Christmas in Melbourne- Best places to visit during the holidays?

Cultural attractions in or near CBD:
Melbourne Museum– very large and informative
Victorian Arts Centre
Ian Potter Museum of Art (Melbourne University)

Architecture / Streetscapes:
Shrine of Remembrance- (war memorial with the best view of Melbourne from upper level)
Grounds of University of Melbourne
Block Arcade, Royal Arcade, Dame Edna Pl

Exhibition Buildings
State Parliament House, Melbourne City Town Hall
Queen Victoria Market, Prahran Market, South Melbourne Market
Boat trip along the Yarra to learn about the history of Melbourne

Events at Christmas:
Always good concerts or musicals on at Christmas (Princess Theatre, Regent Theatre, Arts Centre, Malvern Tennis Centre, Etihad Stadium, Palais Theatre)
Carols by Candlelight (outdoor Christmas Carol venue in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne)
Moonlight Cinema in Royal Botanical Gardens
Shakespeare plays in Botanical Gardens
Sport – Soccer, golf, running, horse racing – many, many sports

Active:
Run around the tan track at the Botanical Gardens
Hire a bike and ride down the beach bike path that runs along the St Kilda Foreshore for 25 km to south of city
Ride a bike along the Yarra River trail
Participate in a fun run (on most weekends)
Hire a kayak and travel 18 km down the Yarra River from Abbotsford to the CBD

Less Active:
Hundreds of great cafes to visit – the café culture is rapidly becoming the defining aspect of Melbourne
A walk in the spectacular Botanical Gardens or any of the large parks and gardens spread throughout Melbourne
St Kilda Beach, Black Rock Beach, Brighton Bathing Boxes (beach houses), Port Melbourne Beach.

Out of town:
Mornington Peninsula and ferry trip across the bay to the charming historic town of Queenscliff often with view of dolphins – Also visit the Old Quarantine Station at Portsea which is the seaside holiday spot of the wealthy.

McClelland Gallery & Sculpture Park (near Frankston) – a hidden gem

Australian Garden History Society (near Cranbourne) – another hidden gem

Ballarat Wildlife Park at Ballarat – best place to get close to kangaroos

Wilsons Promontory – 500 square kilometres of wilderness national park that is a large peninsula three hours south of Melbourne.
Paddle steamers at the historic river port of Echuca (four hours north of Melbourne).

Also recommended – Get a cheap flight to Hobart (in Tasmania) ($140 USD) and check out the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart. It is also cheap to go to Sydney – very easy to go there for a couple of days and explore the magnificent harbour and brilliant Bondi Beach and Manly Beach.

A trip to the Yarra Valley is something that you should definitely consider doing. Another great place to check out would be Mornington Peninsula, there are some great hot springs there. 

Make sure you take a road trip down the Great Ocean Rd! From Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles - Visitor Facility!