Fun in the West

Where else can you pat a giraffe, explore a 140-year-old mansion and sip award-winning wines from the cellar door, all within two kilometres of each other?

The Werribee Park Tourism Precinct, just 30 minutes from the city centre, makes the perfect addition to a Melbourne visit.

The Werribee Open Range Zoo offers the opportunity to experience an African adventure, encountering the animals of the savannah. You’ll witness silverback gorillas, hippopotami and a pride of lions roaming its 200 hectares free from the confines usually associated with zoos.

While you’re there take a stroll through the magnificent grounds of Werribee Park Mansion. This 19th-century sheep graziers’ mansion, the expansive gardens and sculpture park are perfect for children and adults alike.

Just a few hundred metres away, Shadowfax Winery is one of the closest operating wineries to the city centre. A bottle of wine (or two) created from grapes grown at Werribee and other parts of Victoria is the perfect reminder of your visit to Melbourne’s west.

Lunchtime at the Park Hotel

12 Watton Street, Werribee

The Park Hotel is widely renowned as one of the best pubs in Melbourne’s west, and for good reason. Glorious food, an extensive list of craft beers and plenty of live music and other events make it a destination in itself, and the perfect lunch spot if you’re exploring the region.