Ringwood is synonymous with the Cadbury production factory that is located in this suburb. Eastland Shopping Center is another dominant landmark in Ringwood. It was completed in 1967 and it houses car parks, a cinema complex and a floor with shopping outlets and restaurants. Its major tenant is the Myer Stores. ConnectEast has its home here as well.

Ringwood is designated to be a transit city. It is a major gateway from the city’s central business district to the Yarra Valley. This has not been fully realized since the Brumby Labor Government did not approve all the plans to construct a new transport hub in the center of Ringwood.

There are several entertainment facilities in Melbourne some of which include;

• Ringwood Aquatic Centre.
• Croydon Leisure and Aquatic Centre.
• Maroondah Indoor Sports Centre.
• Ringwood Public Golf Course.
• Proclamation Park
• Jubilee Park
• Dorset Golf Course.
• Croydon Memorial Pool.

One unique characteristic of this suburb is the squeezed, rectangular nature of the narrow and medium streets. There are also very many back lanes.

Fitzroy is lucky to have two of the purported major activity centers in the Melbourne 2030 Metropolitan Strategy. These two commercial centers are Brunswick Street and Smith Street.

Fitzroy was named after the governor of New South Wales between 1846 and 1855 who was Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy.

Some of the landmarks in this suburb are:

• The Old Tramways sheds which have a historical significance in this suburb.
• The Champion Hotel which is designed in a unique Edwardian format.
• The Moran and Cato Warehouse is also another landmark that is an architectural awe in Melbourne.

During the colonial times, specifically the Edwardian and the Victorian eras, St. Kilda took shape as a suburb of the high and the mighty. Fine palatial homes were built along the waterfront and on the hillsides of this beautiful suburb.

In the 20^th century, things took and interesting turn, the population of St Kilda grew considerably and it became very densely populated. Low cost homes started mushrooming and before long the once very magnificent St. Kilda became a red light district.

Many subcultures had their home in St. Kilda, the low lives and those who would previously not have been roaming around this suburb resided here. It is interesting to note that the other suburb that has a similar story to St. Kilda is the Coney Island in New York city.

In recent years St. Kilda has gained the development mileage it had lost and slowly pushing out the lower socio- economic groups out of the suburb.

There are many remarkable landmarks in St. Kilda that are major tourist attractions.

Some of them include;

• Luna Park: this is the most popular in St. Kilda. It is an amusement park with a moonface entry. There are also historic scenic railways in this park.
• St. Kilda Pier: this is a historical building that is of high cultural significance to the people of Melbourne. It is an Edwardian building that is similar to English pier pavilions.
• St. Kilda Beach: For the water lovers this is the place to be. Swimmers, sunbathers, watersporters all converge at this beach. It has in the past been criticized greatly by locals and tourists for its pollution. This is however being corrected and the people of Melbourne and the authorities alike are making deliberate efforts to clean up this beach.
• St. Kilda Sea Baths/ South Pacific: It is a Moorish themed building which was built in the 1920s which is used for sea baths.
• Acland Street is also another popular place in St. Kilda for its cake shops and cafes.
• St Kilda Town Hall: this iconic building which has a very interesting design, it looks like an open book.

That is St. Kilda in a nutshell, a sure place to visit should you be in Melbourne.

Docklands in Melbourne is part of the CBD expansion which is due for completion about 2015. most of the activity in the Docklands takes place around the banks of Yarra River.

Some of the remarkable landmarks in Docklands include the Etihad Stadium, the Southern Star Observation Wheel and the Southern Cross Station.

A little history of Docklands

The Melbourne Docklands goes back in the 1800s. it was initially a center for docks, and railway center. However with the advancing of the industry towards containerization of especially of the ship cargo, the docks fell out. These facilities remained unused through the 1980s. In the 1900s however there was a twist of events, it became an entertainment center, with underground rave dance. This is what gave the Docklands its life back. A strong dance culture was developed here and popular events were also organized and held in the Docklands Stadium.

There is a stadium in Melbourne that was constructed to trigger investor interest in Docklands which was known as the Colonial Stadium. Besides this a renewal of the Docklands began which included construction of a wide open water promenades. Great landscaping added to this would definitely give the Melbourne Docklands new life. True to this, Docklands today is a tourist hub with more than 20 million visitors every year.

There are a few buildings that were maintained in the Docklands despite the make over. These buildings are those of industrial and maritime historical importance. Some of the original buildings have been maintained for the purposes of preserving the history of this area.

From an abandoned place, its almost unbelievable that the Docklands has become one of the most sort out business address. Some of the financial giants such as National Australia Bank, ANZ, Ericsson, among others have their HQ s in the Docklands.

Southbank goes back many many years, it was initially part of the Southbank, with time the population and the development of this suburb grew. Though a little refurbished Southbank’s buildings still retain many of the heritage buildings especially towards the end of St. Kilda Road. There are also some warehouses and wharfs that give Southbank a very authentic feel.

One of the most famous features in Southbank is the Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct. It is a collection of a shopping center, eating outlets and entertainment joints. In Southbank you will also get to see the sculpture Ophelia by Deborah Halpern, which is the big Y symbol (representing Melbourne) that stands at Bear Brass café.

The wonders of Southbank do not end there as you head on along the Yarra River you get to iconic Crown Casino one place which is a must visit for every visitor in Melbourne. The Queenbridge Precinct and the Queensbridge Square, you will find them in Southbank. The tall Eureka Tower is also found here, among other sky crappers. It is important to note that Southbank is also a highly residential area.

We are not done with Southbank just yet, on the eastern end are very authentic arts centers including the famous Victorian Arts Center and the National Gallery which are along the St. Kilda Road. On the west are the James Bond Store which goes as back as 1888.

In a nutshell the  heritage of Southbank is summed up by the Southbank’s promenade. It was designed by architects Denton Corker Marshall. It runs from Princes Bridge street and Queensbridge Square and to the west od the Bridge is the Yarra Promenade which runs underneath Kings Way and Kings Bridge to Claredon Street. The Crown Entertainment Complex is also part of the promenade. There is also an arts market every Sunday that is part of the promenade.

That is what Southbank has to offer in brief, a suburb worth visiting.

Little facts about Melbourne airport that are worth noting are listed as follows;
• It is the hub for Qantas and Virgin Blue airlines
• Jetstar Airways and Tiger Airways Australia have their home base in Melbourne Airport.
• Melbourne- Sydney is the 3rd most traveled passenger air route in the world, and is the second in the Asia Pacific region.
• Melbourne Airport is the busiest airport for international export freight.
• It is the second busiest import freight in the whole of Australia.
• It serves as the headquarters for Australian air Express and Toll Priority.
• Melbourne is the one airport that handles more domestic flight than any other airport in Australia.
• According to Skytrax(an airline consultancy company) Melbourne airport is a four star airport.
• There are four classes of terminals in Melbourne airport; an international terminal, two domestic terminals and one budget domestic terminal.
• Melbourne Airport has two intersecting runways: a 3,657 meters (12,000 ft) North-South runway and a 2,286 meters (7,500 ft).
In a nutshell that is Melbourne International Airport.

Some of the land marks that are found in Albert park are such as:
• Albert Park: this is the actual site of the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. It was formerly known as the South Park.
• St. Vincent Gardens. This is a great development spot in Victoria whose model is similar to models in London.
• Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Center: this is a large swimming center which has been host to commonwealth games squach, diving and swimming events.
• BridPort Street: this is a street where Albert Park’s finest live. It is a street of sophistication and class.
• Victoria Avenue: there are very exotic and classy cafes, restaurants and boutiques for the shopping lovers, this is the place to be in while you are in Albert Park.
• Kerferd Road: this is a remarkable road known for its great boulevard of elm trees with a reserve that rested on either side by a peculiar eclectic semi detached Edwardian homes.
• Beaconsfield Parade: this is the main link between St. Kilda and Port Melbourne which runs along the Port of Phillip Bay. On its edges are the great buildings and terrace homes.
• Victoria Hotel: this is a hotel that is located in Beaconsfield. It was formerly known as the Coffee Palace. It houses a café and apartments as well.
• Andrew’s Hamburgers: this is a place that is popular for its very delicious hamburgers. It is a place that goes as back as 1957.
• Kerferd Kiosk: this is a pavilion that is Edwardian, and an icon that is also popular in Albert Park.
• Kerferd Pier: this is mainly used for fishing. It ends the Kerferd Road and is a link into the Port Phillip Bay. There are sharks that are occasionally spotted here.

Melbourne’s central business district has most of the city’s important institutions and landmarks. The National Gallery, the Federation Square, Flinders Street Stations, the Royal Botanical Gardens, are some of the major landmarks that are in the CBD.

Melbourne is a city known for its unique contemporary and Victorian architecture and art. It is also a city known for its multicultural nature. There are large parks in Melbourne.

Melbourne has played host to some very major and historical events. It was in Melbourne that the first Parliament of Australia had its first sitting. Some of the international events that have been hosted in Melbourne are World Economic Forum in 2000, the Summer Olympics in 1956, and the G20 Summit in 2000.

Melbourne’s CBD is the financial center. Most of the financial institutions in Victoria have their headquarters in Melbourne’s Headquarters. However as the CBD becomes more and more congested some of the giants such as ANZ Bank or the AXA Asia Pacific are moving their offices to the nearby areas such as Southbank.

The population of Melbourne Central Business District is a little over 20,000 according to the census carried out in 2006. Although it is the most developed area in Melbourne, it has a very low population. Most of the people who live in the CBD are young urban professionals and the business people who are basically in the middle class and mainly live in apartments.
The Melbourne City Centre is the transport hub of the city. Trams go down the streets of Flinders, Collins, Bourke Spencer Street, Market Street, Elizabeth Street, Swanston Street, Spring Street, Swan Street and St Kilda Road and Latrobe. The super-stops for the trams are several along the streets of in Flinders Street, Collins Street, Swanston Street and Bourke Street mall.
There are taxi termini in the CBD as well. For those who love to ride there are bicycle trails lead to the CBD and a main bicycle path down Swanston Street.

With other places such as Chinatown where you can get a feel of the Chinese aspect of Melbourne, and the Collins street that is home to the most exclusive boutiques where you can do your shopping, the Rydges is a good choice for people visiting Melbourne.

Other attractions that are accessible from the Rydges are such as the National Tennis Centre, Fitzroy Gardens, and the National Gallery and Arts Complex,

There are 363 rooms that have great in room facilities such as tea or coffee facilities, a mini bar and a Tv. There is also a rooftop heated pool and sauna where you can relax while at the Rydges.

The guest facilities at the Rydges are listed as follows.
• Conference Facilities
• In-room Modem Access
• Internet Facilities
• Money Exchange
• Room Service
• Non-smoking rooms
• 24-Hour Reception
• Disabled Facilities
• Pool
• Laundry Service
• Business Centre
• Parking
• Ensuite Rooms
• Minibar in rooms
• High Speed & Secure
• Internet Access
• Rydges Dream Beds
• Non-smoking Hotel
It is located on 186 Exhibition Street Melbourne, Victoria 3000

Looking for sophistication, convenience and warmth while in Melbourne Rydges is the way to go.