The yearly Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix race is held in Melbourne every autumn. That makes the quiet Melbourne suburb of Albert Park transform a lot as it prepares for the massive happening that gathers the motor sport driving elite down to Australia.
While staying in Australia for work we wanted to join the party and bought our tickets to the Grand Prix well in advance.
We also wanted to see how the city prepared for the occasion. A few days before you could really feel the coming event in many parts of the city:
Melbourne preparing for the Australian Grand Prix
Albert Lake Park preparing for the Grand Prix
We also went to see the preparations in Albert Lake Park that was almost in the city centre and only four kilometers from where we lived.
Only a few days before the race we could still walk in the area exactly where we wanted so we walked around quite a bit. We also walked part of the formula track.
Albert Park preparing preparing for the Formula 1 race
Albert Park was already well prepared for the race. The only spectators by that time were the white seagulls on the grass (you can see in the photos), and the tiny parrot baby that was with them.
Even the premium zone was empty at this time, just us and some security men.
Empty chairs of Grand Prix Premium zone
On Thursday it finally started and you could hear the formulas speeding on the track. They really made a noise.
Some roads in the city were closed and they had changes in tram services to let all the hundreds of thousands of formula fans get to the races that were going to be held during the coming four days.
Australian Grand Prix tickets
We bought tickets to the biggest of the events, the Australian Grand Prix race day on Sunday and then came the big day:
Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, 2014
Waiting for the Australian Grand Prix to begin
The spectators came to the park and were ready in their camping chairs hours before.
It was no problem waiting since there were many things to do and a lot of entertaining as in addition to the formulas the race days are packed with entertainment ranging from Aussie music to skateboarding legends.
There was high wire motorcycling, skateboarding, an air show, old racing cars, face painting, music and other things.
Australian Grand Prix activities
The Grand Prix Race
Watching the Australian Grand Prix 2014
The Grand Prix itself took two hours and all that was very intensive. Compared to watching the formulas on TV it was very hard to follow the cars at such a close distance. With that speed you could hardly see them, they came and were already in the next curve.
Watching the Australian Grand Prix 2014
The winner of the Grand Prix 2014
The winner of the Australian Grand Prix 2014 is Nico Rosberg!
Nico Rosberg, the winner 2014
After the party the seagulls came back, but the little baby parrot didn’t come. I guess the noise was too much for the baby.
Albert Park seagulls after the Grand Prix
For us, this Sunday in Melbourne Albert Park was an experience to remember. I never knew before how much the drivers work and how fast they really drive.
You would never imagine how much different kind of happening there is around a Formula one Grand Prix race, just watching it on TV.
To get updated information on Formula Grand Prix in Australia read here about the coming Australian Grand Prix events.
My other Posts about Melbourne
- If you want to know more about Melbourne see my post Sightseeing in Melbourne.
- You can see penguins and possums in Melbourne: Melbourne Penguins and Possums Nature Tour
- How does it feel to return to Melbourne from Europe and start living there again? Settling in Melbourne
- A post about Melbourne winter: Yarra River walk through Central Melbourne
Day Trips from Melbourne:
- The Great Ocean Road is a must. Read my post Touring the Great Ocean Road.
- Phillip Island is another must to do trip from Melbourne: Phillip Island from Melbourne
- And your third day trip be to the Yarra Valley. Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges from Melbourne
Driving from Melbourne to Sydney:
- I have posts that cover the drivie Melbourne to Sydney along the coast. The story begins here: Melbourne to Sydney: to Wilsons Promontory