Australian Open, Melbourne

If your in Melbourne in January, make sure you go to the Australian Open, just for the experience. For us english its cheap compared to our expensive Open.
Ground passes are $29.00 which gives you access to all courts except Rod Laver.
Easy to meet players. In 2007 tournament i have met Hewitt, Murray and Woodbridge.
Trams are free on the days.

This is one of my favourite things to do. At the tennis, you also get a chance to get up close and personal with your favourite tennis stars! And if your lucky, you might bump into some other celebs too! Autograph sessions are held daily, and you can also take the chance to go out to the practice courts, and watch your favourite tennis player practice, and get some very close pictures of them there too.

If you can bear the heat, this is a must do if you're a tennis fan.
Ground passes are available for the day, which allows entry into any of the outside courts and the main matches are shown on a big screen on a lawn outside.
If you want to see the big names on the centre court, you must have a reservation. I think the booking office is called Ticketek.

Aside from the fact that there is the opportunity to meet huge tennis fans, there are activities during the week such as practicing your serve with Mark Philipoussis etc. And all the nutters come out for the tennis - the Swedish ppl come in droves with their painted faces and chants, the Dutch bring cowbells and then you have ppl impersonating Anna Kournikova (often men) and others.

If you're in Melbourne in January there's one thing you can't miss out on: the Australian Open tennis championships. It starts on the third Monday of the month and lasts for two weeks.

The tennis complex consists of two main stadiums (Rod Laver Arena, centre court with a capacity of 15.000 people, and Vodafone Arena, the second biggest stadium for 10.00 spectators), three smaller stadiums and 19 other courts.

The atmosphere is always great and it's cheap to get access to the courts (AU$25 for a ground pass which gives access to all courts except centre court).

Even you're not into tennis it's still a must to go. It shows how crazy the Ozzies are about sports and how positive and laidback they all are.

If you walk along the Yarra River, you will pass the Rod Laver Arena/Melbourne Park. This is the park where the Australian Open Tennis is. Really great to be there.