Fitzroy Gardens and Captain Cook's Cottage, Melbourne (must see)

On the southeastern edge of Melbourne’s Central Business District, the city suddenly exhales—with 64 acres of Fitzroy Gardens opening up like a green antidote to downtown hustle. Laid out back in 1848 and named after the then Governor of New South Wales, Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy, these Victorian-era gardens come packed with an ornamental lake, a glass conservatory, a miniature Tudor village, and one very well-travelled cottage.

That cottage, Cooks’ Cottage, began life in 1755 in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, England, where Captain James Cook’s parents built it long before anyone imagined it would one day cross the globe. In 1933, the cottage was taken apart brick by brick, packed into 253 cases and 40 barrels, and shipped to Melbourne aboard the cargo vessel Port Dunedin. Even the ivy tagging along today comes from cuttings of the original plant—proof that homesickness isn’t just for people... Though Cook may or may not have ever lived in this cottage himself, it now holds the title of Australia’s oldest standing building, which is quite a twist for something that started life on the other side of the world.

Restored in 1978, the house now sits inside a cottage garden, with antiques and costumed guides offering a glimpse into 18th-century domestic life—no electricity, no smartphones, and other technical delights of today...

Indeed, Melbourne likes to call itself Australia’s garden city, and Fitzroy Gardens is its strongest argument. Long, tree-lined paths, fountains, sculptures, and the Spanish mission-style conservatory (housing impressive floral displays) create a calm inner-city retreat where your biggest decision is whether to linger in the sun or keep exploring.

For a quick break, the KereKere Café by the visitor centre has you covered. Most visitors stay under an hour, but with sunshine, lawns, and picnic spots everywhere you look, stretching that into an afternoon feels entirely justified.