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The Rotary International Convention is a family affair

Melbourne, the host city of the 2023 Rotary International Convention, offers activities for all ages and interests.

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Make the Rotary International Convention in Melbourne your next family trip. You’ll find activities for all ages and interests during your stay in Australia for the 27-31 May convention. Highlights include museums, an aquarium, an informative ship voyage, and a private tour of the zoo. 

The Museum of Play and Art opened last year with exhibits designed for ages 1 to 7, including a real car to paint and a playground that looks like tall city buildings. (Tip: The museum has been requiring advance reservations.)

Explore history, culture, and science at Melbourne Museum.

Photo credit: Eugene Hyland

At Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, watch fish and crocodile feedings and see sharks and rays up close. You can even suit up in snow gear and get onto the exhibit ice to mingle with penguins. And you can surround yourself (safely) with thousands of jellyfish in an immersive exhibit. 

Check out Rotary-organized family-friendly tours too. For the Tall Ships Experience, guests as young as 12 ride on the One and All ship, the craft that Australian teenagers learn on in the Youth Sailing Challenge through District 9510. You’ll sail from a wharf near the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre along the Yarra River toward Port Phillip Bay. You’ll learn about landmarks you float by, talk with the crew, and eat traditional Australian food. 

Rotary members and their friends and family can also sign up for a behind-the-scenes experience at the Melbourne Zoo. On the two-hour guided walking tour, you’ll visit koalas, kangaroos, and a wombat’s underground burrow. To browse tours and book your spot, visit rotarymelbourne2023.org/tours.

This story originally appeared in the February 2023 issue of Rotary magazine.

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