Games fever reaches high pitch

By Kath Gannaway
COMMONWEALTH Games fever will be well and truly at a pitch by the time school holidays start on Friday, and even if you don’t have tickets to the games events, there are lots of opportunities for families to be part of the fun.
Festival Melbourne 2006 is 12 days of non-stop music, dance, circus, street theatre and visual arts from all the corners of the Commonwealth, and it’s all free.
There are heaps of events in Melbourne for children of all ages between Wednesday, 15 March, and Sunday, 26 March.
Here are five of the absolutely awesome activities on offer. For the full program, visit the Festival website: www.melbourne2006.com.au/Festival+Melbourne2006/Performances.
Kite creatures: For five years and up. Kite-making workshops at the Alexandra Gardens from 16 to 18 and 20 to 25 March, from 1pm to 6pm, and 19 March, from 2pm to 6pm. Free. All materials supplied.
The big dingo: All ages. Help build the biggest dingo ever at the Alexandra Gardens. Help decorate a massive, six-metre dingo frame with Australian flowers from recycled materials.
PopEyed: Soviet acrobatic strongmen PopEyed, hand-balancing masters of equilibrium, will have you see-sawing from fits of laughter to gasps of amazement.
On 21 March at 5pm, and 23 March at 3.30pm in Alexandra Gardens; 19 and 20 March at 3pm and 4.30pm at The Beach at the Arts Centre; 21 March at 2.30pm and 22 March at 2.30pm and 6.30pm at Federation Square; 23 March at 7pm at Alexandra Gardens.
The Beach at the Arts Centre: Sun, sand … and St Kilda Road. There is just too much happening at this instant beach to list – bathing boxes and seagulls, sand, sand and more sand, bands belting out the sounds of summer, Indigenous singers, Aussie beach games, frisbee challenges, crazy beach characters, lifesavers on stilts, jugglers, classic beach movies and all the action of the Games on the big screen. And that’s just a sample! Go dressed for the beach to the Arts Centre lawn, 15 to 26 March from noon to midnight.
Dinosaurs from Gondwana: Awe-inspiring dinosaur models will roam the Alexandra Gardens on 16 and 20 to 24 March. Approach with caution! Who knows what these magnificent but unpredictable prehistoric creatures will do once they are free to roam!
Travel-saver tip: The Sunday Saver and Group Traveller tickets offer great value for money and cover Zone 1, 2, and 3 bus/train/tram trips.
The Sunday Saver ticket costs just $2.50 for adults, children and concession on Sunday only. The Group Traveller operates every day and costs $25.20 for two adults and four children (or, adult and five children).
There’s a catch for bus travellers, however. These tickets are only available at manned stations and cannot be purchased on buses, so tickets need to be pre-purchased. They don’t have to be used on the day of purchase.