The Inner East Melbourne area is one of the world’s great sporting areas and hosts just about every major sporting competition in the country. Sitting majestically in the centre of the sporting hub is the Melbourne Cricket Ground or the MCG where you can watch Australian Rules Football in the winter months and International cricket matches in the summer with crowds in excess of 100,000 people.
Sitting alongside the MCG is Melbourne and Olympic Parks. This incredible area incorporates 3 arenas’ a stadium and a function centre. Melbourne Park plays host to the Australian Tennis Open, one of the 4 tennis grand slam events, every January. The main matches are played at Rod Laver Arena, one of the busiest arena’s in the World, where apart from the tennis, it hosts regular major concerts and events. The other 2 arenas’ also host major concerts and events as well as regular National Basketball, Netball and other sports. Aami Park is the stadium and is home to Melbourne’s A-League Football (Soccer) teams, the NRL Melbourne storm and ARU Melbourne Rebels Rugby teams.
If you want more sport you will find the National Sports Museum housed in the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The area around this sporting mecca contains numerous parks and gardens and lies along the edge of the Yarra River. On the fringe on the Melbourne City Centre you will find the tranquil Fitzroy Gardens and in its midst the heritage Cook’s Cottage. This is the actual house where Captain James Cooks parents lived and it was transported and reconstructed in its current location.