Taylors Lakes, Melbourne: Airport hotel, Watergardens and Linear Park
The main reasons to stay in Taylors Lakes, Melbourne, are the Watergardens shopping centre, Taylors Lakes Linear Park and the airport-friendly Taylors Lake Hotel.
On first impressions, Taylors Lakes is one hundreds of interchangeable Melbourne suburbs that overseas visitors don’t need to bother looking at. But a closer look shows Taylors Lakes might be worth considering.
Taylors Lakes is right at the north-western edge of Melbourne. It comes just before suburbia gives way to green space on the Calder Highway from Melbourne to Bendigo. It is surrounded by fellow off-the-radar neighbourhoods such as Sydenham, Calder Park, Keilor North, Keilor and Keilor Downs.
14 fantastic experiences that make the most of your free time in Melbourne
- Get the very best views – on a hot air balloon flight over the city.
- See the changing colours of the river – on a sunset kayaking tour – with dinner. (Highly recommended ✅)
- Feast and see the sights at the same time – on a four course dinner cruise along the Yarra River.
- A genuinely excellent street art tour, led by prominent street artists. (Highly recommended ✅)
- The also superb Aboriginal heritage, plants and bush food tour in the Botanic Gardens. (💲 Great value 💲)
- Best of Melbourne bike tour – you can see more on two wheels than walking.
- Hidden laneways bar crawl OR foodie discovery tour OR chocolate and dessert tour.
- Combo ticket for Australian Sports Museum and MCG tour.
- Hassle-dodging advance tickets for the Melbourne Skydeck, Melbourne Zoo, the Ice Bar (with cocktails) and Sea Life Aquarium.
Taylors Lakes Linear Park
For Melburnians, there are two main things to do in Taylors Lakes. For the first of these the clue is in the name. The Taylors Lakes Linear Park follows Taylors Creek and the lakes created by it. It’s a lovely spot for a stroll, while the Lakes Reserve Flagship Park has one of the best playgrounds in Melbourne. The Lakes Reserve Flagship Park includes Ninja Warrior parkour equipment, a ping pong table and a Hot Shots tennis court.
If the Taylors Lakes Linear Park doesn’t get you particularly excited, Brimbank Park in Keilor East is very nearby. This expansive park is the largest along the Maribyrnong River in Melbourne.
👇 7 great day trips while you’re in Melbourne 👇
- Great Ocean Road tour – with koalas 🐨.
- Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island tour – with penguins 🐧.
- Yarra Valley wine tour – with gin, cider and cheese 🍷.
- Grampians National Park tour – with bushwalks and LOADS of kangaroos 🦘.
- Mornington Peninsula tour – with hot springs bathing 🛀.
- Wilsons Promontory tour – with all manner of native wildlife 🦘🐨.
- Dandenong Ranges steam train ride – plus wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary and chocolate-tasting in the Yarra Valley.
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Things to do in Taylors Lakes: Watergardens shopping centre
The other key attraction in Taylors Lakes is the Watergardens shopping centre. Watergardens has more than 200 stores. Some of these, such as Politix, Decjuba, Strandbags and Mecca Maxima, concentrate on fashion. But there are also Aldi and Woolworths supermarkets, plus plenty of food outlets. The Watergardens shopping centre also hosts a Hoyts cinema and Zone Bowling bowling alley.
For overseas visitors, the Taylors Lakes Linear Park and Watergardens shopping centre might be a little mundane. They’re not really what you fly to other side of the world for. But that ‘flying’ part might be what makes Taylors Lakes worth looking at.
Taylors Lakes Hotel near Melbourne Airport
The suburb is very close to Melbourne Airport. Watergardens is a 15 minute drive in a taxi from Melbourne Airport. For late arrivals and early departures, the Taylors Lakes Hotel might be much more appealing than the chainy airport hotels. The Taylors Lakes Hotel has the added advantage of a sizable indoor pool. If you’re not planning to go into Melbourne, and just want a night’s sleep before driving to the Great Ocean Road, Grampians or Murray River, this is a smart option.
The other handy attraction near Taylors Lakes is the Organ Pipes National Park, a 5km drive to the north-west from Watergardens. This underrated national park features dramatic rock formations made from dried lava. A walking trail combines the most impressive of these volcanic relics.
More Melbourne activities
Swimming at Mordialloc Beach.
Yarra River kayaking tours through central Melbourne.
Learning about Australian history at the Immigration Museum.
Hang out at St Kilda Beach.
Take the Portarlington ferry to the Bellarine Peninsula.