Across the city, Melbourne's Christmas lights get bigger ... You can even snap a photo while sitting in Santa's sleigh and visit a Lego winter village. Aloma Avenue Christmas Lights.

The best times to visit Melbourne are between March and May and September and November. These shoulder seasons feature moderate temperatures and tourist crowds, plus lower airfare rates.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Kaeli Conforti covers solo, family and budget travel, and travel news.

From city to reef, wine country to wild outback, here are the best places to visit in Australia ... and affordable flight (think $250) from Melbourne or Sydney to its hub and state capital ...

In no particular order, here are the best places to visit in Australia. Some of these locations have links to previous CNN Travel articles if you want to dig into the details. Australia’s ...

Keep scrolling to see why. Melbourne straddles the scenic Yarra River, making it a prime spot for water sports, boating, and city views. Source: Melbourne Water It has the largest gambling center ...

making St Kilda a fun place to stop for a visit. Set up for a day or two in the Cosmopolitan Hotel, a stylish little stop-off round the corner from all the action. Melbourne’s alternative side ...

Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, LA Weekly, Saveur, Bon Appétit, and Good Food Australia, among others. There are moments in Melbourne, when you're ...