Ballooning -- Melbourne by Balloon, Balloon Sunrise Office, 41 Dover St., Richmond (tel. 03/9427 7596; fax 03/9427 7597), offers flights over the city plus a champagne breakfast once you've hit the ground again. Dawn flights cost A$265 (US$146) for adults, and A$175 (US$101) for children under 12 (but if they're under 1.2m (4 ft.) tall they won't be able to see over the basket). Reservations are essential.

Biking -- Extensive bicycle paths wind through the city and suburbs. For details on the 20 most popular routes, pick up a copy of Melbourne Bike Tours, published by Bicycle Victoria (tel. 03/9328 3000; fax 03/9328 2288; www.bv.com.au), available at most bookshops. Bicycle Victoria also runs several major cycling tours throughout the state every year.

Bike Now, 320 Toorak Rd., South Yarra (tel. 03/9826 6870), rents bicycles for A$15 (US$9.75) for 2 hours, A$20 (US$13) for 4 hours, A$30 (US$20) for a full day, and A$70 (US$46) for a week. The shop is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 7pm, Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Take tram no. 8 to Toorak Road.

You can also rent a bike from Hire a Bike at St. Kilda Pier (tel. 03/9531 7403); non-Australians must show their passports.

Golf -- One of the best public golf courses in Australia is Yarra Bend, Yarra Bend Road, Fairfield (tel. 03/9481 3729). Greens fees are about A$15 (US$9.75), and club rental is an extra A$10 (US$6.50) for a half set and A$25 (US$16) for a full set.

The exclusive Royal Melbourne Golf Club, in the suburb of Black Rock, 24km (15 miles) from the city center, is rated as one of the world's 10 best golf courses. It's open to members only, but if you belong to a top-notch golf club at home, you might be able to wheedle your way in.

For more information on golf in Victoria, contact the Victorian Golf Association, 15 Bardolph St., Burwood (tel. 03/9889 6731).

In-Line Skating -- The promenade in St. Kilda is the most popular place to strap on a pair of skates. You can rent all you need at Rock'n 'n' Roll'n, 11a Fitzroy St., St. Kilda (tel. 03/9525 3434). The first hour costs A$8 (US$5.20). Successive hours are less expensive.

Tennis -- The venue for the Australian Open, the Melbourne Park National Tennis Centre, on Batman Avenue (tel. 03/9286 1244), is a great place to play tennis. When tournaments are not scheduled, its 22 outdoor courts and four indoor courts are open to the public. You can rent courts Monday through Friday from 7am to 11pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm. Charges range from A$14 to A$30 (US$9.10-US$20) per hour, depending on the court and time of day (outdoor courts are cheapest). Show courts 1, 2, and 3 are also for rent at the same prices. Racquets are also available for A$3 (US$1.95).