Fitzroy Gardens & Yarra River Cruise
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Port
Melbourne, Australia
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$129.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 4 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Transfer to the Southgate Pier and board a 50-minute cruise on the beautiful Yarra River. Although Melbourne is situated on the shores of one of the largest bays on the Australian coast, the Yarra River is the city's main waterway. In early times, the river was a major food source and meeting place for indigenous Australians. Early European settlers used it primarily for agricultural transportation.
Enjoy a different perspective of the city as you motor past some memorable landmarks -- the vast Royal Botanic Gardens founded in 1846, and the Melbourne and Olympic Park Sports Precinct, considered Australia's premier sports complex.
Next, a narrated panoramic drive takes you past the ornate Princess Theater, built in 1857. You'll also see Melbourne Park, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the Arts Centre. Watch for the Grand Prix site and St Patrick's and St Paul's Cathedrals.
Walk through the grand Fitzroy Gardens to discover huge formal garden beds, walking paths, a superb collection of trees, a gorgeous conservatory and the cottage that was once the home of Captain James Cook's parents in England. It's the only 18th-century building remaining in Melbourne. View the cottage and learn about Captain Cook's life and times. Originally built in 1755, the little house honors the man who discovered and skillfully charted Australia's eastern coastline. Built by Cook's father in 1755 from sandstone and brick, the cottage was dismantled and transported from the village of Great Ayton in Yorkshire, England, to its present site in 1933.
Your final stop is at the Shrine of Remembrance -- permanent memorial to the ANZAC spirit and to the men and women of Victoria who served and died in the Great War.
Reflecting on the landmarks of marvelous Melbourne as you return to the pier.
Notes:
Wear comfortable walking shoes.