Melbourne

Beautiful Melbourne in Victoria Australia
Melbourne has always been characterized by innovation and enterprise. Melbourne is also Australia’s bar capital and hub of live music. The central business district not only serves its after-work drinkers but also attracts a young, trendy crowd of inner-city professionals. Many of Melbourne’s smarter bars are tucked away in the city’s numerous narrow lanes. Across the Yarra River, Southgate provides the arts precinct with a strip of bars with riverside views. Melbourne is a great city and often called Australian’s “European” enclave. It has a lot of culture, a lot of things to do, great art exhibits, and music. You could easily spend over a week here and not regret it.

Costs in Melbourne

  • Hostel Prices: Dorm rooms in Melbourne cost between $26-$34 AUD while private rooms cost around $80 AUD.
  • Budget Hotel prices: Hotel prices in Melbourne begin at $75 AUD per night.
  • Average Cost of Food: You can easily find pizza parlors, noodle bars, and cafes where you can eat for under $10. However, expect to pay between $15-20 AUD for most sit down restaurants. A week’s worth of food is between $50 to 75 AUD depending on what you buy.
  • Cost of Internet: Most internet is around $5 AUD per hour. McDonald’s has free wi-fi as do a few cafes.
  • Transportation Costs: Melbourne has an integrated public transport system based around extensive train, tram and bus networks. Its tram network is the largest in the world, while the rail network is one of the largest in the world. The Metlink will give you the prices for the train, trams, and buses depending on where you are going within the city.

Things to Do in Melbourne

  • Take the City Circle Tram: More a means to travel free to a number of central Melbourne’s sightseeing attractions, the City Circle Tram provides a “hop on, hop off” service to such places as Federation Square, Old Treasury Building, Parliament House and Princess Theater. There’s a running commentary as you pass or stop at a place of historical, cultural or architectural significance. The free City Circle Tram has now been joined by the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle, a free hop on, hop off shuttle bus service on another Melbourne city circuit.
  • Flinders St Station: Flinders St Station is a major landmark in central Melbourne and is also a popular place to meet. With Victorian architecture and large clock faces, Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station was built in the late 19th century. It is said to the busiest suburban railway station in the southern hemisphere.
  • Federation Square: Right along the route of the free Melbourne City Circle Tram lies Federation Square across the street from Flinders St Station. Both Flinders St Station and Federation Square have distinctive architectural styles. It’s a popular place to hang out.
  • NGV Australia: Located in Federation Square, this is the home of the National Gallery of Victoria’s Australian art collection, which is said to be the largest in the world. Admission to the permanent collection is free but fees may apply to special exhibitions.
  • Royal Botanic Gardens: Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne contain extensively landscaped gardens covering 35 hectares (86 acres) and feature thousands of plants from across Australia and around the world. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through a landscape of plants, shrubs and trees. Free guided walks or self-guided audio walks are available. It is open daily from 7.30am to 6pm April to October and until 7.30pm November to March.
  • Queen Victoria Market: The southern hemisphere’s largest open-air market, Queen Victoria Market offers fresh farm produce and a variety of merchandise. It’s a historic Melbourne landmark and a Melbourne institution dating back more than 120 years. It’s best to go on weekends when there are more vendors around.
  • Wine Tour: Wine tours are very popular in this area, and you can get a unique food and wine experience in Melbourne. The Mornington Peninsula is a famous wine producing region on the coast about 45 minutes from Melbourne and is home to more than 40 wineries.
  • Docklands: This is an entire area filled with shops, bars, restaurants, and a stadium with a waterside setting. It very popular and when the weather is nice, the place is teeming with people.
  • A Penguin Sunset: About 90 minutes away from Melbourne is Phillips island. This is a popular place for day tours. There is great hiking here and beautiful beaches. But the main attraction are the penguins that come here during the sunset. It’s quite a sight.

Budget Tips for Melbourne

  • Use the Metlink: Melbourne’s public transport system is called Metlink and it incorporates buses, trams and trains with interchangeable tickets available.
  • Get Free and Cheap Transportation: A free Tourist Shuttle Bus runs around the city and part of the inner suburbs from 10am to 4pm. Free city circle trams run in both directions around the perimeter of the CBD and through Docklands from 10am to 6pm. They run at 10 minute intervals.
  • Shop at the Markets: The best value food is usually to be found at markets approaching closing times. You can usually purchase food for about a quarter the price you would pay in a supermarket.
  • Read The Age: Every Saturday and Sunday The Age newspaper has a little supplement with “what’s on” in Melbourne (A2 on Saturdays and M Magazine on Sundays) and they always list free, interesting stuff to go to.