For some, there is nothing more exciting than making the annual pilgrimage down to Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final. The city is bursting with excitement and anticipation for Saturday’s big event. There are plenty of other fantastic things that you can do in Melbourne this Grand Final long weekend.

Here are three fun activities that will get you out of the CBD and exploring Melbourne.

Visit the Royal Melbourne Show

The Royal Melbourne Show is on again for another year. Located at the Melbourne Showgrounds in Flemington, the show is bursting with rides, entertainment, delicious food, farm animals and, of course, show bags. This Grand Final long weekend is the last chance to see the Royal Melbourne Show All Breeds Championship Show, so head on down to watch the best dogs in the country strut their stuff.

See the cherry blossoms in the Yarra Valley

Spend an afternoon in the Yarra Valley at the annual Cherryhill Orchards Blossom Festival. For two weekends in spring, Cherryhill Orchards hosts an event to celebrate the blooming of their beautiful cherry blossom trees. What could be more relaxing than wandering through a field of bright pink cherry blossoms? There are also many food trucks at the festival, so you can eat a delicious meal under the shade of the blossom trees. Cherryhill Orchards is only an hour out of Melbourne.

Spend a day at the Werribee Open Range Zoo

When you visit Melbourne, you can’t go past the Werribee Open Range Zoo for a fun day out. This massive 223-hectare sanctuary is home to many different animals from Australia and around the world, including emus, koalas, rhinos, zebras and lions. What makes this even more remarkable is that the Werribee Open Range Zoo is just 30 minutes south-west of Melbourne’s CBD.

Pictured is the Werribee Open Range Zoo. Image Credit: Visit Victoria.

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