Fitzroy Gardens and Cooks' Cottage

Fitzroy Gardens are the most charming of the parks that ring Melbourne's city centre, a short walk east of Parliament House in East Melbourne. Laid out in the nineteenth century, their main paths are famously arranged in a pattern resembling the Union Jack, lined with magnificent old elms that form green tunnels in summer and turn gold in autumn. The gardens are free and open around the clock, and they hold an unusual collection of small attractions that make them more than a pleasant stroll. The best known is Cooks' Cottage, the eighteenth-century stone cottage built by the parents of Captain James Cook in Great Ayton, Yorkshire. It was dismantled, shipped to Melbourne and rebuilt in the gardens in 1934 for the city's centenary, complete with an English cottage garden. Inside, period furnishings and displays tell the story of the cottage and its journey; entry tickets are sold at the Fitzroy Gardens Visitor Centre nearby, which is also the place for maps and information. Cook's place in Australian history is contested, and the cottage has been a focus of debate and protest, so it is worth reading the displays with that in mind. Nearby, the Conservatory, a Spanish Mission-style glasshouse, puts on floral displays that change five times a year. The Fairies' Tree is a red gum stump carved by sculptor Ola Cohn with fairies, gnomes and Australian animals, a long-time favourite with children, and the Model Tudor Village is a miniature English village nestled among the flowerbeds. Fitzroy Gardens also link easily to the MCG via Yarra Park, to Treasury Gardens and Parliament House, and to the hotels of the eastern CBD, including Park Hyatt Melbourne.

A good loop starts at the Visitor Centre for a map, continues to Cooks' Cottage and its garden, then the Conservatory and the Fairies' Tree, and ends with the Model Tudor Village. Allow an hour for the highlights and longer if you want to sit under the elms with a coffee. The gardens are especially lovely in autumn, when the elm avenues turn yellow, and in spring, when the Conservatory and flowerbeds are at their best.

Getting there is simple. From the city, walk east along Collins Street or Flinders Street to Lansdowne Street, or catch a tram along Wellington Parade or Collins Street. Jolimont Station is at the south-eastern corner, and Parliament Station is a short walk to the west. On a match day at the MCG, the walk through Fitzroy Gardens and Yarra Park to the stadium is a classic Melbourne ritual.

For families, the Fairies' Tree, the Tudor Village and the open lawns make an easy, free outing. Couples will enjoy the elms and the quiet corners. Cooks' Cottage is a modest visit, best combined with the free gardens rather than treated as a main attraction; check hours at the Visitor Centre, as they can vary. The gardens are also a peaceful shortcut between the CBD and the MCG or the Melbourne Park tennis precinct.