Social activities

The conference is the beginning of your stay!

Melbourne is a diverse and exciting city. The local organising committee will be arranging a range of social events and activities, including a conference dinner and other cultural tours and site-seeing opportunities.

Discover places to explore, activities to do, and much more below.

In and around Melbourne

Places to visit

  • University of Melbourne - Self Guided Tour

    Visitors to campus can download a self-guided walking tour map which provides you with a plotted history of campus architecture and other landscape features. The tour takes about an hour to complete.

  • National Gallery of Victoria

    The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in the Melbourne CBD on the bank of the Yarra River. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest, largest, and most visited art museum. With a range of permanent and traveling exhibits, the NGV is a must-see for anybody visiting Melbourne.

  • Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

    Opened in 1846, The Royal Botanic Gardens displays roughly 8,500 different species of plant. Roughly 46 hectares in size, this expansive garden features sprawling lawns, lakes, and an array of native and flora. Bring a picnic lunch and soak up the scenery, take advantage of the BBQs provided or visit one of the gardens cafes.

  • Luna Park Melbourne

    Luna Park Melbourne is a historic amusement park located on the foreshore of Port Phillip Bay in St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria. It opened on 13 December 1912, with a formal opening a week later, and has been operating almost continuously ever since.

  • The Queen Victoria Market

    Visit the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere covering roughly seven hectares. Sample a wide variety of fresh, quality produce, food trucks, and stalls. Open at night on Wednesdays.

  • The Australian Centre for the Moving Image

    The Australian Centre for the Moving Image is Australia’s national museum of film, video games, digital culture, and art situated in the heart of Melbourne at Federation Square.

  • Sea Life Melbourne

    Sea Life Melbourne offers an interactive ocean adventure, showcasing aquatic life from the Southern Ocean and Arctic Seas. Broken up into 12 different zones with each reflecting a different theme this facility also showcases a variety of talks and presentations.

  • Melbourne Zoo

    The Melbourne Zoo is Australia’s oldest zoo opening in 1862. It includes more than 320 species from Australia and around the world and offers a range of interactive experiences and shows for visitors to engage with animals.

Film & Theatre

  • The Astor Theatre

    The Astor Theatre is a single-screen movie theatre showing classic and modern films. Considerd one of Australia’s last remaining art deco theatres, the cinema is heritage listed.

  • The Melbourne Theatre Company

    The Melbourne Theatre Company is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia founded in 1953. Producing an annual mainstage season of 12 plays, this theatre features an impressive interior and a wide range of talented performances. Plays run by the Melbourne Theatre Company show in a variety of Theatres around Melbourne. Check locations when you book.

  • Cinema Nova

    Cinema Nova is an arthouse movie theatre connected to a terrace cocktail bar and offering in-cinema dining. The cinema screens stage productions and offers a range of independent and foreign-language films.

Outside of Melbourne

Places to visit

  • Art Gallery of Ballarat

    The Art Gallery of Ballarat is the oldest regional art gallery in Australia. The collection is composed of over 11 200 works from the eighteenth century to the present day. Ballarat is 1.5 hours by train from Melbourne.

  • Healesville Sanctuary

    Healesville Sanctuary is a zoo specialising in native Australian animals. It is located at Healesville, about 1 hour drive from Melbourne. Here you can experience an exclusive encounter with some of Australia's iconic fauna, including  the platypus.

  • Wilsons Promontory National Park

    A three-hour drive from Melbourne, Wilsons Prom is the southernmost tip of mainland Australia. Here you can walk remote coastal trails, swim at pristine beaches dominated by granite tors, or camp in Australian bushland. You might also meet some of the local wombats, kangaroos and emus.

  • The Great Ocean Road

    The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 240-kilometre stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. The start of the Great Ocean Road is a 1.5 hour drive from Melbourne.

  • Phillip Island

    Phillip Island is 90 minutes from Melbourne and offers unique wildlife experiences including the penguin parade, beaches, attractions and eateries.

  • Daylesford and Hepburn Springs

    Located in Victoria's spa country about 1.5 hours from Melbourne, Dayelfsord and Hepburn Springs are known as havens of relaxation. In addition to bathing in mineral springs and receiving spa treatments, the area is known for high-quality produce, which you can enjoy at one of Daylesford's top restaurants.