The Melbourne Aquarium is situated on the Yarra River banks, near the King Street Bridge and the Flinders Street Viaduct, in the city’s Central Business District. It was opened in 2000 and hosts over ten thousand marine animals from over five hundred different species. The building was designed by a local architecture firm to bear a resemblance of a ship moored to the river, although most of the building is actually underground. The exhibits are split into four worlds: the “Antarctic” exhibit, “Weird and Wonderful”, “River to Reef” and finally, “Sharks Alive”.
Visitors can start off at the Antarctic exhibit, home to Gentoo and King Penguins. The area is full of interactive displays that contain interesting information on the frozen continent. There is also a massive replica of famed Antarctic icebreaker, the Nella Dan, which has special viewing areas. At “Weird and Wonderful”, one will come across some of the oceans’ strangest denizens. The colourful exhibit contains clownfish, sea dragons and lionfish. “River to Reef” also contains a number of strange sea creatures brought from various parts of the world. “Sharks Alive” is housed in the aquarium’s massive Oceanarium. Visitors can walk around the gigantic tank and watch dangerous-looking sharks, gentle tortoises and giant stingrays.
The aquarium is open from 9.30 am to 6 pm everyday including public holidays. Ticket prices vary with special packages available for families. The Melbourne Aquarium is easily accessible by public transport. For those coming by train, the aquarium is only a short walk from both the Southern Cross and Flinders train stations. One can also get there by the City Circle Tram or the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle, both of which are free.
Melbourne is the capital of the Australian state of Victoria. It was founded in 1835, nearly fifty years after the settlement of Australia, and has grown to become the second most populous city in the country. The city has quite a number of tourist attractions. Tourists can reduce their travel time by finding Melbourne accommodation in a central location. The Langham Melbourne enjoys a convenient location overlooking the Yarra River and is one of the best Melbourne hotels around. Offering excellent amenities it is sure to make guests feel at home.
