What you see on a lunch cruise on the Yarra River in Melbourne

The Spirit of Melbourne heads upstream. The operator says its cruises pass the Royal Botanic Gardens and the sporting stadiums, and the brunch page talks of gardens and stadiums seen through the boat's glass viewing areas.^1,9 That makes the weekend brunch a garden-side cruise rather than a harbour one: you see the city's green eastern reaches, not the cranes and towers of Docklands.

The day starts at Berth 1 on Southbank Promenade, and within minutes the boat slides under Princes Bridge with Flinders Street and Fed Square along the bank.^2,3 It passes the sporting precinct, rolls on past green riverbanks and parkland, and then turns back for Southgate with the towers mirrored in the water.^4,10,11 The exact path can change, because it depends on weather and tide.¹²

For anyone comparing Yarra River lunch cruises, that upstream direction is the main difference between boats. The Friday lunch cruise uses the same vessel, and the listing for it meets across the river from Flinders Street Station. Sightseeing cruises divide the river: one hour upstream to the gardens, or one hour downstream to the ports and Docklands, with a combined version for the full stretch.^13,7

The first landmark arrives within minutes. The boat glides under Princes Bridge, with the city's best-known buildings lining the north bank.³ The operator's boats are built with flat roofs so they can pass under these historic low bridges, which is why the decks look so low from the riverside.²⁶ Watch the clearance as you pass under; it is closer than you expect, and the echo off the stone is one of the small pleasures of the trip.

On the north bank, Federation Square sits directly opposite Flinders Street Station. The City of Melbourne says Fed Square was unveiled in 2002 and has had more than 100 million visits since it opened.^27,28 From the water you see its angular facades and the forecourt where the city gathers for big screens and festivals, set against the domed station next door. It is the busiest stretch of riverbank in the city, and the boat is close enough to hear the buskers.

Behind you, Southgate spreads along the south bank. It is the dining precinct directly opposite the station, and on Sundays a market runs there from 10am to 4pm.^29,30 On a Sunday brunch, the promenade you boarded from will be busy with stalls when you return, which makes a pleasant stroll after you step ashore. On Saturdays the promenade is quieter, and the riverside bars are the obvious next stop for groups who are not ready to go home.

Upstream of the stadiums the river turns green. The operator calls this the garden reach of the Yarra, where riverbanks and parkland roll past the windows.¹⁰ On the south bank are the Royal Botanic Gardens, established in 1846 and covering more than 38 hectares, according to the City of Melbourne.¹⁵ More than 8,500 species of plants, gathered worldwide, grow in the gardens.³⁶ From the water you see mostly the edge of it: lawns, old trees and paths full of walkers.

The upstream sightseeing cruise names Government House among the sights here, set in parkland beside the gardens, and it continues as far as Herring Island.^13,37 Parks Victoria describes Herring Island as a 3.2ha artificial island about 4kms from the city centre, and the only substantial island on the Yarra.^38,39 It was formed in 1928 by cutting a channel through a disused quarry.⁴⁰ The cut was made to shorten the river's bend and ease flooding, a smaller echo of the works downstream.^41,21

How far upstream the brunch boat goes on a given day is the skipper's call, as the route depends on weather and tide.¹² Herring Island has a sculpture trail with 9 environmental sculptures, worth a separate visit if the gardens reach catches your eye from the boat.²⁵ Then the Spirit of Melbourne turns, and the second half of the cruise is the city skyline coming back towards you.¹¹ Keep a camera ready for the moment the towers line up on the water ahead.

The 2 hours pass quickly when the glasses keep being filled, so decide early what you want to see. The first half of the cruise is the landmark stretch, with the bridge, the square and the stadiums close together; the second half is the long view back to the towers.^3,11 Save the group photo for the return leg, when the skyline fills the windows behind you. Ask the crew to take it from the back deck, where the frame takes in the river and the towers together.

After dark the same route turns into a light show: the operator describes the boat gliding beneath the city's bridges and past Southgate's lights.²⁴ That is the dinner cruise, though; the brunch sails in daylight, which is better for the gardens and the stadiums and worse for the reflections. If the night view matters more to you, read our comparison of the dinner sailings instead.

Whatever the boat, keep expectations about commentary realistic. The sightseeing cruises carry GPS-triggered commentary, while the brunch is a dining cruise with background music rather than a guided tour.^48,49 Use the map on this page to put names to what you see, and bring the questions to the crew between courses; they sail this river every weekend. A little homework turns a pleasant lunch into a proper tour of the city's spine.