Melbourne
Travel Guide > Oceania > Australia > Victoria > Melbourne
Introduction
Melbourne may be Australia's second most populous city, but the proud residents will not accept it as second fiddle to its glamour sibling Sydney. Melbourne lays claim to being Australia's cultural and artistic capital. But it's in sport that Melbourne truly shines, hosting world class sporting events each year: the Australian Open, Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne Cup and the AFL Grand Final are all watched by millions. It is hardly a surprise that one of the city's prime tourist destinations is the Melbourne Cricket Ground, abbreviated as the MCG - or even just G to Melburnians. During footy season, many visitors take time to go to an Australian Rules Football match, which had its origins in Melbourne. 9 out of the 16 Australian teams are still based in Melbourne.
Melbourne also prides itself on its European culture. Cafés can be found on almost every street corner and areas like Carlton, Brunswick and Richmond each have a cultural flavour of their own owing to the varying immigrant populations.
Neighbourhoods
Inner city
Large office buildings aside, Melbourne's centre is a bustling combination of cozy cafés, fine restaurants, hip bars, theatres, museums, sports venues and sprawling gardens. It's easily navigated by hopping on one of the numerous trams that service the area. Melbourne's Inner City
St Kilda
The seaside suburb of St Kilda is the place to go in Melbourne for a sea breeze. Its icon is Luna Park, an historic amusement park that requires you to enter through what looks like a giant clown's mouth. A multitude of cafés and restaurants line Acland Street. St Kilda
Fitzroy
The bohemian suburb of Fitzroy is home to some of Melbourne's best pubs and restaurants, with groovy Brunswick Street at the centre of the action. Fitzroy
Carlton
If you are after a good pizza or pasta, Lygon Street in Carlton is the place to go. Carlton
Prahran
Prahran is one of the most expensive and classy suburbs in Melbourne, which has a great mixture of restaurants, night life and boutique shops. Prahran
Other neighbourhoods
Sights and Activities
- National Gallery of Victoria - The NGV consists of two galleries. One on St Kilda Rd displays international art, while one in Federation Square displays their Australian art collection.
- Royal Botanic Gardens - Escape a hot day in these relaxing gardens filled with beautiful and rare plant specimens. (Location: St Kilda Road)
- South Bank - A nice place to go for a stroll along the Yarra River - If you're feeling lucky, Crown Casino might be your best bet.
- Melbourne Central - At the centre of this large shopping centre is historic Coops Shot Tower, built in 1890. (Location: Corner of LaTrobe & Swanston Streets)
- Victoria Market is a great place to wander around. Soak in the multiculturalism and buy some local produce while you're at it! (Location: Corner Elizabeth and Victoria Streets. Ph: (03) 9320 5822. Open Tue & Thu: 6am-2pm, Fri: 6am-6pm, Sat: 6am-3pm, Sun: 9am-4pm)
- Flinders Street Station : This train station is an icon of Melbourne. Pretty hard to miss for anyone visiting the inner city. (Location: Corner Flinders and Swanston Street)
- Royal Exhibition Building: A UNESCO World Heritage listed building, completed in 1880 for Melbourne’s first "International Exhibition". (Location: Carlton Gardens on Spring St)
- Brunswick Street: A good place for a night out, with great places to eat and plenty of quality pubs. (Location: Fitzroy)
- Climb the Rialto Tower for a great view of the city. (Location:525 Collins Street. Open 10am–10pm daily.)
- Alternatively, the Eureka Skydeck 88 on the 88th floor of the The Eureka Tower, the tallest apartment building in the world, features a scary glass floor and shattering glass sound effects. (Location: 1 Riverside Quay, City Road, Southbank. Open 10am-10pm daily.)
- The Laneways - Melbourne's inner city hides away many of its most interesting shops, restaurants and bars in back alleyways. Start at Degraves St, directly opposite Flinders Street Station and follow the smallest roads you can find. These little streets bustle with people drinking coffee, having a late breakfast or indulging in a mid-afternoon drink.
- Melbourne Museum houses a permanent collection of interesting artefacts, including the remains of Phar Lap, Melbourne's most famous horse. (Location: 11 Nicholson St, Carlton. Open 10am-5pm daily. Ph: General Enquiries 13 11 02 (within Victoria), Bookings 1300 130 152, Outside Victoria: (03) 8341 7777)
- Immigration Museum explores stories of the diverse people who have immigrated to Victoria since the 1880s. (Location: 400 Flinders Street. Open 10am-5pm daily. Ph:(03) 9927 2700)
- Luna Park - A family fun park with a very lively entrance. (Location: Lower Esplanade, St Kilda South)
More sights can be found on the neighbourhood sub articles.
Events and Festivals
There are quite a few major festivals and events which run each year in Melbourne. Below are some of the largest, roughly in order.
- The Australian Open kicks off the year with some world class tennis, attracting large crowds from around the world. It will run from 19 January - 01 February in 2009.
- The Australian Grand Prix, held in Albert Park kicks of the worldwide Formula One season.
- The Moomba Waterfest is an annual festival held along the Yarra River and culminating in the Moomba Parade. It is one of Australia's oldest festivals, running since 1955. Due to some clever planning, it usually coincides with the start of the Grand Prix festivities. The official line is that the word 'Moomba' is an aboriginal term for "let's get together and have fun". However, it is now more popularly believed that the term was in fact suggested in jest and in fact means something like "up your bum".[3]
- The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival runs for two weeks around March each year. The festival will run from 22 February - 5 March in 2008.
- The Melbourne International Comedy Festival features comedians from around the world and runs for several weeks each year. This year, it will be running from March 19 to April 13 in 2008. It is widely considered one of the top 3 comedy festivals in the world, along with the comedy festivals in Montreal and Edinburgh.
- The Melbourne International Film Festival features films from Australia and over 50 countries around the world. It runs around July - August.
- The AFL Grand Final is staged in Melbourne each year and is Australia's largest annual single sporting event, attracting crowds of close to 100,000. The final is traditionally played on the final Saturday in September.
- Melbourne Fringe celebrates new, independent and innovative art. It runs just before the Melbourne Arts Festival each year and in 2008 will run from the 24th of September till the 12th of October.
- The Melbourne International Arts Festival runs for 17 days every October, in 2008 it will be on from the 9th - 25th of October.
- The Spring Racing Carnival is held during spring (October/November), culminating in The Melbourne Cup, which takes place on the first Tuesday in November. It is a public holiday in Melbourne.
- The Boxing Day Test cricket match heralds the start of a series of test matches held between Australia and a guest nation. It is held at the MCG and lasts up to 5 days, starting on boxing day (26th December).
- Summer in Melbourne is all about outdoor music festivals. With single day events, camping festivals out of town and week long festivals, there is definately a music festival to suit all tastes. Further reading: Outdoor Music Festivals in Victoria (Australia).
Sport
Melbourne is the most sports-mad city in Australia, which itself is arguably one of the most sports-mad countries in the world.
AFL
Aussie Rules football is an integral part of Melbourne and visitors who are lucky enough to be in town during the 'Footy' season are well-advised to catch a game. The Finals occur each September, with the climactic Grand Final played in the MCG at the end of September.
Cricket
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is one of the most famous cricket grounds in the world and hosts major cricket events as well as the AFL Grand Final. One key match is the Boxing Day Test Match, which runs from December 26-30, between the Australian national team and an international competitor.
Horse Racing
During Spring Racing Carnival each year, the city goes wild for the horses. Melbourne Cup Day is even a public holiday in the state of Victoria.
Tennis
The Australian Open is hosted each year by Melbourne, drawing the best players from around the world. It runs for two weeks each January, in the middle of the Australian summer.
Formula 1
Melbourne's Grand Prix is the first on the Formula 1 tour each year and draws large crowds. It is held in March.
Football (soccer)
The Melbourne Victory play in the A-league, Australia's professional football league. They were the champions in the 2006/07 season and consistently draw the largest crowds in the country. The season runs between August and February.
Weather
Melbourne's weather is all about being surprising. So expect random sunny days in winter and random stormy days in summer. Generally though, winters (June to August) tend to be fairly cold and wet, with daytime temperatures ranging between 10 °C and 20 °C. Snowfall is rare, though there are snowfields in Victoria's high country which lies several hours outside north-east of Melbourne.
Summers (December to February) are hot and getting hotter, with days reaching maximum temperatures above 40 °C. While beaches are great during this time, summer is not a great time to visit other parts of Victoria, since the threat of bushfire can be high. Over the past few years, areas throughout northern, eastern and western Victoria have been devastated by bushfire.
In autumn (fall) and spring Melbourne enjoys much more moderate weather.
Getting There
By Plane
Melbourne Airport (MEL) is the first port of call for many visitors. It has three terminals, depending on who you're flying with and whether you're flying overseas. Domestic passengers will arrive and depart from Terminal 1 if they are flying with Qantas or Jetstar, or from Terminal 3 if they are flying with Virgin Blue and REX Regional Express. All international services are hosted by Terminal 2, which is the airport's middle terminal.
Budget airline Jetstar has also begun operating out of Avalon Airport (AVV), which is closer to Geelong than Melbourne. Travellers can also arrive by train or bus at the newly revamped Southern Cross Station (formerly Spencer St station).
By Car
From Sydney or Canberra:
The quick option if you're travelling from Canberra or Sydney is to take the Hume Highway, which takes about eight hours from Sydney. From Canberra, you will need to drive up the Barton Highway to get onto the Hume. There is also a slow but scenic option if you have time on your hands and want to be treated to nicer scenery along your drive from Sydney. This involves travelling along the east coast on the Princes Highway. If you're travelling from Canberra, you can drive down the Monaro Highway, which links up with the Princes Highway on the south eastern edge of Australia.
From Adelaide:
There are several options when driving from Adelaide, depending on how much time you have and what you would like to see. The popular Great Ocean Road is one of Australia's best road trips, as it passes along the southern coast through towns like Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay, as well as the Twelve Apostles. If time is a bit more scarce, the Western Freeway is an overland, more or less direct route that passes along the north of the Grampians National Park and Little Desert National Park. It takes approximately eight hours. If you want to take in Mount Gambier along the way, take the Princes Highway from Adelaide.
By Boat
If you're travelling from Tasmania, the ferry docks in Port Melbourne, which is several kilometres outside the main city centre.
Getting Around
By Public Transport
Melbourne's trams, trains and buses fall under the umbrella of Metlink, whose tickets are referred to as Metcards.[4] One Metcard will allow transport on all three modes of transport. Metcards can be purchased at newsagents, milkbars,[5] post offices and train stations. The trams also have ticket machines, but they only accept coins and don't sell all the ticket options available.
All tickets must be validated before travelling. The validating machines are on the trams and buses and at the entrances to train platforms. Not validating your ticket can result in a hefty fine!
Pricing of the tickets is dependent on the zones you will be travelling in and the duration you need the ticket for. There are two ticket zones in the transport system, one is for the inner city and one for the outer suburbs. Zone 1 should be sufficient for most visitors to Melbourne.
The most useful tickets for visitors are:
- Daily tickets can be used to travel throughout the day into the early hours of the next day. Adult Zone 1:$6.50
- 2 Hour tickets can be used for at least 2 hours from the time of validation. Note: if you validate at 8:01, it will expire at 11:00. Adult Zone 1: $3.50
- City Saver[b] tickets can be used for single trips in the CBD only. $2.60
- [b]Sunday Savers can be used all day on Sunday and covers both Zone 1 and 2: $2.90
- Weekly, 10 x 2 Hour and 5 x Daily tickets provide discounts for buying in bulk. Adult Zone 1: $28.00
- A new ticket, the 5 x Weekend Daily makes it cheaper to buy daily tickets for on the weekend, including Saturday. Total is $14.50 for an adult, which works out at $2.90 per ticket. It is valid in both zones.
Full price details for other zones can be found on the Metlink Melbourne website. The website also provides timetables and estimations of travel times.
Concession prices are also available, but these require you to hold a concession card. The only group of people not requiring a concession card to get concession fares are children under 15 years of age. Concession fares are roughly half of an adult fare.
For travellers trying to save money, there are several particular things to note about the tickets available.
- The Sunday Saver ticket can only be purchased in stores that sell Metcards and not on trams, so you need to plan ahead to take advantage of this bargain ticket.
- The 2 Hour tickets are valid till 2AM if you validate them after 6PM. So if you are travelling in the evening, you should always purchase a 2 hour ticket.
- The 10 x 2 Hour tickets will automatically turn into a daily ticket if you use two of the 2 hour tickets in one day. This makes them a good choice if you are unsure whether you will need a daily or not and know that you will be making enough trips around the city during your stay.
Another great way to save some money is to make regular use of Melbourne's free City Circle Tram service, which runs in a large loop around the CBD.[6] It runs every 12 minutes from 10AM till 6PM daily.
The Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle is a free hop-on/hop-off bus service, stopping off at 15 key points around the city. It runs every 15 minutes from 10AM till 4PM daily, taking 45 minutes to complete the full trip.[7]
By Foot
Within the CBD, it is quite easy to navigate Melbourne by foot. If you want to venture out to an inner suburb, then the trams are best option. If you want to visit an outer suburb, then the trains and buses are the best option.
By Bicycle
Melbourne is increasingly becoming a more cycling-friendly city, with many improvements being made to cycling routes throughout the city. Cycling participation rates have grown exponentially in recent times, leading to more demand for better infrastructure. Cycling can be a great way to get around the city quickly and at a very affordable price.
There are some beautiful bike routes in the city, through parkland and along the Yarra River, that are worth visiting for a recreational ride. The Bicycle Victoria website has a comprehensive listing of bike routes throughout Melbourne, including routes through the inner city.
- Rentabike at Federation Square can provide you with a bicycle. Special family and weekly rates. Ph: 0417 339 203
- St Kilda Cycles at 150 Barkly St, St Kilda can also set you up with a pair of wheels. Ph: 03 9534 3074
By Car
There are plenty of companies you could choose to hire a car from, including Avis, Budget, Europcar Rental, Hertz and Thrifty. Car hire is often not available to drivers under 25, or if it is, it's more expensive for younger drivers.
The city's most ubiquitous street directory is the annually published Melways. Businesses will often give you a Melways reference to point you to their location in Melbourne. Outside of Greater Melbourne, the maps are less detailed, but sufficient to navigate between towns and all the way to Sydney or Adelaide.
If you are going to be driving in Melbourne's CBD, take particular note of a rare road rule that is used on quite a few of the major intersections; the "hook turn". Essentially, it involves making a right turn from the left lane, which helps improve the flow of traffic in the right hand lane.
1. When the light goes green, right turning traffic queues up in front of the waiting cross-traffic, pulled over as far as possible to the left, essentially joining their lane.
2. When the cross traffic's lane turns green, queued right-turners can make their turn
3. The cross traffic should wait until all the right turns have been made.
Further detail can be read on Wikipedia's article describing the Hook Turn
Another road rule to take particular note of is to stop for trams when they are unloading passengers. Older trams actually have a stop sign that pops out when the doors open, but newer trams only indicate this with a blinking orange light. Nonetheless, it is a requirement to stop for trams and let the passengers make their way to the footpath.
Eat
Melbourne's food scene is one of the best in the world. The diversity and quality of food options available is enough to satisfy any traveller's whim. Certain areas of town are particularly known for their local cuisine due to their specific immigrant populations. Lygon St in Carlton is where one goes for Italian. Victoria St, Richmond has been dubbed Little Saigon and offers plenty of Vietnamese options. Sydney Rd, Brunswick has a variety of Middle Eastern options. Downtown, Lt Bourke St is the local China Town and Lonsdale St is the Greek precinct. Brunswick St, Fitzroy caters for a young bohemian crowd as do Acland Street and Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. There is a thriving café culture in Melbourne which provides excellent lunch options.
For restaurant reviews, The Age Good Food Guide is Melbourne's definitive restaurant rating book. It's published each year, covering hundreds of restaurants in the Melbourne CBD and throughout Victoria. The best quality restaurants are awarded hats. 3 hats is the maximum any restaurant can get and this is typically only reserved for a handful of restaurants. In the 2008 guide, only one restaurant managed to achieve the coveted 3 hats, Jacques Reymond.
Budget travellers may however be more interested in the partner publication, Cheap Eats, which, as the name suggests, lists the best places to eat if you don't have money to burn.
Drink
Melbourne has a habit of hiding away the most popular places so only locals would know about them. Don't be afraid to walk down the small alleys in the city, as these often hide the best options.
As of the 1st of July 2007, it is now prohibited to smoke in Victorian pubs. Many pubs have courtyards, but otherwise it is a case of standing on the street.
Sleep
Most budget accommodation is either downtown, particularly near the Victoria Market, or in the beach-side suburb of St Kilda. Here is a few:
- All Nations
- Hotel Discovery
- The Melbourne Connection Travellers Hostel
- Back of Chapel Backpackers
- Urban Central Accommodation
Budget hotels can be found scattered throughout the city.
Upper-class hotels are largely downtown or on the other side of the Yarra at Southbank.
Motels are usually to be found in the suburbs, usually a quick tram ride out of the centre of town. if you are driving into Melbourne and don't want to pay the earth for city parking, these are good options. Be careful to choose one with a good tram connection though.
Work
If you are eligible to work in Australia (ie. you have a Working Holiday Visa or other visa allowing work), it is possible to find decent employment around Melbourne. The hospitality industry is a popular employer, especially around the St. Kilda area.
If you want to head a little further afield, fruit picking jobs are not too hard to come by. The Yarra Valley and Dandenongs region have quite a few places, though other areas around Victoria also have good opportunities for fruit picking. In terms of income, most fruit picking jobs pay per the quantity that you pick: if you're quick, it's possible to earn quite a substantial amount of money.
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs and Seek are two online job search websites.
Learn
Melbourne has a number of reputable universities. At the fore is the University of Melbourne and Monash University, though others such as La Trobe University, RMIT and Deakin University also have a high standard of education. There are also a wide number of TAFE colleges, which provide hands-on courses with a vocational bent. TAFE courses are substantially cheaper than university courses.
Many of these universities and TAFE colleges offer short courses or exchange programs. The Centre for Adult Education also has an excellent selection of short courses in everything from Indonesian to web design or beginner's guitar.
Keep connected
Internet
There are a large number of internet cafés scattered around Melbourne. A good number of regular cafés also offer free wifi access to their customers.
Phone
Australia is on a GSM 900/1800 network, so if you have an unlocked phone that works on those frequencies, you will be able to buy a prepaid SIM-card and stick into your phone when you're in Melbourne. You will receive a new Australian phone number with the SIM-card.
To dial out of Australia use the prefix 0011, followed by the calling code of the country you are trying to reach, followed by the area code of the city/town (without the 0!) and finally the phone number.
Within Australia, it is necessary to add an area code to the phone numbers if you are calling from outside the area.
Melbourne's area code is 03, which is the same for all of Victoria and Tasmania. If dialling interstate, use one of the following area codes.
02 - New South Wales & Australian Capital Territory (Sydney, Canberra)
07 - Queensland (Brisbane)
08 - Western Australia, South Australia & Northern Territory (Perth, Adelaide, Darwin)
000 is the emergency telephone number in Australia, but the international GSM mobile emergency telephone number 112 also works on mobile phones.
Post
Australia Post is the government's postal service. Most suburbs will have at least one post office. A standard letter or postcard sent within Australia will cost $0.50. Internationally, it costs $1.25 (to other Asia-Pacific countries) or $1.85 (rest of the world). It is also possible to send things as parcels or by express mail.
Melbourne's General Post Office, located on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke St, was gutted by a fire in 2001. It was eventually decided to turn it into an up-market shopping arcade, known as Melbourne's GPO. Small post offices can be found scattered throughout the city, and are often linked to a newsagent.
Further Afield
Yarra Valley
Do a day trip into the Yarra Valley and taste wines at any number of the dozens of quality wineries. Make sure you get someone else to drive, or do it as part of a tour group (cost varies, but around $100).
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia's most popular road trips - and with very good reason. The dramatic cliff edge drive is enthralling, even before you make it to the 12 Apostles.
Mornington Peninsula
A beach holiday destination south-east of Melbourne. The farther you travel down the peninsula, the more upmarket the houses become. Some of Victoria's most expensive houses can be found in this part of the state.
Dandenong Ranges
Great views of the city can be seen from these hills to the east. Other attractions include some beautiful gardens, a steam train known as Puffing Billy and William Ricketts Sanctuary, a fascinating sculpture garden.
Philip Island
Watch the penguins come in at night, along with hundreds of other tourists.
Visitor Information Centre
The well-resourced Melbourne Visitor Centre can be found at Federation Square on the corner of Flinders Street and Swanston Street. It is open from 9am to 6pm, 7 days a week. Phone: (03) 9658 9658
References
- 1 (June 2006 est.) Source: City of Melbourne
- 2 Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology
- 3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moomba
- 4 http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/
- 5 An Australian term used to refer to small neighbourhood grocery stores.
- 6 City Circle Tram Map
- 7 http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=308&pg=2701
This is version 67. Last edited at 8:13 on May 5, 08 by dr.pepper (+66). 29 articles link to this page.
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