Melbourne Stories and Tips

Quote: Melbourne is a city full of art, from council-commissioned, outdoor sculptures to graffiti in the inner city lanes. Melbourne is not blessed with the strikingly beautiful situation Sydney has, and it doesn't have a single iconic building comparable to Sydney's Opera House and Harbour Bridge,…

Quote: Melbourne is a city of culture, with a bohemian as well as a snobbishly sophisticated edges to it, and possibly the most civilised (whatever "civilised" might mean here) of the Australian cities. The multi-national but mostly of European origins population as well as a climate…

Quote: Getting around Melbourne is easy. In fact the city is served by an extensive public transport network which is of world-standard. It has one of the world's most extensive tram networks, almost 300 bus routes and a train system with more than 15 lines. Unlike…

Quote: Standing at Federation Square, I could see the Yarra River, a river that is nearly as polluted as the Brisbane, stretching from the CBD down past the major sporting complexes of Melbourne - the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) and Rod Laver Arena. Even though I…

Quote: The one place that my host in Melbourne refused to let me miss was Federation Square. One of the most controversial buildings in Melbourne, Federation Square was apparently built as a tribute to Australia's centennial year. It is definitely an odd-looking building, seemingly created from…

Quote: Melbourne's network of trains, trams, and a select few buses is excellent and will get you around the city cheaply and efficiently. And generally provides a better option than driving (with the big city hassles of parking and traffic). The general set-up is 17 suburban train…

Quote: If you ever decide to go to Melbourne, Australia and want to know what clothes to pack, this will give you a basic idea of what to bring. Melbourne is not a city known for its stable weather patterns. In fact, it's been described by locals…

Quote: Sidewalk cafes, second-hand shops, bikers and rollerbladers, an amusement park and a craft market make St. Kilda a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon. It is just a 25-minute ride from downtown aboard any of the "St. Kilda Beach" trams that go by. Guidebooks say…

Quote: Whenever I visit a new city, I always look out for its bohemian quarter. In many cities around the world there is a district that is a byword for twenty-something trendiness. My twenties are receding into the distance, but I still like the look and feel…

Quote: I got used to the "newness" of Australia.You know the feel and smell of something when the wrapping has just been taken off--that was the feeling I got with this country. Everything is new and unused. This is made evident in the excellent Immigration Museum,…