Active Pursuits

Balooning

Balloon Sunrise (tel. 1800/992 105 in Australia, or 03/9730 2422; fax 03/9730 2433; www.hotairballooning.com.au), offers flights over the city plus a champagne breakfast at the Langham Hotel afterward. Dawn flights cost A$345 (US$311/£155) for adults, and A$240 (US$216/£108) for children ages 6 to 12. Hotel pickup (but not drop-off) is included. Reservations are essential.

Biking

Extensive bicycle paths wind through the city and suburbs. For details on popular routes, pick up a copy of Bike Rides Around Melbourne, by Julia Blunden (Open Spaces Publishing), which has 37 great rides with good directions and clear maps. Bike Paths Victoria also has some good maps of rides around Melbourne and Victoria. You can buy both books from Bicycle Victoria, Level 10, 446 Collins St., Melbourne (tel. 1800/639 634 in Australia, or 03/9636 8888; www.bv.com.au); it is also worth checking our their website, which is a font of information. Bicycle Victoria runs several major cycling tours throughout the state every year.

Real Melbourne Bike Tours (tel. 0417/339 203 mobile phone; www.rentabike.net.au) can help you find your bearings and discover some of hidden Melbourne . . . the back streets and bluestone lanes, markets, cafes, arcades, and bike paths. Run by journalist Murray Johnson, the tours are fun and interesting. The cost is A$89 (US$80/£40) adults and A$69 (US$62/£31) children ages 10 to 18, including bike hire, helmet, half-day guided tour, drinks, and snacks. Tours leave at 10am (or other times by arrangement) from Rentabike at Federation Square and return around 2pm. You'll stop along the way for coffee and cake and lunch. Tours can be customized to suit your needs. Bookings are essential.

Golf

One of the best public golf courses in Australia is Yarra Bend, Yarra Bend Road, Fairfield (tel. 03/9481 3729). Greens fees A$24 (US$22/£11) Monday to Friday, A$25 (US$23/£11) Saturday and Sunday; juniors pay A$11 (US$9.90/£4.95). Club rental is an extra A$25 (US$23/£11) for a full set and A$15 (US$14/£6.75) for a half set.

The exclusive Royal Melbourne Golf Club (tel. 03/9598 6755; www.royalmelbourne.com.au), in the suburb of Black Rock, 24km (15 miles) from the city center, is rated as one of the world's 10 best golf courses. If you have a letter of introduction from your golf club at home, a handicap of under 26 for men and 32 for women, and don't mind the A$375 (US$338/£169) greens fee for overseas visitors, you might be able to get a round. Club hire is A$50 (US$45/£23).

For more information on golf in Victoria, contact the Victorian Golf Association, 15 Bardolph St., Burwood (tel. 03/9889 6731; www.golfvic.org.au).

Tennis

The venue for the Australian Open, the Melbourne Park National Tennis Centre, on Batman Avenue (tel. 1300/836 647 in Australia, or 03/9286 1244; www.mopt.com.au), is a great place to play. When tournaments are not scheduled, its 22 outdoor courts (including the show courts) and seven indoor courts are open to the public. You can rent courts Monday through Friday from 7am to 11pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm. Charges range from A$26 to A$40 (US$23-US$36/£12-£18) per hour, depending on the court and time (outdoor courts are cheapest). Show courts 1, 2, and 3 are for rent at the same prices. Rackets are available for hire.