Melbourne/St Kilda

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Introduction

Melbourne's seaside suburb of St Kilda has been attracting holiday makers for years. Originally it was a beach getaway for rich people from the city. These days, the suburb's numerous hostels and seaside location attract backpackers from around the world.

Sights and Activities

Luna Park

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• Luna Park is an icon of Melbourne. It's a fun fair with roller coaster rides and the likes. It is entered through the mouth of a rather crazy looking clown.
• Acland Street is famous for its cake shops and cafés.
• The Upper Esplanade is elevated slightly back from the beach and has some nice views of the Bay. The landmark Esplanade Hotel can be found here, a popular music venue. On Sundays the Esplanade Market is held here.
• The Lower Esplanade lies right next to the beach and is home to landmarks including Luna Park, the Palais Theatre and the restored St Kilda Baths.
• The St Kilda Botanic Gardens in Blessington Street dates back to 1858 when it was converted from a rubbish dump and gravel pit. It's a good place to retreat for a picnic or to study the plants.
• The St Kilda Pier offers some nice views looking back at Melbourne. You can catch ferries to Williamstown or Southbank from the pier. The St Kilda Pier's Kiosk, a structure dating back to 1904, was devastated by fire in 2003, but was re-constructed in 2005.

Events and Festivals

• St Kilda Festival attracts huge crowds to the foreshore. Held on the beach foreshore in early February,St Kilda Festival is well known for large crowds, loud rock bands, fringe art, extreme sports, dance, and funky entertainment. Attracting more than 350,000 people each year, this FREE festival should be on every traveller's to-do list in Melbourne. See Outdoor music festivals in Victoria (Australia)
• St Kilda Film Festival is an annual short film festival run in May.
• The Esplanade Market - An arts and crafts market held every Sunday from 10am-5pm. Naturally, it's located on the Esplanade. Kind of hard to miss when it's happening
• The Linden Postcard Show features small contemporary artwork. The 6 best artworks are reproduced as postcards. The show runs every year in Feb/March at the Linden Centre for Contemporary Art at 26 Acland Street.

Getting There

St Kilda lies 5 kms out of Melbourne's centre, but is well served by several convenient tram lines.

By Tram

• The 96 tram (St Kilda-East Brunswick) will take you down Fitzroy Street, The Esplanade, Acland Street before eventually ending at Barkly Street. It can be caught from Bourke Street in the city.
• The 112 tram (St Kilda-West Preston) stops at Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. You can catch it on Collins Street in the city.
• The 79 tram (North Richmond - St Kilda Beach) is useful if you're trying to get to St Kilda from Richmond or Prahran. It travels down

Victoria Street, Church Street and Chapel Street to end its journey at Carlisle Street, right opposite Luna Park.

By Car

Drive down St Kilda Road. There is a confusion intersection towards the end when you're nearing St Kilda. It is probably easiest to turn right down Fitzroy Street when you get the chance. Parking is not easy in St Kilda, with much of on-street parking dedicated to permit zones.

By Bus

By Boat

Depending on the weather, the Williamstown ferry takes passengers from St Kilda to Williamstown and back on Saturdays and Sundays.

Getting Around

By Car

Parking is not great in St Kilda, so it is generally speaking advisable to find a park and get around the suburb on foot.

By Public Transport

The 96 Tram travels along Fitzroy Street, The Esplanade and Acland Street.

By Foot

Most of St Kilda can easily be explored on foot. The Lower Esplanade has a nice walking track along the beach which is very popular with joggers, cyclists, roller bladers and people just enjoying a nice day by the beach.

By Bike

There are some nice (shared) bike paths in St Kilda along the esplanade.

• St Kilda Cycles at 150 Barkly St can set you up with a bike for the day or week. Ph: 03 9534 3074

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