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Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria and the second-largest city in Australia. It is situated on the Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay. Melbourne is considered to be one of Australia's most cosmopolitan city where cafes, fine food, wines and the arts are highly regarded. The city is lush with many beautiful gardens, parks and sculptures scattered throughout. South Bank, close to the city heart and situated on the Yarra, is lively yet relaxed area that caters for coffee buffs and conesouirs of fine food. Melbourne's 3.8 million population, is both multicultural (with large Greek, Italian, Jewish, Vietnamese and other immigrant communities) and sports-mad.
OrientationCity Centre - Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) and historical centre is on the north side of the Yarra River. Southbank is located on the southern side of the Yarra and the new Docklands precinct is to the west. Albert Park is the home of Melbourne's F1 Grand Prix circuit which circles Albert Park Lake. Prahran is a favourite shopping district with Chapel Street as its main attraction. Richmond - North Richmond is Melbourne's Little Vietnam while the southern part of the district is famous for low price fashion outlets. South Melbourne South Yarra - South of the river, with high-end shopping and dining, covers South Yarra and Toorak. St Kilda - suburb on Port Philip Bay with its famous Sunday art market, also Melbourne's red light district. Eastern suburbs - highly desirable parts of Melbourne to be living in, stretching from almost inner suburbs of Kew, Hawthorn and Camberwell to the outer areas like Belgrave, Lilydale, Ringwood, Glen Waverley and the Dandenong Ranges. Northern suburbs - include Tullamarine, Broadmeadows, Epping, Bundoora and Eltham. Southern suburbs - spread along the coast of Port Philip Bay and covers suburbs Brighton, Elwood, Sandringham and Frankston. The main attraction is the beach along the bay. Western suburbs - includes areas like St Albans, Keilor, Altona, Laverton and WerribeeWeatherCultureMelbourne considers itself the cultural capital of Australia, a boast supported by its many art galleries, film festivals, orchestras, choral and opera productions, vibrant live music scene and a strong food, wine and coffee culture. Particular events to note include the Melbourne International Film Festival in August, the International Art Festival in October, and the Melbourne Comedy Festival in April, as well as individual concerts and exhibitions throughout the year. In addition to the Melbourne Museum, there are special museums dedicated to subjects such as science, immigration, Chinese history, Jewish history, sport, racing, film and moving image, railways, police, fire brigades and banking.SportMelburnians are sports enthusiasts and particularly passionate about Australian Rules football, a sport invented in Melbourne. In fact AFL is not so much a sport as a religion in Melbourne with 9 of the 10 Victorian teams being based in Melbourne, the only other being based in Geelong. As a guide, the entire national competition only has 16 teams, meaning over half the league is based in Melbourne. Horseracing is another passion, and the majority of the state has a public holiday on the first Tuesday of November for the racing of the Melbourne Cup, one of the world’s famous horse races. Cricket is the big summer sport and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the 'MCG') is one of the world's leading grounds. Each January Melbourne hosts tennis' Australian Open, one of the world’s four Grand Slam championships. In March, Melbourne hosts the first race of the Formula One season. The race is held in Albert Park in South Melbourne. Melbournians have also taken Football (Soccer) to their hearts in recent times. The Melbourne Victory, playing in Australia's premier competition, the A-League, enjoy enormous crowds and colourful, boistrous support at their home ground, the Telstra Dome. Melbourne is the unquestioned sporting capital of Australia with the largest arenas and two of the major sporting administrations basing their operation in Melbourne: Cricket Australia is a stone's throw from the MCG, and the Australian Football League is based at the Telstra Dome.Get inPlaneMelbourne is serviced by two airports, Melbourne International Airport at Tullamarine (International/Domestic) and Avalon Airport (New Zealand/Domestic Only), both located West of Melbourne.Melbourne International Airport (Tullamarine)Melbourne Airport, located 22 km north-west of the city centre at Tullamarine, provides regular access from all major Australian cities, as well as many international destinations across Europe, America, Asia and the South Pacific region. Note that due to Australia's distance from most parts of the world, many international flights may go via an Asian hub (for example Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong) or a Pacific Hub like Auckland, and/or transfer in Sydney.The airport is divided into three terminals, T1, T2 and T3 which are all in the same building. T1 (the "North Terminal") is host to Qantas and Jetstar domestic services T2 (the "International Terminal") is host to international services. It is the middle terminal of the airport. T3 (the "South Terminal") is host to Virgin Blue and Regional Express REX domestic services. All arrivals are on the lower level of the terminals, with departures from the upper level. Unlike many airports around the world, all the terminals at Melbourne Airport are connected and within easy walking distance of each other. However, each terminal has separate security screening, and access between terminals is not available once in the sterile area. Taxis between the airport and the city centre cost around $40-$45 and take about 25 minutes when traffic is no problem. Skybus, tel 9670 7992, runs a 24/7 shuttle to and from the Southern Cross Bus Terminal on Spencer Street at the west end of the Central Business District, just north of Lonsdale Street. The trip takes 20 minutes and is the fastest way between the airport and city by road (it uses an enhanced freeway route with bus lanes). It costs $15 adult one-way, $24 adult return, $5 child one-way (between 4 and 14 years of age). There are also several family ticket options available. There are two airport pickup locations. One is outside the Virgin Blue/REX terminal (T3), 50m from the international terminal (T2). The other is outside the Qantas/Jetstar domestic terminal (T1). There are ticket desks at both T1 and T3, and if unattended tickets can be purchased electronically or from the driver. Frequency ranges from hourly during the wee hours to quarter hourly from about 6:30am-7:30pm (always on the quarter hour). They also run a connection service between the terminal and central hotels/hostels during the day (M-F 6am-8pm, Sa-Su 8am-6pm). Book hotel pick-up 3 hours ahead. Bookings are not needed for travel from the airport to hotels. It is worth noting that the Skybus will drop you at Southern Cross bus terminal, which is connected (albeit not very well) to Southern Cross train station, where you can board all suburban trains and country/interstate trains. Avalon AirportAvalon Airport , is Situated in the Geelong outer suburb of Lara. The Airport is located 55 km to the south-west of Melbourne. Sun Bus Australia operates a shuttle service to Melbourne's CBD at $19 per adult one way. The Avalon Airport Shuttle provides a service to other areas of Victoria from $12 per adult one way. Avalon Airport is serviced by Qantas subsidiary low-cost airline Jetstar which services destinations such as Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin and Perth.Note that Avalon is quite a distance from Melbourne city (about 50 minutes drive), although only 10 minutes from Geelong. Avoid a taxi as this will cost around AU$100. Consider arriving at Melbourne Airport if possible for convenience. Avalon Airport itself is host to the biannual Avalon International Airshow, the most recent being held in March, 2007. TrainAll 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). Services from cities within Victoria are operated by V/Line. These services operate from regional centers such as Geelong, Ballarat, Albury, Bendigo, Bairnsdale. Note that V/Line also operates bus services which connect with these trains. VicLink is a handy website to manage your state-wide travel on trains and buses across Victoria. Regional Victoria's public transport is controlled by VicLink. CarFrom Sydney, the quickest route is the Hume Highway, which takes about 9-10 hours (non-stop). A more 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 24 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. BusBus 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. BoatMelbourne 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. Get aroundBy footMelbourne is an excellent city for walking and you should have no problems navigating the CBD. It is a very large metropolitan area, but most areas of interest can be reached within about 20 minutes from the CBD on the train or tram. Maps can be purchased from bookstores such as Angus & Robertson , taken from Federation Square or viewed online. If you're planning on taking the train to a specific area and walking the rest of the way, a combination of the afore-mentioned site and a decent printer will serve you well.Public transportMelbourne has an extensive network of public transport making private vehicle travel unnecessary for most trips around the city and regional Victoria.Melbourne’s public transport system, known as Metlink, comprises of trams, trains and buses: trams service the central city and inner suburbs, trains service the suburbs, and buses where there are no tram or train tracks. A single ticket (called a "Metcard") allows travel on all three modes of transport. The trains are generally dirty, slow, run down, hot in the summer time and fairly expensive to ride($9.90 fare from the city to the suburbs). If you are from Europe do not expect the clean, safe, modern, efficient public transport that you may be used to. The "Met Shop" in the Melbourne Town Hall, on the corner of Swanston St and Little Collins St provides timetables and brochures, and sells tickets, maps and travel merchandise (open 8.30am-5pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm Saturday). The Metlink Information Centre, ph 131638 (131MET), every day 7am-9pm, provides information and the Metlink website also provides information including maps, fares and zones and all timetables. Metcards are also available from: many retail businesses (especially 7-Eleven stores) train stations - less than one-quarter of Melbourne's suburban train stations are staffed. At unstaffed stations, Metcard vending machines are provided. All ticket machines accept coins and will issue a maximum of $10.00 in change. Most stations will also have at least 1 machine that will take notes but little-used railway stations may have just coin-only machines. trams - all trams have a coin-only ticket machine that issues a limited range of tickets (up to a day-ticket). Metcards are divided into "Zones", with Zone 1 covering the central city and inner suburbs (and consequently almost the entire tram network) and Zone 2 covering the middle suburbs and some outer suburbs. Until recently Zone 3 covered the remaining outer suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula however this has now been incorporated into a 2-zone system. Almost all tickets are time-based; that is, they can be used for the given period of time within the specified zone(s) from the first time you use it. The following are the most useful tickets (and some indicative costs) for travellers (fares as at 3/06/2007): two-hour (adult Zone 1 $3.30) daily (adult Zone 1 $6.30) weekly (adult Zone 1 $27.60) Sunday Saver (travel across all zones, all day Sunday; $2.50 but the ticket is not available at automatic ticket machines) City Saver (a single trip within the CBD only; adult $2.40) Concession Metcards are available for all children aged under fifteen years, but concessions for older students are only available to Victorian residents who are eligible and have paid for a student concession card. Concessions are also available to holders of Victorian Seniors Cards, Victorian Health Care Cards, and Australian Pensioner Concession Cards. A concession Metcard costs roughly half the price of an adult Metcard. Children under 4 years old travel free. Before each journey, and sometimes to gain access to the station platforms, a metcard must be "validated" by inserting it into a validation machine. On trams, the metcard must be validated after boarding the tram; however, tickets purchased on the tram (from the machine) are already validated. Note that a two-hour metcard that is validated for the first time at 6:01pm (18:01) or later is valid for the rest of the night, so if you’re heading out after 6pm for an evening’s entertainment, don't buy or validate a day ticket. Note that you will not be allowed to leave a station with fare gates if you did not validate your ticket before you first got on the train. Ticket inspections are rare during peak hour for obvious reasons, but more common during the middle of the day. You'll find that Flinders Street station and the adjacent tram stops almost always have a large population of inspectors floating around who'll swoop on you as soon as you make a move to exit the station - especially if you appear to be young or are carrying a concession ticket. If you are caught using a concession ticket without a concession card, you will be fined. The ticket barriers have a light on the top which flashes if you are using a concession ticket. It has now been written into law that your ticket can be inspected even after you have left your train, tram or bus. Fines start at $158 and can be as high as $500. Services generally operate between 6:00am and midnight Monday to Saturday, and after 8:00am Sunday morning. After midnight on Saturday and Sunday mornings only there are NightRider buses which run defined routes to the suburbs. Metcards are now valid on Nightrider services, but you should keep in mind that daily and 2-hourly Metcards expire at 3:00am - if you're boarding a bus after this time, you'll need to buy or validate a new ticket. If you board a bus scheduled to depart before the expiry time on your ticket, it will be considered valid for your entire journey, even if you don't alight until after it expires. Although Melbourne is a reasonably safe city, crime can and does occur on public transport. If you're waiting at a station at night, it would be wise to stand in the designated 'safety area'. These areas are well lit and provide easy access to the emergency intercom. You'll find that the trains have intercoms as well, but be warned: if you move to the next carriage to send a message to the driver, everyone onboard will be able to hear it. The free City Circle trams run around the CBD perimeter, covering Flinders St, Spring St, Nicholson St, Victoria St, La Trobe St and Harbour Esplanade. They run in both directions every 12 minutes every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day from 10am-6pm, and until 9pm Thursday-Saturday during daylight savings. Several of the trams on this service are equipped with recorded commentary about attractions passed. They are geared to visitors and are a great introduction to central Melbourne. The free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle bus service stops at key tourist destinations in and around the city. The buses run at 15 minute intervals between 10am and 4pm every day. A complete circuit takes 45 minutes, and there is onboard commentary. BikeMelbourne has an excellent network of bike paths, making pedal-power a great way to take in the city. Most paths are "shared footways" under the law, although the majority of users in most places are cyclists. This means cyclists should expect to share the path with pedestrians, dog-walkers, rollerbladers, joggers, prams and tricycles. Some trails contain on-road sections (in marked bike lanes). It is legal to cycle on footpaths only when supervising cycling children or when the path is marked or signposted as allowing bikes. Helmets are required by law, and care should be taken when cycling near slippery tram tracks.The main paths of interest to travellers are: The Yarra River Trail runs from the mouth of Melbourne's iconic Yarra River, through the city and onwards to Westerfolds Park in the outer suburbs. The Capital City Trail runs a circuit through Melbourne's inner suburbs, the Docklands precinct and the city. It's a good way to see a slice of day-to-day life. The Bay Trail is a pleasant trek aroung Port Phillip Bay, running from Port Melbourne, through the bustling beachside precinct of St Kilda, past the famous bathing sheds of Brighton, all the way to Carrum. A punt operates under the West Gate Bridge allowing a start at Altona Meadows along the Williamstown Trail, across the punt, and joining with the Bay Trail. Detailed maps of the bike path network can be found here. Information about cycling rules can be found at Bicycle Victoria . Bikes can be hired from Hire-a-Bike near Federation Square at Vault 14 Princes Walk, Federation Wharf on the north side of the Yarra, ph 0417 339 203. CarThe cheapest car rentals are from places like Rentabomb but use may be restricted to the Melbourne metropolitan area.Mid-range rental companies give good value. Try: Snappy, 225 Franklin St, Central Melbourne or 79 Matthews Ave, Airport West Crown, 371-379 King St, Central Melbourne or its affiliate Abel, 247 Mickleham Rd, Tullamarine. The more pricey major chains are well-represented. These include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Thrifty. Be aware of rental car insurance conditions in Australia. You will pay an excess on damage even if it is not your fault. Driving in the city shouldn't be attempted without at least a basic map! You can buy a very detailed 'Melways' or 'UBD' directory of the metro area from most bookstores or petrol stations. Drivers should watch out for "hook turns" in the inner city areas. Normally, a driver would have to be in the right-most lane of a multilane street in order to legally perform a right turn. When a hook turn is indicated by a sign "Right turn from left only", the driver must go as far as practicable into the intersection, staying on the left. When the light of the street you are turning into turns green, you complete the turn. Lots of Melbournians are confused about this, but you should not complete the turn until you get a green light on the street you are turning into. The point of hook turns is to keep all turning cars away from the tram tracks, as it is an offence to delay a tram by trying to turn right across traffic. Check out Wikipedia's hook turn page. Check out CityLink's site for details of Melbourne's T-shaped tollway which links the Westgate, Tullamarine and Monash (formerly South-Eastern) freeways. It is a fully electronic road with no manual toll gates. You can buy a day pass in advance, or within 3 days of having driven down it, giving your registration and car details. You can do this by phone, internet, or at some Shell petrol stations. The registered owner of the car will get a fine in the mail if you do not buy a pass within 3 days. The tolled sections are indicated with purple and orange signs, rather than the standard green and white. CityLink can cut a worthwhile amount of time from your journey, especially if you are driving from, say, the south-eastern suburbs to Melbourne Airport. Motorcycles are free, cars are around $11/day. Larger vehicles are more. In progress is the EastLink tollway. Formerly called the Scoresby, then the Mitcham-Frankston freeway, it will link the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula freeways. SeeMelbourne has a seemingly endless list of attractions. Here is a listing according to their respective districts. Please go to the respective district pages for full details.City CentreThe 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 Center 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 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 AFL Sensation - a great introduction to Australian Football Southbank - pretty promenade on the south bank of the Yarra, good restaurants and a Sunday art market Federation Square - modernistic but wonderful space to see Melbournians live life CarltonThe attractions in Carlton are mostly recreational, thanks to the huge Royal Park in Parkville, historical as it houses the museum, and cultural with its strong Italian heritage.Lygon Street - chock-a-block with Italian restaurants, gelatelerias and coffee shops 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. IMAX Cinema - right next to the museum Melbourne Zoo St KildaSt Kilda is Melbourne's beachside suburb and is tremendously popular.Luna Park - historic amusement park built in 1912 St Kilda Pier - popular spot for fishing and walking St Kilda Esplanade - fine place for walking, skating, sunbathing and on Sundays, the Esplanade Sunday market St Kilda Botanical Gardens - first trees planted in 1859 Jewish Museum of Australia - depicts history of the Jewish community in Australia Jewish Holocaust Museum South YarraGreenery and high-end living are the main draws to South Yarra.Royal Botanic Gardens - while not having any impressive flower gardens it does have some nice trees and the grass is green when water restrictions are not in effect. Toorak Road - kilometre-long strip of fashionable shops PrahranPrahran lies to the south of the city and shopping is the main draw.Chapel Street - famous for its street cafes, boutiques and op shops Prahran Market - smaller version of Queen Victoria Market. Northern MelbourneTullamarineWoodlands Historic Park - immediately north of Melbourne Airport, contains an 1840s homestead and a nature reserve Southern suburbsBrightonBrighton Beach - one of Melbourne's favourite beaches To DoIn Melbourne there are almost limitless things to do from visiting Science Works and the Melbourne Planetarium the Victoria Museum and Melbourne Museum to wandering around The National Gallery of Victoria . Stroll through The Royal Botanic Gardens established in 1846, and take a look at the three zoo's Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Zoo and Healsville Sanctuary. Whilst in town catch a game of Aussie Rules or cricket at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) otherwise known as the 'G'. It is a must do in a city fanatical about its footy. Visit St Kilda beach and visit the famous Luna Park with rides and a magical Carousel is known as the 'Jewel in the Crown'.See interesting films at Cinema Nova in Carlton, the Kino or ACMI in the city, or the Astor in Windsor. There are several moonlight cinema programmes in summer. The Melbourne International Film Festival is on in August. Visit a comedy club. The Comic's Lounge has shows for $10-25 including a show filmed for Channel 31 on Mondays, or dinner and show for $45. The Comedy Club has dinner and show for $32 and shows only beginning at $7 (discount ticket price). Watch the mesmorising process of personalised hard candy being hand-made at Suga. Around lunch time is a good time to see (and sample!). There is one store at Queen Victoria Market, but if you visit the Royal Arcade location, you can also watch chocolate making next door at Koko Black. Watch a game of AFL football at the MCG or Telstra Dome during the winter, or a Cricket Match during the summer, AFL Fixtures Cricket Fixtures bookings at both the MCG and Telstra can be made through Ticketmaster. WorkIf you have an appropriate Visa (e.g. Work & Holiday Visa, temporary work) you can join a temp agency and get placed in positions all around Melbourne. To get started it's recommend to walk around in the Backpacker Hostels and look for the jobs corner or surf in the Internet. Although checking the website of major companies in your preffered industry will give you an idea which positions are open.BuyMelbourne is arguably the Fashion Capital of Australia. Bridge Road is a strip where warehouse direct outlets rule and no one pays recommended retail price. Chapel Street in South Yarra is a favourite among the locals, with its spread of exclusive boutiques, cafes and well established chain stores. In the CBD itself, Little Collins Street is home to some of the world's top designers and fashion houses; Collins St also boasts a Louis Vuitton outlet. Brunswick Street features an eclectic mix of vintage, retro and alternative gear for the more adventurous. There are also several huge shopping complexes in the suburbs, such as Chadstone (dubbed "the Fashion Capital") in the South-East and Knox City in the outer East. and With its numerous Shopping Malls and boutique lined streets, Melbourne has more than enough to keep the most avid shoppers happy!EatFor the culinary traveller, Melbourne is one of the best destinations in the world. There is an abundance of affordable, high quality restaurants representing almost every cuisine. Excellent eateries can be found throughout all of the inner (and some outer) suburbs, while certain neighbourhoods have become magnets for residents and restaurants of particular countries. The multitude of cafés scattered throughout the city and suburbs offer reasonably well priced meals for the budget traveller. Pubs are also well represented and usually offer large meals at inexpensive prices.DrinkCoffeeCaffeine lovers rejoice, for Melbourne is a city of cafes. Fuelled by the passion of Italian migrants arriving in the aftermath of World War II, Melbourne's lauded cafe culture makes it one of the few cities in the world where an espresso is never more than a few metres away. Thousands of cafes, ranging from the bohemian and cool of Fitzroy to the Euro-chic glamour of Collins Street or the traditional coffee houses of Carlton, are waiting to dispense half-froth decaf-a-chinos, soy lattes, or just a high-fuel espresso. All caffeine addicts have to fear in Melbourne is a case of the jitters. Warning: There is plenty of bad coffee in Melbourne too and if all you want is an ordinary cup of filtered coffee, rather than a cappuccino, espresso, late, etc, your best bet is Mcdonald's or Starbucks. Travellers from North America who are used to paying 75 cents for a cup of coffee should beware that a coffee in Melbourne is generally in the $3-$5 range (except at McDonald's) and that if you'd like to go out for a coffee in the evening that virtually all coffee shops, at least in the suburbs, are closed for the day by 5pm!BarsThe past decade has seen a revival of Melbourne's inner-city bar scene, with dozens of weird and wonderful watering holes opening up within forgotten alleyways and anonymous lanes of the City Center (CBD). Melbourne also has its fair share of stylish places to drink, although the better ones can be hard to find. The theory seems to be: the harder your bar is to find, the more people will talk about it. Secrets are tucked around areas like Prahran, South Yarra and many other areas.Melburnians often draw a distinction between 'bars', meaning the small watering holes described above, and 'pubs' which are larger establishments in the usual Australian or British sense of the word. Melbourne's pubs, particularly those in the city and inner suburbs, usually serve restaurant-standard food and a wide range of local and imported beers. Pubs usually offer lunch from approximately midday to 2pm, and reopen their kitchens for dinner from approximately 6pm to 9pm. ContactPostAfter a fire gutted the original building in 2001, most of Melbourne's grand General Post Office (250 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne; Phone: 13 13 18; Fax: 9203 3078; Mon-Fri 8.30am to 5.30pm, Sat 9am to 4pm, Sun 10am to 4pm; www.australiapost.com.au) has now been turned into an upmarket retail precinct, but it still has a range of postal services including post restante.PhoneTelstra payphones are easily found through the city, but many are being phased out due to growing mobile phone ownership. These phones are coin-operated or use prepaid Telstra Phonecards, which are available from most convenience stores or newsagents. International calling cards are also available at these outlets.Mobile phone coverage within the CBD and surrounds is usually good-to-excellent. Melbourne's area code is 03. InternetInternet cafes are dotted throughout the city, especially near the backpacker enclaves of St Kilda and Flinders Street. Speeds are usually excellent and rates range from $2.50 - $12 per hour, the cheapest usually found in combination market/internet cafes in the Asian parts of town. Some of the best include:The store "mag nation" on 88 Elizabeth St has a free wireless network. As usual Down Under, it's rather slow (dial-up speed), but the ones you pay for aren't faster either. e:FiftyFive (55 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne) is like a huge basement lounge room that feels more like a bar than an internet cafe. Great DJs, comfortable couches and dirt-cheap $2/hour internet access when you buy a drink attract plenty of travellers and will make writing that email home an enjoyable experience. World Wide Wash (361 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy) is a laundromat with plenty of internet terminals to keep you busy while your socks are tumble drying. There's an espresso machine, friendly staff and their motto is "Our internet is so fast you'll s*#t your pants ... and then you can wash them!" The City Library (253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne) offers free internet access to members - temporary membership is available. The service will soon have charges. The State Library offers free internet at many workstations and does not require membership. You can get a free membership for access to free wireless web access, however, the wireless access is limited and you may not be able to access some sites and services. You'll find that some of the McDonald's restaurants in the city offer wireless access as well, provided by Telstra. It's around $12 an hour though, so certainly not the cheapest option. Stay safeMelbourne is a relatively safe city, but the usual precautions still apply as for any large city, including keeping valuables hidden, and travelling with a friend or companion on the street or a train late at night, if possible. Certain areas which are fine during the day can be unsafe at night if you are alone, including the Collingwood and Footscray areas. Melbourne's red-light districts include King Street in the CBD and Grey Street, St Kilda, but you're more likely to face drunken revelers and unwelcome approaches from street walkers than any major threat. Melbourne City Council has also recently established all-night "Safe City" taxi ranks with security guards on King Street, outside Flinders Street Station and on Bourke Street. If traveling by train at night, travel in the front carriage close to the driver's area and note emergency buttons. If a problem occurs, push emergency buttons on the train or railway station to attract attention. Stay in Safety Zones while on stations at night. These are marked with yellow lines and are usually well lit and have emergency buttons as well as about 4 cameras pointed at the area. Robbery does happen on the train system, especially at night, though, no more frequently than expected with most big cities. Railway police patrol most services. If you are driving your own car or rented automobile, car theft or break-in is possible. Avoid temptation by hiding valuables out of sight, and always lock the car and leave the windows up before you leave. If you are waiting in your car, it is only sensible to lock the car as well. A police officer will always show ID before asking you to open your door or window. Pickpocketing is uncommon in Melbourne, but be aware of your belongings out the front of Flinders Street station and the first block of Swanston Street (between Flinders and Collins Streets). Beggars frequent the southern ends of Elizabeth and Swanston Streets, Bourke Street Mall, and the intersection of Bourke and Russell Streets. Very rarely are they threatening or aggressive however. Although scams are rare in Melbourne, be wary of real estate agents (especially if you have newly arrived and plan to stay only for the short term). There have been many cases of real estate agents preying upon overseas students in particular. Common scams include charging tenants for costs that don't exist (eg. charges for 'advertising' when tenants move out) and deducting costs for non-existent reparations and cleaning from the bond. Be sure to consult the [Tenants Union of Victoria www.tuv.org.au and know your rights when you are charged for anything and move in and out. As with any large metropolis, be vigilant but not paranoid, as Melbourne is generally a very safe city. Get outMelbourne is more-or-less centrally located on the coast of Victoria, and there are many natural and manmade attractions close enough to easily visit in a day's return drive. Another way to visit regional Victoria is utilising the VicLink public transport system. Regular train journeys leave from Southern Cross station.Take a day trip to visit Phillip Island and watch the fairy penguins make their nightly trek up the beach, or visit the wineries of the Southern Peninsula which is less than two hours drive away. Hostels
Melbourne's budget accommodation options can be found in two main areas, namely in the City Center and in ths seaside suburb of St Kilda. However, outside these two areas, there are also several popular budget options in bohemian Fitzroy, South Melbourne, and Windsor Please note that around the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix (early March) and other international events, hostel accommodation is booked out and some hostels raise their prices. Be sure to book ahead. Book your hostel bed in Melbourne here!
More Hostels... This page was last modified 18 June 2007. Information based on work by Leong Shen-li and Anthony Holmes, Anonymous sources and others contributions at wikitravel. This pages content is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0.
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There are no mark ups on the rates so you can be confident that booking on Itchy Feet is as cheap as it gets!
Victoria