> > by Cheryl Menagh
Melbourne is widely recognised as the sporting capital of Australia hosting such major events as the Grand Prix, Australian Open Tennis and the Spring Racing Carnival.
Add the International Festival of Arts, the Melbourne Comedy Festival, the constant stream of major art exhibitions, vibrant cultural events and the lavish 19th century inner-city architecture, and you have a city that has become well known for its refinement and fun. Built against the backdrop of Port Phillip Bay and situated on the Yarra River, Melbourne is a place for discovery and adventure. And thanks to the city’s original surveyor, Robert Hoddle, who designed streets which had to be wide enough to accommodate bullock teams hauling huge cartloads of goods, human traffic added many smaller walkway networks. Today, these smaller streets and laneways remain and are a great part of Melbourne’s charm, offering a variety of delights from cafes, bars and street art to shops retailing the more quirky and diverse goods, as well as providing glimpses into the city’s history.
Most visitors agree that wandering these laneways is the best way to discover the true heart of the city. For the tourist, the beauty of Melbourne is that its streets are well signed and the public transport system is outstanding. So grab your map, walking shoes or tram pass and prepare to start exploring this intriguing city.
As a couple’s destination Melbourne is a win-win, whether you stay and play in the city itself or use it as a starting point for other Victorian romantic getaways.
CLUBS & PUBS
The unique bar culture in Melbourne presents a wealth of places in which to drink, kick back and relax or dance until dawn.
For sophistication and opulence visit Silk Road on Collins even if it’s just to see the two magnificent chandeliers that illuminate the story of the historic Silk Road trade route. It’s told through the design of the venue with its eight bars and four kitchens and interior decor of iconic paraphernalia - a beautiful fusion of east meets west.
www.silkroadoncollins.com
Or for a more casual atmosphere try the New York Tavern. At the former York Butter factory you’ll find down-to earth quality pub grub, and good service at a great price in a comfortable and friendly environment.
www.newyorktavern.com.au
Just a couple of tram stops from the CBD, or if you’re on the way home from the MCG, stop in at the Precinct Hotel, Richmond. This multi-functional venue simultaneously caters for a versatile range of occasions with bars, courtyard, restaurant and tapas, live music and a DJ -certainly deserving of its 2009 AHA Winner Overall Hotel of the Year award.
www.precincthotel.com.au
Melbourne’s bar/venue scene is never stagnant and in the last few months it has experienced a vibrant succession of new openings. The art deco-inspired Cullen Hotel in Prahran, the eighties-esque 29th Apartment in St Kilda, the Moroccan-inspired Rah Bar and the majestic Royal Saxon in Richmond are just four of several venues recently unleashed upon discerning bar connoisseurs.
MORE THAN A MEAL
Melbourne’s melting pot of cultures is reflected in its many restaurants, bistros and bars, so when dining you get much more than a meal. Offering a never-ending spread of the world’s great cuisines - Asian delights in Chinatown, Italian at Lygon Street, the Greek precinct in Lonsdale Street - there is a consistently high standard of food presented.
For those with discerning taste, the fine dining establishments are exceptional.One of my favourite Melbourne’s melting pot of cultures is reflected in its many restaurants, bistros and bars, so when dining you get much more than a meal. Offering a never-ending spread of the world’s great cuisines - Asian delights in Chinatown, Italian at Lygon Street, the Greek precinct in Lonsdale Street - there is a consistently high standard of food presented.
For those with discerning taste, the fine dining establishments are exceptional.One of my favourite restaurants in the CBD is Il Bacaro, 168 Little Collins Street - their chef prepares delicious dishes like spaghettini with Moreton Bay bugs and lavender panna cotta where the simplicity of food highlights the complexity of flavours - bellissimo! Venture just outside the CBD to explore more of Melbourne’s specialist eating destinations – Richmond for cheap and cheerful Vietnamese dishes, Carlton for Italian classics and Fitzroy for tantalising Spanish tapas.
SHOPPING
As a shopaholic who regularly visits Melbourne to get my retail fix, I can honestly recommend the wonders of shopping in this city. Besides the Bourke Street Mall where DJs and Myer go on for blocks, and other retail outlets like GPO, QV and Melbourne Central, wandering the city’s laneways and historic arcades such as Block Arcade to discover boutiques and specialist stores is the ultimate shopper’s high.
Visit the distinct shopping precincts, such as Flinders Lane, Howey Place and Chapel Street with their galleries and designer showrooms and absorb the atmosphere of these buzzing shopping hubs. Or for a bargain check out DFO in Spencer Street, or tram it to Bridge Road, Richmond. For a huge range of souvenirs and other bargains, everyone seems to end up at Queen Victoria Market.
Shoes are my addiction so I must make time to check out Luisa (Shop 6, 161 Collins Street) as there are often some amazing bargains on brands such as Armani, Ungaro, Prada, Jimmy Choo and many more.
www.luisa.com.au
GET OUT OF TOWN
Melbourne may be the the hub of Victoria, but radiating out are its many regions, each with their own highlights and all within easy driving distances.
Choose to drive yourself or relax onboard one of the many sightseeing day coach tours.
www.aatkings.com.au
For wine and food aficionados head to the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges with their wines, fresh food, breathtaking scenery and quaint B&Bs. Or the Mornington Peninsula, famous for vineyards and boutique wineries, olive groves and seascapes - both around an hour from the city.
A little further out you’ll discover the many wonders of Phillip Island with its Seal Centre and the penguin parade; the Goldfields’ region around Ballarat and Bendigo; Daylesford and the Macedon ranges known for mineral springs, spa resorts and indulgent times, and the Great Ocean Road with its very impressive coastal scenery.
THE THREE Cs
Women love the three Cs ... and I’m not talking about diamonds, but rather chocolate, coffee and cake! Melbourne is full of places to indulge in such delights.
In the centre of the CBD you’ll find the Haigh Chocolate shops, an Australian company synonymous with fine chocolates since 1915 - try the dark chocolate peppermint frogs ... so yummy!
www.haighschocolates.com.au
With only two in Australia, the latest Lindt Chocolat Café at 271 Collins Street offers a sophisticated destination for any true chocolate connoisseur and the hot chocolate is to die for!
The David Jones city store has recently opened their Sensory Lab where coffee receives the same treatment as wine at a cellar door. Discover your coffee of choice and brewing method, with notes on how to select, savour, and truly taste coffee.
Melbourne’s ubiquitous cafes may supply great coffee, but for the perfect accompanying sweet visit the many cake shops in Acland Street, St Kilda. This area was established by Europeans long before restaurants and the cafe scene were fashionable and has stood the test of time and tastebuds!
THRILLS
Eureka Tower’s Skydeck 88 is the only observation deck in the world that can thrill you with ‘The Edge’ - a glass cube which projects three metres out from the building - with you in it - suspended almost 300 metres above the ground! So that friends believe your adventurous tale, why not purchase a souvenir photo of yourself actually in ‘The Edge’ and at $12 for an adult ticket it’s a fairly cheap adrenaline rush.
www.eurekaskydeck.com.au
Go higher still and see Melbourne from 2000 feet up in a helicopter. When coming into land at Southbank on the river you are literally flying in between high rise buildings - quite a buzz! Due to international flight regulations about flying over land Melbourne is one of the few capital cities in the world that this is possible and at $180pp for a twenty-minute scenic tour, it is more affordable than you think.
www.microflite.com.au
factfile
FLY: Virgin Blue and other domestic airlines fly regularly into Melbourne from all capital cities.
USEFUL WEBSITES: not previously mentioned:
Tourism Victoria www.visitvictoria.com
Metlink www.metlinkmelbourne.com