Carlton has one of the largest concentrations of Victorian houses in Melbourne. Its shady wide streets and squares of restored terraces can make you forget you are within walking distance of a modern city.
Lygon Street in Carlton is like stepping into Little Italy, which the locals actually call it. Take a window table or one on the sidewalk. Order a plate of homemade pasta and a bottle of fine Victorian shiraz.
In the northern section of Carlton is the Melbourne Zoo.
The Melbourne Zoo was the first zoo in Australia and you can still see some of the original features such as Australian and foreign trees, landscaped gardens and a few restored Victorian era cages.
Today the zoo prides itself on making enclosures as large as possible to display animals in their natural habitat.
A feature of the zoo is the people cage, which is an enclosed bridge, through the lions enclosure.
Walk through the steamy tropical hothouse while a magnificent collection of colourful Australian butterflies flit about.
Many other enclosures are kept so natural that humans gaze into the environment from small windowed galleries.
