Three things to do in Melbourne this summer
WONDERING what to do with your time now that the exams are over? The summer months are a great time to explore Melbourne, and we’ve shortlisted three things you could do around town.
Disney Magic
Many of us would remember watching and singing along to Disney classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
Disney Studio Artists, Beauty and the Beast, 1991. Belle and Beast Dancing Reproduction of final film frame. Source: Walt Disney Animation Research Library Collection © Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Walt Disney began adapting fairy tales for animation in the 1920s, and from now until April 26, you can relive some of the magic with Dreams Come True, a Disney exhibition on show at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square.
Browse the archives of the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, including original concept art, story sketches, drawings, maquettes (preliminary models) and final frame cels (transparent sheets of celluloid used in the production of cartoons).
Merry Clingen and James Baxter, Beauty and the Beast, 1991. Belle and Beast Dancing Cleanup animation drawing: graphite and coloured-pencil on paper. Source: Walt Disney Animation Research Library Collection © Disney Enterprises, Inc.
An Australian exclusive, the exhibition features artworks from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Princess and the Frog, and Disney’s latest animated feature, Tangled.
The exhibition is open daily, and students can get in at a bargain for $12.
And if you’d like to see it all come to life, there’s still time to catch Mary Poppins on show till February at Her Majesty’s Theatre (199-219 Exhibition St). Tickets range from $30 to $150.
Now, how do you say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious again?
Chill out
Stay cool this summer and head to Dockland’s Icehouse (105 Pearl River Rd). The world-class ice sports and entertainment venue opened its doors earlier this year, and contains two Olympic-sized ice rinks, stadium seating for up to 1000 people, and a specialist winter sports gym.
Icehouse: the centre features two Olympic-sized ice skating rinks, stadium seating for 1000 people, a gym, cafe and bar.
The skating rink has been transformed into the “North Pole of Melbourne” for Christmas, and “pond hockey” is back for those raring to shoot some pucks. Icehouse provides skates, pucks, ice-hockey helmets and sticks, and all sessions are supervised.
General skating is divided into “sessions”, which take place at set times throughout the week for skaters of all ages and abilities, and includes special sessions like ice-dancing, music-video nights and live DJ sets. Tickets are half-price on Tuesdays. Skating lessons are also available.
The Harbour Town Christmas on Ice Show will run from December 2 to 24.
A two-hour pond hockey session is $25 or an additional $10 on top of a general skating session which costs $21 (concession) including skate hire.
Or, if you prefer to sit back and watch other people bust some moves instead, you can catch the Harbour Town Christmas on Ice shows running from December 2 to 24. American figure-skating champion Johnny Weir will be performing from December 2 to 4 in the first four shows.
Night Markets
And finally, there are the night markets which are a Melbourne summer tradition.
The Suzuki Night Market at Queen Victoria Market attracts thousands of visitors every year. Held every Wednesday from 5.30-10.30pm until March 2, there’s plenty to see, hear, taste and do.
Make your way around the more than 30 food stalls open and tuck into food from all around the world, including Indian, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Spanish, Dutch and Middle Eastern. And there’s stuff to take home – bottles of chutneys, mustards, olive oils, or blocks of fudge make good festive gifts.
Australia’s renown for its wine, so don’t miss sampling wine from Victoria’s regional vineyards. There are three fully licensed bars at the market – so you can order a glass, or surprise mum and dad with a bottle for dinner.
And no market is complete without shopping, shopping, shopping – so go nuts poring over everything from clothing and jewelry through to original prints and plants from the more than 130 stalls.
The best part is, you can be entertained while you eat, drink and shop with live bands playing from two stages at the market.