Optional Tours

ICMS Travel is an inbound tour operator specialising in a comprehensive range of Australian day tours and short holidays, especially suited to the international and inter-state visitor.
ICMS Travel has strong associations with leading tourism suppliers nationally, ensuring products are current, professional and sold to you at the recommended retail price. More information regarding additional tours and how to book will be added to the Congress website.

Colonial Tramcar Restaurant

Dining in Melbourne can be a fabulous experience, especially aboard the fleet of historical trams that have become The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. These glossy, burgundy restaurants on wheels are the first travelling tramcar restaurants in the world and ensure a delightful innovative approach to dining. As they cruise the scenic streets of Melbourne, diners can enjoy our fine cuisine and drink the very best of Australian wines or make a selection from our fully stocked bar at a fully inclusive price. The atmosphere is cosy, the service friendly and the decor as inviting as the colonial period these trams reflect.

Melbourne Sights

It's cosmopolitan and stylish - and this tour will show you why. Melbourne is a blend of heritage architecture, modern skyscrapers and contemporary designs. Add to this vibrant and some times chic cafes, cosmopolitan restaurants, colourful (sometimes brilliantly colourful) parklands and picturesque waterways. You will travel by touring coach with expert Aussie driver/guide. Some of the highlights will include the ultimate shopping strip of Collins Street, Federation Square (and you will want to come back here in your own time) - and the impressive Botanic Gardens and Fitzroy Gardens.

Healesville & Puffing Billy

Beyond the city marvel at spectacular views of lush rainforest settings in the Sherbrooke Forest and spot Australian animals and birdlife in the Dandenong Ranges. Take the opportunity to hand feed gorgeous crimson Rosella birds while enjoying tea or coffee at Sherbrook Forest. Still in the mountains - seek out the “Puffing Billy”, an old steam train, and go for a ride through the towering mountain ash and lush fern gullies - excitement all the way.

Ballarat Wildlife Park with Sovereign Hill

Encounter the charms of Ballarat and the gold rush area. From Melbourne the day unfolds with the Ballarat Wildlife Park (usually the first stop) and a guided tour. Handfeed kangaroos, see the Tasmanian Devil and the free roaming emus. There is even an opportunity to touch and photograph a cuddly koala.

Yarra Valley Wineries & Puffing Billy with Lunch

The wine country of the Yarra Valley combines Australian bush and mountain scenery. Enjoy some wine tastings and gourmet food at the cellar door of some of the premium wineries in Victoria. The Yarra Valley also has spectacular views, lush rainforests and native Australian animals and bird life. Enjoy a traditional afternoon tea while feeding the Crimson Rosella birds in the Dandenong Ranges. Take a hike through beautiful fern gullies or go for a ride on the Puffing Billy steam train through the towering mountain ash forests. There is something for everyone in the Yarra Valley.

Great Ocean Road & Bells Beach

Discover the wonders of the spectacular Great Ocean Road. Enjoy one of the world's great coastal drives with its dramatic scenery of striking contrasts. The region boasts powerful seas, golden beaches, peaceful townships, giant cliffs and lush forests. Travel will be aboard a touring coach with expert Aussie driver/guide.

The Melbourne Dreaming

A walking tour exploring the Aboriginal Heritage of the City of Melbourne. Be guided to the sites of the first settlement near the Birrarung (Yarra) River where the Kulin Nation convened annually, carried out ceremonies, hunted, gathered and interacted with the early settlers. Your guide, resurrected specially for the occasion, is city founder John Batman who signed Batman's treaty in 1835.

Melbourne Lanes and Arcades Tour

Explore Melbourne’s fascinating maze of lanes and arcades from its bookshops, bars, warehouses, stables, artists, to its public buildings, street art, underground locations and bookshops. There are other lanes tours operating in Melbourne but your guide knows Melbourne intimately after 20 years exploration and can offer you a choice of routes thorough the four precincts of the city with over 200 lanes. Maps are provided as archaeological artefacts, the history of the lanes evolution and many stories of the personalities behind the city.

Penguin Parade

The spectacle of hundreds of penguins emerging from the ocean at dusk has to be seen to be believed. This afternoon/evening tour has non-stop activity as you travel by comfortable touring coach along the foreshore of Port Phillip Bay with the first stop at a working cattle farm (ranch). The farm provides the first opportunity to pat and feed kangaroos and wallabies and various other farm animals.

ISPRS Post-Conference Motorcycle Tour

You have come so far for the conference, you have spent eight days in a great professional, cultural and technical programme, but now that is over. As a motorcyclist, you know that the famous Great Ocean Road, widely regarded as one of the three great coastal drives of the world, is less than two hours away. Tantalising!

So for you and other kindred spirits we have developed a guided motorcycle tour, with lead rider and a follow up vehicle to carry all luggage. This will be a leisurely tour, with plenty of time to sight see.

Proposed Tour:

Day 1, Monday, 3 September. 200km approximately.
A car will collect you from your hotel, and take you to collect bikes and protective clothing. We will depart as a group late morning. Lunch on the Geelong foreshore, before we ride on to the Great Ocean Road, passing the famous beaches of Torquay, Anglesea, and Lorne
Overnight at Apollo Bay, on the coast, 4 star Motel.

Day 2, Tuesday, 4 September. 450km approximately.
After breakfast we follow the Great Ocean Road inland through the spectacular Otway forests, rejoining the coast for the Twelve Apostles. After lunch at Warrnambool we ride North, passing at the foot of the Grampian range, to overnight in the Pyrenees wine district. Options here are 3 or 4 star motels, or the 5 star Warrenmang winery, restaurant and resort.

Day 3, Wednesday, 5 September. 300km approximately.
A short day, but spent winding around the small scenic roads of the Goldfields, to finish in Spa Country, the mineral spring and gourmet food region around Daylesford. Accommodation will again be 4 star motel.

Day 4, Thursday, 6 September, 250km approximately.
Once more we seek out the more scenic and less travelled roads to be back in Melbourne and return the bikes by mid afternoon.

Indicative Costs: Twin share accommodation, buy your own meals

Please let us know if you are interested. We need to confirm bookings by end June.

Accommodation

Accommodation bookings have now closed.

Crown Metropol (Congress Hotel) - 5 Stars
Cnr Whiteman and Clarendon Street, Southbank

Experience contemporary luxury in its purest form at Crown Metropol hotel. This 5 star urban retreat is not only hi-tech but stylish and from the moment you enter the uniquely designed reception area, you will feel a sense of peace and calm that makes every visit to Crown Metropol a welcome escape from day-to-day life.

Take a sensory journey at Isika, the exclusive day spa or savour the panoramic views of Melbourne from 28, an exclusive lounge and sky bar on level 28. Alternatively choose to refresh body and soul while swimming in the stunning infinity and deluge pools, lounging at the indoor sun-deck relaxation lounge or working out in the world-class gymnasium.

Luxe King Room $245.00
Luxe Twin Room $245.00

Hilton South Wharf (5 Stars)
2 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf

Set in the heart of South Wharf, an area set to become Melbourne's newest business and dining precinct, the stylish Hilton Melbourne South Wharf hotel is located conveniently close to the airport and the cosmopolitan city centre. As the only hotel with direct access to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, guests attending a meeting or conference will be able to walk directly to MCEC's modern conference and event facilities from within the hotel. Relax with business associates after a conference in the light and airy Executive Lounge, which seems to 'float' over the Yarra.
The Hilton Melbourne South Wharf hotel is 100% non-smoking.

Hilton Guest King Room AUD 240.00
Hilton Guest Twin Room AUD 240.00 Fully booked
Hilton Executive Room AUD 350.00

Crown Towers (5 Stars)
8 Whiteman Street, Southbank

Beautifully located on the southern bank of the Yarra River in Melbourne, Crown Towers sets the benchmark for luxury hotels in Australia. Lavishly appointed and offering an impeccable standard of customer service and attention to detail, Crown Towers is a hotel that truly understands the meaning of opulence.

All of Crown Towers' 481 luxuriously appointed oversized guest rooms have spectacular views to the city or Port Phillip Bay and feature a truly unique level of comfort and finish. Each room has the latest in room technology.

Located just a short stroll from Melbourne's Central Business District and boasting flexible, purpose built meeting and conference facilities, Crown Towers enables you to conduct business in comfort and style. For those wanting to relax, hotel guests have access to the spectacular Crown Spa, the culinary delights of our superb signature restaurants and the amazing Crown Entertainment Complex with its cinemas, nightclubs, bars, shopping, indoor entertainment theme park and the 24 hour excitement of the world renowned Crown Casino.

Deluxe King Room AUD 280.00
Deluxe Twin Room AUD 280.00

Crown Promenade (4 Stars)
8 Whiteman Street, Southbank

The stylish, affordable, and thoroughly modern Crown Promenade Hotrel is located in the heart of the action - Melbourne's vibrant Southbank entertainment precinct. Crown Promenade Hotel is also close to the CBD, the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and the city's most famous arts and sporting facilities. The hotel features spacious rooms with fantastic views overlooking Port Phillip Bay or the Melbourne CBD and Yarra River.

Whether your idea of relaxation is a workout or an afternoon spent by the pool, be sure to visit our state of the art leisure facility - The Deck, featuring indoor pool, two outdoor deck areas, steam rooms and gymnasium.

Eat and drink in style at Mesh restaurant or Tonic Bar, relax by the pool or take the airbridge into the 24 hour action of Melbourne's Crown Entertainment Complex. Sleep, eat, work or play - you can do it all in style at Crown Promenade Hotel.

Standard King Room AUD 225.00
Standard Twin Room AUD 225.00

Crowne Plaza Melbourne (4.5 Stars)
1-5 Spencer Street, Melbourne

Crowne Plaza Melbourne is in the heart of the city's vibrant docklands. You're surrounded by restaurants on the Yarra's north bank, just over the bridge from the Crown Casino and Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Crowne Plaza Melbourne is a 5-minute walk from Southern Cross rail station and a 2-minute stroll to the tramways for swift travel across the city. Crowne Plaza Melbourne is a hotel with a difference with spacious, contemporary design,

Crowne Plaza Melbourne offers the convenience of a gymnasium, heated outdoor swimming pool and two waterside restaurants, the Clarendon Street Grill and the authentic Cantonese food of the Dragon Boat Restaurant

Standard Queen Room AUD 230.00
Standard Twin Room AUD 230.00

Vibe Savoy Hotel Melbourne (4.5 Stars)
630 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

Vibe Savoy Hotel Melbourne combines the grandeur of an art deco heritage building with its beautiful façade with the zest of the Vibe brand. This propertty is located opposite Southern Cross Station and a couple of blocks from the hub of CBD. With a tram on your doorstep, you have easy access to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Vibe Savoy Hotel Melbourne offers a restaurant, bar, fully equipped gymnasium and 162 rooms of unrivalled quality with all the modern amenities you would expect.

Standard King Room AUD 170.00 Fully booked
Standard Twin Room AUD 170.00 Fully booked

Travelodge Docklands (4 Stars)
66 Aurora Lane, Docklands

Travelodge Docklands opened in February 2010 and is located right in the new Docklands waterfront precinct in the heart of Melbourne. Travelodge Docklands provides the perfect base for you to explore all of Melbourne's exciting attractions including the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Aquarium and Rod Laver Arena.

Standard Queen Room AUD 140.00
Standard Twin Room AUD 140.00

APARTMENT ACCOMMODATION

Medina Executive Northbank (4 Stars)
550 Flinders Street, Melbourne

Medina Executive Northbank presents immaculately decorated and designed studios, one and two bedroom apartments - all with the highest quality furnishings and features. Other facilities include a heated swimming and lap pool as well as a state-of-the-art gym. Enjoy easy access to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition as well as shops and restaurants of Southbank, Southern Cross Station, Etihad Stadium, Crown Entertainment Complex or Melbourne's Aquarium all within a five minute walk.

Studio Apartment AUD 180.00
One Bedroom Apartment AUD 195.00
Two Bedroom Apartment AUD 290.00

Melbourne Short Stay Apartments - Deluxe Apartments Southbank ( 4.5 Stars)
63 Whiteman Street, Southbank

Melbourne Short Stay Apartments offers a range of one, two and three bedroom quality executive style apartments for both the corporate and leisure traveller in a residential tower that gives you a feeling of home. Features include a fully equipped kitchen, separate living/dining area, comfortable bedrooms, laundry and private balcony. Guests have complimentary use of recreational facilities including indoor pool and gymnasium.

One Bedroom Apartment AUD 224.00
Two Bedroom Apartment AUD 332.00

Please note that a minimum of three night stay is required for this property
Cancellations within 7 days of arrival will incur full accommodation cost as cancellation fee

Oaks on Market (4.5 Stars)
60 Market Street, Melbourne

Oaks on Market, located in the heart of the CBD, offers a range of luxurious studio, 1 and 2 bedroom self contained apartments. All rooms have brand new 32-inch flat screen TVs, leather sofas and contemporary artwork. Some rooms have views over the Yarra River and guests can also enjoy individual stereo systems, climate control, access to the indoor heated swimming pool, fully equipped gym, spa and sauna. There are two licensed restaurants on site: Alexis on Market and R2 Restaurant & Bar.

Studio AUD 210.00
On Bedroom Apartment AUD 245.00
Two Bedroom Apartment AUD 365.00