★ Experience sporting Melbourne

Melbourne Cricket Ground 2014 AFL Grand Final

Sporting culture forms part of the very fabric of Melbourne. The city plays host to the Australian Open Tennis Championships, Australian Grand Prix, the Melbourne Cup Carnival and of course, local favourite, the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final. With so many sporting events, it is not surprising that the city is home to its fair share of sporting fanatics, and it welcomes interstate and international visitors who share this passion with open arms (and retractable roofs).

Sports fans visiting the city for any of the celebrated events can get their fix of the action in more ways than one. Behind-the-scenes experiences can be had at some of the city’s most famed sporting destinations, while aspiring sports stars can get active on the very surfaces used by the pros:

MCG toursWidely recognised as the home of Australian sport, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has been the scene of many great sporting events, as well as many ‘firsts’ in Australian sporting history. One of Australia’s most significant sporting stadiums, dating back to 1853, the MCG is now included on the National Heritage List. MCG Tours give visitors the opportunity to relive the greatest sporting moments and check out the venue’s inner workings – players’ change rooms, cricket viewing room and indoor practice facilities are all on show, as is the media centre, library and the famous Long Room. Depending on the day, there is sometimes also the chance to walk on the hallowed turf of the arena itself. Brunton Avenue, Richmond, +61 3 9657 8888

National Sports MuseumLocated at the MCG, the National Sports Museum features several exhibitions that highlight Australia’s greatest sporting moments. More than 2500 pieces of sporting memorabilia are on display, along with interactive exhibitions that enable visitors to get hands on. The greatest moments of the AFL are celebrated, along withAustralia’s horseracing greats, from Phar Lap to Black Caviar. The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and a Shane Warne hologram both pay tribute to the much-loved game of cricket, while Faster, Higher, Stronger traces Australia’s participation in the Olympic Games. Game On invites visitors to have a go themselves with interactive set ups featuring cricket, football, bike racing, soccer and archery. Melbourne Cricket Ground, Brunton Ave, Melbourne, +61 3 9657 8879

Australian Open ToursTennis fans can channel their inner Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova as they experience the inner sanctums of one of the world’s greatest tennis centres, at Melbourne Park. Australian Open Tours explore Rod Laver Arena and the newly redeveloped Margaret Court Arena, as well as the spots where the world’s best tennis players eat, train and relax when they’re in Melbourne. ‘Champions Walk’ – the corridor leading to Rod Laver Arena – is a highlight of the tour, as is seeing the prestigious trophies that are presented to the Australian Open champions annually. Aspiring tennis stars can also hire a court at the famous site, for their own slice of a Grand Slam experience. Olympic Boulevard/ Batman Avenue, Melbourne, 1300 836 647

Flemington Racecourse toursHome of the ‘race that stops a nation’ since 1861, Flemington Race Course welcomes the world’s best thoroughbreds each year, along with some of the world’s most famous faces, during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. The history and inner workings of this National Heritage listed site can be discovered with a guided walking tour, taking in the Flemington Heritage Centre Racecourse of Dreams exhibition, the jockey and stewards rooms, mounting yard and the largest public rose garden in the Southern Hemisphere. Guides will show the racecourse’s historical points of interest, such as where Phar Lap was stalled prior to his record-breaking 1930 Melbourne Cup win, and share the history, highlights and heroes that have helped to cement the Melbourne Cup as a must-watch sporting event nation-wide. 448 Epsom Rd, Flemington, 1300 727 575

Melbourne F1 Grand Prix CircuitIt may not look like it each year when the world’s best drivers do battle, but the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, which hosts the Formula 1^® Australian Grand Prix, is held entirely on public roads usually reserved for Melbourne’s commuters. Visitors can live out their racing dreams, albeit as a slower pace, by driving around the circuit – the only exception is Turn 4, which transforms into a car park when Formula One is not in town. A word of warning for anyone with a penchant for speed: these roads are patrolled year-round to catch out any would-be offenders so it is best not to replicate the speeds achieved by the professional drivers. The drive is best experienced in February and early March, when preparations for the event are almost complete and the public roads closely resemble the finished race track. Albert Park Lake, Albert Park

Phillip Island CircuitSite of the Australian GP, World Superbikes, Hot Laps, Go Kart and V8 Supercars, the Phillip Island Circuit is the destination for motor-sports enthusiasts. A guided circuit tour allows exclusive access to off-limits trackside areas, while a MotoGP sound simulation can be experienced in the Start/Finish overpass. The walking tour is subject to Circuit Hire, major events and seasonality, but usually runs daily at 2pm for approximately one hour. Those keen to get a little more active on-track can zip around the scale replica circuit in a French-made SODI RT8 go kart at Phillip Island Go-Karts. Participants can race the clock or one another and push out a series of hot laps in their quest to set the day’s fastest lap.  Lap time print outs are provided for each racer and times are posted live to the website as well as to a driver’s own Facebook page. Back Beach Road, Phillip Island, +61 3 5952 2710

All-in-oneOr for an all-in-one sporting experience, Melbourne Sports Tours offers interactive and fun guided tours of Melbourne and its sporting culture.  With half and full day tours to sporting events available, experiences include Melbourne’s sport precincts as well as sport-based adventures such as Australian rules football, horse racing, skiing and surfing. Ph: +613 8802 4547.