Yelp Review 2023 #290:…read more When in Melbourne, you have to come check out the Bathing Boxes. It's along Brighton Beach. It's a popular thing to see and take pictures of. They're so colorful, bright and cute. Each box is uniquely painted and privately owned. So, do not try to break in. Just admire them, look at each one, take pictures, and enjoy the beach. They've been around since the 1890's for modesty purposes. Beach goers can change into their swimsuits in the privacy of a bathing box. There's no electricity or running water in the bathing boxes so, they're not truly bathing boxes. Nowadays, a bathing box here can cost about $200,000-300,000AU should you be interested in purchasing one. If you're driving or taking an Uber, it should take you about 30 minutes from Melbourne CBD/ Chinatown. If you're taking public transportation, you can take a train to get here for about 40 minutes with some walking involved. My favorite boxes are the Australian flag, The Wave, and the rainbow bathing box. Some boxes are less colorful and exciting than others.

I only had two days in Melbourne with a jam packed work schedule and I this was on my must see list…read moreto visit in Melbourne so I woke up really early braved the bad weather (cold, windy, rainy) and went to visit the beach. I have visited several beaches in my life but this one is beautiful in it's own way. Thanks to the bad weather, I had the whole beach to myself. It's a short walk to check out all the bathing boxes and back. I couldn't spend a lot of time here since it started pouring but whatever time I spent was breathtaking and unforgettable.

Paid $4.50 for a small iced coffee. Used a shot that was sitting out with no cremer on the top, put…read morethe shot in before the milk which is a big no no as it makes the coffee bitter and then continued to use cheap soy milk. Terrible. Pool was great fun for kids but very unimpressed with the service.

Big bright and clean - gotta love the new aquatic centre in Box Hill. Lots of different pools, a…read morekiddy water slide and various spray things and diving boards. The only glaring omission is a big water slide for the older kids/adults, that is a feature of most other recently built centres. Maybe that's why this place isn't so crowded with teenagers on a warm weekend? Can also recommend the cafe with an all day breakfast menu and Axil coffee. There are the obligatory lollies and ice creams, but plenty of healthy choices here too.

This place actually feels as if it is the centre of town, which is probably the case. There are…read moreactually quite a few interesting things here, including a memorial fountain erected by a local minister so people could have something to drink, the anchor from one of the old ships, and the former lockup. Oh, it has the docks here as well, which is stort of split with the yacht club. The reserve is pretty cool actually, and there are quite a few things. Hey, you can even catch a ferry to the city, which is cool.

Honestly, this really isn't one of my favourite beaches, but that is probably because everybody…read morecomes down here, and as such it tends to be pretty touristy. It's sort of like Melbourne's version of Bondi, except there is a lot more stuff around here, and it is much easier to get to as well (namely because multiple trams pass through here). Like, it's convenient, and there are some pretty good pubs around here as well, but honestly, there are much better beaches to go to in Melbourne.

Too many people!!!! not enough parking stalls..... But the beach itself... just perfect. Warm…read morewater, warmer sand, blue skies, and a young vibe!!! There is actually just one concentrated area (where they sell the ice cream), close to the restaurants and the SeaBaths, that is the best for sunning and relaxing. Unfortunately, that's also where the hordes gather as well. November was warm and the tan I had to show for afterward was too cool... tan in November. For a North American, that's pretty novel stuff! Lots of options for eating or getting a cocktail after laying like a fish. Love that sand.....not the cleanest, however.

BATS!!! We had a wonderful little family hike here to see the famous flying foxes, otherwise known…read moreas fruit bats. Being from Hawaii, this was a totally unique and cool experience as don't really have a lot of bats in hawaii! We walked maybe a half mile from the parking lot and BAM, BATS GALORE! This place is totally worth visiting!

I love coming here, as soon as the weather gets good I'm making any excuse possible for a day out…read morehere. This is a quiet park right off the eastern freeway. It's close to the city, but feels like a whole new place. This park has bbq facilities with wooden tables under pavilions, there's not too many spots so you might want to get in early if it's going to be a long weekend (or exceptionally sunny day). There's also a café here that sits besides the river, where you can dine outside and enjoy the serenity. This is definitely perfect for families as there are bike trails, a playground and did I mention the rowboats for hire. Yes rowboats! There's also fishing available, although I'm not sure if you would catch anything here. If you don't like bats, I probably would come here then. I was lying in the sun with my hunny after a lovely picnic, we didn't notice anything at the time- but after careful inspection of the funny looking leaves on the trees, turns out they were bats. A hundred or more bats, hanging from the nearby trees sleeping. They weren't scary, or noisy or obtrusive, it was just a surprise to see so many up close. Bats aside, this is a lovely park. Perfect for whatever occasion.

My 3 children have been swimming with Vicki for years and they love it there! They are all really…read morestrong and capable swimmers of all the 4 competitive strokes and they swim in squad. The cost of lessons are less than anywhere else locally and the staff to swimmer ratios are small. As an ex-swimmer and consequently being very fussy about technique and swimming formulas I couldn't be happier with their style of teaching. Would highly recommend this swim school.

I sent my kids to Vicki Fields Swim school and I didn't think it was very good. Very small pool…read morewith lots of kids squashed in together trying to do lessons with lots of noise and swim instructors that were young and had no qualifications. I felt that my kids were just a head count for how many kids in the pool and it was more about collect your money as you go through the doors. I will look around for swim school that has some indivdual learning in small groups with kids generally around same age group for swimming lessons. Oh well at least I know what not to look for next time.

Not too loud, beautiful views. Waves not too tall. Theres toilets and showers but they're a bit…read moremanky... Theres also a restaurant that i have not visited yet.

(Visited 12/16/24 MO @ 12:00pm): This "river of mists" would've been welcomed on this scorching day…read morewhile out on a casual walk! A friend and I were on Day 3 of our 12-Day Southern Australia Explorer cruise with Princess Cruises, we took the local train into town, and after some initial exploration, we eventually made it to Birrarung Marr. To be honest, we knew nothing of this place until we casually came upon it. In Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung culture, "Birrarung" was the traditional name of the nearby Yarra River, and "marr" referred to the mist that sometimes settled over the Birrarung. This area was historically used for railway lines and yards in 1856. In 2000, construction of the park began and opened in 2002. The park now hosted a variety of native flora, sculpted terraces, pedestrian and bicycle paths, and was used for numerous events and festivals throughout the year. ArtPlay, a children's art center and gallery was also located on the site. Lastly, pedestrian bridges (William Barak and Tanderrum, respectively) bookend the park. Would we marvel at this public open space along the Birrarung!? PURCHASE Unless you took a river cruise, dined at a nearby eatery, or did some shopping, there were no direct ways to spend money towards the Birrarung Marr - 'nuff said. SERVICE I saw a few supposed city employees who cleaned and took care of the surrounding area. Otherwise, there wasn't anything else directly related to the Birrarung Marr - 'nuff said. PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance) There appeared to be a decent amount of parking on all surrounding streets (please note any posted signs), onsite parking at the nearby Federation Square, and of course the wonderful public transportation such as the tram system which we conveniently took and then walked the rest of the way - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE As previously mentioned, this was a completely exposed outdoor area with several art sculptors https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=jFWhi7YvYd0e2r9VU2S85A while the park was decorated in Christmas cheer https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=2k72ZA4tgRzz1XZmFCJdSQ and a beautiful downtown city view https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=eBa5d7pRaKR0QezOOy6M7Q just across the river. Obviously, there was plenty of natural lighting (duh!) while the night stars and electric business and street lights, respectively, filled in the rest. There weren't any TVs while the sounds of construction, conversations, motorized vehicles, and more were heard in the background. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=ch5R0TpstGK_nVzKB0Cw1Q ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Birrarung Marr was a pleasant surprise to had come upon, and it was a relaxing time as we walked from one end to the other before we left on our next adventure. I was a huge fan of public open spaces used for multiple purposes that invited people to feel comfortable, safe, and offered other options such as places to dine or simply people-watch. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $0.00AUD / $0.00USD BEFORE any discounts/tip). And, although there wasn't anything directly you could've paid for to the park, my credit card of choice was accepted at nearly all of the surrounding businesses... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

Located downtown near the Yarra River, this park area provides quiet, serenity, and the ability to…read morebike, run, or walk the pathways. Rod Laver Arena and the Melbourne Cricket Grounds are conveniently located within a few minutes from this location. There are shops, vendors, and restaurants neaby to take advantage of. The city of Melbourne do a great service with this public park.