the museum has a gift shop.
Torquay is the official start of the Great Ocean Road and your inner surfer might divert you, from the Great Ocean Road to a local surf school. For a family group there are lessons for children, beginners all the way up to experienced pros looking for the next best tip. Perhaps you are not going to ever leave Torquay, I am sure you will not be the first person to feel like this. Everyone enjoys the hippy / surfer / burger bar / wind, sun and water feel to Torquay. It is a shame the atmosphere can’t be bottled and taken with us on the road trip.
Great Ocean Road Bells Beach is an iconic surf beach. Consistency means Bells Beach is a host to one of the world’s longest-running surfing competitions every Easter. The Drop Music Festival “The Drop Festival will once again follow the World Surf League Championship Tour events at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast, Bells Beach in Torquay …
Melbourne cup
Racing in Melbourne warrants a public holiday in Victoria. Australia’s most prestigious horse race is just one of a series of events in Melbourne’s Spring Carnival, taking place during October and November every year. Numerous events are organised to coincide with the Cup. The Cup has an official travel agency Keith Prowse Travel who will organize tickets, events, hotels and transport. Keith Prowse Travel specialise in sports focused tours and holidays.
Cricket and the Boxing Day Test
A cricket test match held in Melbourne involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team that is touring Australia. It begins annually on Boxing Day (26 December) and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Check out Cricket Australia website for news and upcoming cricket series. For NZJane often my country is the opposing team.
AFL Grand Finals
Every October long weekend, Melbourne supporters don their club colours and cheer on the AFL Grand Finals. Can’t make it on Grand Final weekend? Take a trip to Melbourne and grab tickets to see a live AFL game throughout the season. You can even get a guide to assist with explaining AFL rules.
The journey is worth it
