Melbourne and Victoria news and events

Melbourne and Victoria news and events

Tourism Victoria 13 July 2009

COMING SOON IN MELBOURNE AND VICTORIA

For general information on visiting Melbourne and the Australian state of Victoria please go to www.visitmelbourne.com/uk and www.visitmelbourne.com/uk-tv

New flights for Melbourne

Melbourne has been announced as Qatar Airways' first destination in Australia. Qatar Airways flights to Melbourne will launch on 6 December 2009. The airline will begin operating three weekly services from its hub in Doha, which will become daily early in 2010. The new operation will connect travellers from Australia to the United Kingdom with a one-stop service and a planned one-hour connection time in Doha.

Melbourne has also had increased airline capacity in the past few months: Etihad Airways started serving the city in March, Emirates added a third daily flight in February and Air Asia X began flying to Melbourne at the end of last year. Coming up, Richard Branson's V Australia is scheduled to start operating flights from Melbourne in September 2009.

Australia's largest hotel to open in Melbourne in early 2010

A spectacular new hotel is about to make its mark in Melbourne - Crown Metropol will be Australia's largest hotel - yet it promises to be distinctive, fresh, vibrant and unmistakably modern. Located opposite the brand new Melbourne Exhibition Centre, the 658-room hotel features a wave-like shape in a striking futuristic design. The stunning podium entry will prominently feature a bluestone, diamond shaped pattern in the floor of the lobby, while all hotel rooms will have a Manhattan, boutique style feel. Crown Metropol will also be home to Melbourne's only sky-high day spa and relaxation floor on level 27, while on the top floor the 28 Sky Bar is expected to become a favourite city oasis.Crown Metropol will also have its own exclusive restaurant offering: the much-anticipated Gordon Ramsay's Maze restaurant, the chef's first venture in Australia. www.crownmetropol.com.au

CELEBRITY SPOTTING

Lily Allen is set to appear in Neighbours in November Lily Allen is set to check in to Ramsay Street to film a special guest appearance while she is on tour in Melbourne this month. The singer has accepted an invitation from studio bosses to guest-star on the Brit-favourite Australian soap and will be appearing alongside Mark Werkmeister (aka Zeke Kinski). She will star as herself, however it has not been revealed yet whether she will be showing off her vocal talents onscreen or not.
Currently shown on channels Five and Fiver, Melbourne-filmed Neighbours is one of the highest-rating daytime programmes in the UK. British viewers will have to wait until November to see Lily Allen's scenes, as the UK channels are currently 45 episodes (9 weeks) behind Australia.
www.neighbours.five.tv/news

James Nesbitt filming in Melbourne for new film Love and Mortar due out in 2010 Melbourne will be the backdrop for James Nesbitt's new feature film. The British actor is currently filming in the city, where he has often been spotted in Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD).
Shooting is planned to last six weeks.Temporarily titled Love And Mortar, the movie is a dramatic love story about a woman struggling with her son's illness and her husband's infidelity; Nesbitt plays an Irish sailor whose chance encounter with the mother of the sick boy turns her life upside down. The film will premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival next year and is scheduled for a late 2010 release.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

Mornington Peninsula Pinot Week - 3-11 October 2009

Visit the Peninsula when renowned Pinot producers and top regional chefs get together for a week's celebration of Australian Pinot Noir. The event will showcase the depth and breadth of Mornington Peninsula's famous Pinot wines and visitors can sample special vintages with the winemakers themselves, as well as enjoy perfectly matched food experiences. www.mpva.com.au

Melbourne International Arts Festival - 9-25 October 2009

Renowned as Australia's cultural capital, Melbourne has embraced this Festival with such passion that it is now the country's greatest annual arts festival.
From theatre and dance to visual arts, opera and music, the Festival has consistently delivered since 1986 a programme of top international and Australian performers to enthusiastic audiences. www.melbournefestival.com.au

Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix - 16-18 October 2009

A three-day festival of speed and entertainment, every October the picturesque Phillip Island becomes the setting for some of the most fierce and close battles in motorbike racing. This year the circuit celebrates its 20th anniversary since it first hosted the international version of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. www.motogp.com.au

The Melbourne Cup - 3 November 2009

Billed as 'the race that stops a nation' -and a public holiday for Melburnians- the Melbourne Cup is the richest and most prestigious two-mile handicap in the world, attracting more than 100,000 every year. The prestigious Fashions on the Field, in search of the most stylishly dressed women in Australia, draws as much attention as the race itself. www.melbournecup.com

 

Tourism Victoria case studies

Regional Promotions – Your Australian holiday starts here

for Tourism Victoria Winter 2009

As part of our integrated campaign to position Melbourne as the gateway to Australia, we needed to reach a regional audience to promote the accessibility from regional airports with our airline and trade partner.

Coming soon

for Tourism Victoria

Tourism Victoria news