What to Do in Victoria – According to Qantas Frequent Flyers
Home to wineries with sculpture gardens, breathtaking coastline, world-class galleries and sky-high cocktail bars, Victoria is a buzzy holiday hotspot with numerous drawcards. Here are the best things to do, according to Qantas Frequent Flyers.
“As Italian-Australians, we found the menu at Johnny, Vince & Sam’s on Lygon Street so nostalgic.” - Alexandra Mediati, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“Each family member had something to tick off the wishlist during our school holiday trip to Melbourne. We went to the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre with my son; my daughter and I shopped at Chadstone; and my husband’s pick was Johnny, Vince & Sam’s on Lygon Street. As Italian-Australians, we found the restaurant’s decor and menu so nostalgic.
Walking and eating are our family’s favourite pastimes, so we spent hours wandering Melbourne’s laneways and exploring Queen Victoria Market. We chose Novotel Melbourne on Collins for its central location. The kids loved the indoor heated pool and the room was big enough for all four of us. Most importantly, it was around the corner from our new family favourite, Brunetti Oro. We were there morning, noon and night for pastries, pizza and gelato.”
Alexandra flew Sydney to Melbourne
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“On warm nights, Melbourne’s open-air rooftop bars are spectacular.” - Rachel Pannekoek, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“A friend and I planned a trip to Melbourne around Taylor Swift’s Eras concert. It was just one highlight of a well-spent weekend that also included booking spur-of-the-moment Grease the Musical tickets at the beautiful Her Majesty’s Theatre. We stayed in an Airbnb in the CBD: café/bakery Brick Lane was our go-to for coffee and smashed avo with pickled onion, feta and beetroot relish in the mornings. On warm nights, Melbourne’s open-air bars are spectacular. The vibe at HER Rooftop, along with its Thai snacks and charred pineapple margaritas, made it a weekend favourite. Goldilocks Rooftop Bar was a real find too: to get there, you have to go through a Chinese restaurant, up a lift and a set of stairs. The views are epic, as are the lemon curd martinis.”
Rachel flew Perth to Melbourne
“Melbourne’s CBD is easier for me to navigate than other capitals” - Lisa Cox, Gold Frequent Flyer
“I’m in a wheelchair so accessibility is front-of-mind when I travel. Qantas is my airline of choice because the staff are so accommodating without being patronising or condescending. While travelling to Melbourne, I met a Qantas Commissionaire at the airport whose role is helping customers with specific needs. I’ve never heard of an airline doing that – it’s brilliant. Hotels can be harder to book as accessibility is about much more than just a ramp at the entrance. Grand Hyatt Melbourne has multiple rooms with wide doors, roll-in showers and lots of space to manoeuvre wheelchairs, plus it’s on Collins Street near luxury shopping, Federation Square and laneway cafés. Melbourne’s CBD is easier for me to navigate than other capitals, but if I want to go further afield, I take an Uber. My favourite restaurant is St Kilda’s iconic Stokehouse. The menu focuses on super-fresh seafood, but it’s the views of Port Phillip Bay that I love most.”
Lisa flew Brisbane to Melbourne
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“It was magical to wander among the sculptures at Pt. Leo Estate and Yabby Lake Winery in the Mornington Peninsula.” – Genevieve Faulkner-Firth, Silver Frequent Flyer
“My partner and I used Qantas Points to book a Classic Rewards return flight to Melbourne; from the airport, we took the 90-minute drive to visit friends in Somers on the Mornington Peninsula. The beautiful beaches blew me away – I didn’t realise Victoria had a coast like this. Another highlight was visiting Pt. Leo Estate and Yabby Lake wineries (pictured) – both had wonderful sculpture gardens. Pt. Leo Estate was particularly stunning at dusk, when we had the place to ourselves.
“Back in Melbourne, we treated ourselves to dinner at Reine & La Rue on the corner of Queen and Collins. We sampled oysters from all over the country and it almost felt like a wine tasting. Then, when it was time to fly home, I was given the option to switch to an earlier flight in the Qantas app, which suited our schedule better. I selected the change with a click of a button – it was so seamless.”
Genevive Faulkner-Firth flew Qantas from Sydney to Melbourne.
“We loved exploring the cafes and art galleries in Melbourne – they’re always a hit.” – Allana Hinks, Platinum Frequent Traveller
“We flew Qantas from Adelaide to Melbourne and chose the Manhattan Apartments in Glen Iris for our three-week stay. We loved having our own space with a kitchen and laundry. Being so close to the out-of-this-world sandwiches and coffee at Hector’s Deli and the lemon-curd-filled croissants at Lune Croissanterie was great, too.
“Exploring the art exhibitions of Melbourne is always a hit. We especially enjoyed the immersive Van Gogh experience at The Lume (pictured), where you can walk around in his psychedelic paintings. The metal art statues at Metart World in Port Melbourne are worth seeing, too.
“We chose to fly Qantas because of its reliability and great service – we always appreciate access to the lounge areas as Platinum Frequent Flyers.”
Allanah Hinks flew Qantas from Adelaide to Melbourne.
“I love exploring Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary with the grandkids.” – Catherine Ewers, Silver Qantas Flyer
“I fly to Melbourne frequently to visit family and I always choose Qantas because it’s a full-service airline and I know I’ll be taken great care of. My son’s family [pictured above, left with Ewers] live in bayside Beaumaris, 25 kilometres south of Melbourne's CBD. We love exploring Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary, which is known for its beach, sandstone reefs, rock pools and snorkelling. Our favourite place to eat in the area is Mexico City, where they do great prawn fajitas.”
“On this trip, I was also able to attend the Paris: Impressions of Life 1880–1925 exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery with my sister [pictured above, right]. One standout was the large Belle Époque piece by the Australian artist Rupert Bunny. Afterwards, we ate lunch at Borchelli, a charming traditional Italian restaurant across the road from the gallery. It was a big family weekend for me.”
Catherine Ewers flew Qantas from Sydney to Melbourne.
