If you’re thinking about traveling to Australia, make sure to add Melbourne into your list. The city is the perfect place for you to tour, relax or indulge in some great entertainment. It scores a wide choice of quaint and classy bars and restaurants serving tasty cuisines fit for those who are passionate about food and wine. The Melbourne Docklands which covers an area 2km of from the western side of Melbourne's central business district offers a startling view of a waterfront area centered on the banks of Yarra River.
The city is also notable for its cultural institutions and art centers, with endless options of libraries, art galleries, theatres and live music extravaganzas. The Ian Potter Center of the National Gallery of Victoria is home to an impressive collection of almost 25,000 paintings, decorative arts, photography, sculptures and drawings. The International Films Festival becomes another highlight to this wonderful city during the winter season between July and August.
There is an expansive choice of departmental stores and shopping centers as you meander through the city streets and arcades of Melbourne. The Melbourne Central is popular among tourists as it groups over 200 shops, cafes and restaurants, making it an ideal getaway for shopping lovers. Another great shopping destination is the Harbour Town Melbourne. Its unique two levels of laneway shopping offers a massive blend of exciting branded outlets, specialty stores and merchandises. With discounts of up to 70% off the regular retail price, you will find it difficult to not shop till you drop!
PLACE TO VISIT
City Centre - probably has the most to attract the traveller than any other in
Melbourne. Hit the streets and soak in the energy, and make sure that you take as many
coffee breaks as possible in between your sight-seeing and shopping so that you can
make the best of the many cafes the City Centre has to offer.
Docklands - an entire new precinct filled with shops, bars, restaurants and a
stadium with a waterside setting
Eureka Tower - tallest building in the southern hemisphere, panoramic views of the
whole of Melbourne
Parliament House of Victoria - the first seat of the Australian federal
government, free tours are available on week days
Queen Victoria Market - huge and colourful, fresh and dry produce and tonnes of
souvenirs and other interesting things
State Library - pretty good if you're into books, city architecture and free internet
Southgate - pretty promenade on the south bank of the Yarra, good restaurants, bars
and a Sunday art & craft market
Federation Square - modernistic but wonderful space to see Melbournians live
life plus popular bars and tourist info centre
Melbourne Museum - this billion dollar museum, unfortunately, is really not worth
the hefty admission price. By trying to be "all things for all people" this museum has no
focus and ends up being very bland with few if any compelling exhibits.
Melbourne Zoo - usual assortment of zoo animals in a natural-like setting with lots
of Australian native species too. Jazz at the Zoo is a popular weekend evening function
over the summer months for a picnic, music and evening stroll around the animal
enclosures
Woodlands Historic Park - immediately north of Melbourne Airport, contains an
1840s homestead and a nature reserve
Royal Botanic Gardens - water restrictions limit traditional floral gardens. It does
have nice old trees, drought tolerant displays, a cafe and grassy places to loll about. In
summer you can see outdoor movies and Shakespeare plays
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Melbourne is serviced by two airports, Melbourne International Airport at
Tullamarine (International/Domestic) about 25km north of the city centre, and Avalon
Airport (New Zealand/Domestic Only), about 60km west of Melbourne towards Geelong.
By train - All intercity rail services from interstate and intrastate destinations operate to
and from Southern Cross Station (formerly Spencer Street Station), located on the
western edge of Melbourne's central business district. The station has recently been
renovated and has excellent links to the rest of the city's public transport network as it is
part of the City Loop.
Train rides from major cities take about 10 hours. CountryLink operates a twice daily
service from Sydney (10½ hours away), a faster alternative to driving. Great Southern
Railway run four services a week from Adelaide (10-11 hours away).
By car - From Sydney, the quickest route is the Hume Highway, which takes about
9-10 hours (non-stop). A less popular, longer route is along the coast on the Princes
Highway. This adds several hours to the journey as it is longer in distance and there are
fewer bypasses.
Adelaide is slightly closer, and can be reached in 7 hours. Once again, it is possible to go
inland or along the coast - the coast is very scenic, but will add a couple of hours to the
journey.
Although not often travelled, a direct journey from Brisbane takes around 20 hours
(non-stop) and takes you further inland through areas not commonly visited (along the
Newell Highway). This makes an interesting alternative to the more common
Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne coastal route.
By bus - Bus services to Melbourne from out of state are provided by Firefly Express
and Greyhound (incorporating McCaffertys). Bus services within Victoria are operated by
V/Line, and operate from most major and many minor Victorian towns. VicLink is a handy
website to manage your state-wide travel on trains and buses across Victoria.
By boat - Melbourne can be reached from Devonport, Tasmania by car/passenger
ferries run by Spirit of Tasmania. The journey takes 10 hours and runs every night (in both
directions), departing at 9pm and arriving at 7am. During the peak of Summer, there are
also day sailings (departing 9am, arriving 7pm) on many days - check in advance.
Ticket prices depend on time of year and your sleeping accommodation. A seat (no bed)
is the cheapest, starting (in off-peak season) from $108 for adults and $82 for children.
Bear in mind, the seat is most uncomfortable, equivalent to a cinema seat. Cabins with
bunk beds start from $187 adults, $97 children. Peak season costs are about 25%
higher. Cars cost $59 all year round.
