We recently returned from a much needed holiday to Melbourne, and I fell in love with the city.
It really does have everything that is important.
So now that I am done gushing on and on like a lovestruck teenager, here are some details and tips for all you future Melbourne bound travellers out there...
Stay: Anywhere in the city centre. Or anywhere on the outskirts. St. Kilda and Brunswick St. are only a 20 minute tram ride away from the centre. And the trams are so easy, download the tram tracker app and your work is done for you.
Eat: Everything. After all Melbourne is known for their food. The only posh place we went to while there was the Chocolate Buddha in Federation Square, which was pretty amazing. For all others I am a big fan of trip advisor so check out what other people suggest here.
I can suggest Degraves St. laneway though for one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. Its a tiny little laneway totally packed with cute little cafes and tons of people enjoying the all day breakfast. The blueberry pancakes at the one on the end were amazing!
Drink: Lots of coffee. After all Melbourne is also known for their great coffee. Melbourne is also a great place to go bar hopping, as there are tons of very quirky and interesting little spots. We went to Pony Fish which is an awesome little spot actually under the Southgate Foot Bridge. Below is the picture I took, its hard to see at night, but definitely a great little spot, you feel like your the little troll under the bridge, hidden away in a secret spot.
Shop: Now this depends on your style. We went to the Camberwell vintage markets that had everything from crazy little asian figurines, to antique barber chairs, to fabulous secondhand fur coats, and about a million records. Go early on a Sunday morning to make sure you get the good stuff before its gone, and you can treat yourself to a hot fresh cinnamon donut and coffee for a mid morning shopping break.
If vintage is not your thing, there are about a million little boutiques all along the laneways in the CBD. Your best bet is to put on some walking shoes and go exploring. You might want to do a bit of reseach and maybe do like I did and download a mini pdf guide with map onto your iphone. That way when you stop to check your map you look like your playing with your iphone rather than standing out like a tourist. I used this one, but the that's melbourne website has heaps of different ones you could get, from restaurants, to architecture, to shopping, to bars. Pretty handy stuff.
Wear: As a climatised Queensland girl, I found Melbourne a little bit chilly. We went over Easter, so we were just getting into autumn. Imagine my happy surprise to see all the trees turning the most beautiful colours of red and yellow and to feel that pleasant nip of cool and crisp in the air. At night I definitely needed a jacket or sweater and there was not really any days where I would have been hot in jeans. Melbourne is also a bit of a stylish city; so funky, stylish clothing will always fit in, as well as anything black.
Do: Explore the city. Wander through the Art Museum. Have a picnic lunch at the Botanic Gardens. Have a beer at a bar overlooking the river. Eat a nice meal in a tiny little hole in the wall restaurant. Walk along the beach at St Kilda. Take a drive down to the Peninsula. Go on a wine tour, catch a rugby game, or bet at the horse races. There are a million great ways to take in the culture that is Melbourne, and you better believe that I will be taking another vacation there very soon.
- Beauty - check
- Architecture - check
- Culture, art and music - check
- Great coffee and fantastic restaurants - check
- Funky boutiques and bars - check
- simple public transport - check
- Beaches - check
It really does have everything that is important.
So now that I am done gushing on and on like a lovestruck teenager, here are some details and tips for all you future Melbourne bound travellers out there...
Stay: Anywhere in the city centre. Or anywhere on the outskirts. St. Kilda and Brunswick St. are only a 20 minute tram ride away from the centre. And the trams are so easy, download the tram tracker app and your work is done for you.
Eat: Everything. After all Melbourne is known for their food. The only posh place we went to while there was the Chocolate Buddha in Federation Square, which was pretty amazing. For all others I am a big fan of trip advisor so check out what other people suggest here.
I can suggest Degraves St. laneway though for one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. Its a tiny little laneway totally packed with cute little cafes and tons of people enjoying the all day breakfast. The blueberry pancakes at the one on the end were amazing!
Drink: Lots of coffee. After all Melbourne is also known for their great coffee. Melbourne is also a great place to go bar hopping, as there are tons of very quirky and interesting little spots. We went to Pony Fish which is an awesome little spot actually under the Southgate Foot Bridge. Below is the picture I took, its hard to see at night, but definitely a great little spot, you feel like your the little troll under the bridge, hidden away in a secret spot.
Shop: Now this depends on your style. We went to the Camberwell vintage markets that had everything from crazy little asian figurines, to antique barber chairs, to fabulous secondhand fur coats, and about a million records. Go early on a Sunday morning to make sure you get the good stuff before its gone, and you can treat yourself to a hot fresh cinnamon donut and coffee for a mid morning shopping break.
Apparently, Chapel Street is also very good. We didn't know about it, or I would have definitely have been there. Its a very long street lined with outlet and bargain shops. It is definitely on my to do list for next time. We did get to an outlet place on Brunswick St. called Clear It. They have a ton of Alanna Hill stuff for great prices.
Do: Explore the city. Wander through the Art Museum. Have a picnic lunch at the Botanic Gardens. Have a beer at a bar overlooking the river. Eat a nice meal in a tiny little hole in the wall restaurant. Walk along the beach at St Kilda. Take a drive down to the Peninsula. Go on a wine tour, catch a rugby game, or bet at the horse races. There are a million great ways to take in the culture that is Melbourne, and you better believe that I will be taking another vacation there very soon.
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