Melbourne- A Very Victorian City
Melbourne is famous for being Australia's culinary capital with the variety of cuisines and dining options it can offer.
Melbourne, Australia Friday February 13, 2015
Once the richest city in the world thanks to a gold rush, Melbourne is Australia's cultural capital with striking architecture, chic galleries and boutiques. Wave at a wallaby or get close to a koala at a wildlife park. Feel closer to the land on a ride on the Puffing Billy steam locomotive through the mountains and countryside. Back in the city, explore a different culture and visit Chinatown - the oldest one in the West.
ARRIVING IN MELBOURNE BY CRUISE SHIP
Melbourne is a popular port for the world's most prestigious cruise liners. Just four kilometres from the city centre in Port Melbourne, Melbourne's Station Pier services large cruise ships.
Taxis operate pick-ups from the wharf and tram 109 services run directly to the city from the pier. Tram 109 also connects with Southern Cross Station and the airport Sky Bus.
FERRIES TO AND AROUND MELBOURNE
Direct ferry crossings between Devonport, Tasmania, and Station Pier, Melbourne, can be made on the Spirit of Tasmania I and II car and passenger ferry.
Melbourne Water taxis can transport you around the city, and Williamstown Ferries run between Southbank and Williamstown in Melbourne's west.
Visit melbournewatertaxis.com.au and williamstownferries.com.au for more information.
See searoad.com.au for details on the iconic ferry ride between Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula and Queenscliff over the bay on the Bellarine.
Port Phillip Ferries cruise up from Geelong and Portarlington on the Bellarine Peninsula to Melbourne's Docklands – see portphillipferries.com.au.
GETTING AROUND
MYKI CARDS
myki is Melbourne's ticket to travel on the city's trains, trams and buses. It's a plastic smartcard with stored value which can be topped up and re-used again. Purchase your myki online at the PTV website, premium train stations, retail outlets displaying the myki sign (including 7-Elevens), or by calling 1800 800 007 (free from a land line) in Australia.
TRAINS
Melbourne's metro trains run between the outer suburbs and Flinders Street Station in the city. The city loop is Melbourne's underground system, with five stations in the central business district: Southern Cross Station, Flagstaff, Melbourne Central, Parliament and Flinders Street. Southern Cross Station is Melbourne's hub for regional and interstate trains. Plan your trip with Public Transport Victoria's journey planner.
TRAMS
Passengers can board trams at signposted stops displaying maps, route numbers and a timetable. Route numbers are also displayed on the front of the tram. Travel within the central area of Melbourne by tram is free, though you will need a myki card if you plan to start or finish your journey outside this central area. For information on the area covered by the Free Tram Zone and a downloadable map, go to the Public Transport Victoria website.
BUSES
Melbourne buses run frequently to major hubs, including shopping centres, schools, hospitals, leisure and sports venues, and some of Melbourne's biggest attractions. For more information visit ptv.com.au. For people travelling further afield, Victoria's V/Line service gives access to regional towns and scenic attractions across the state.
FARE TYPES
Outside of the Free Tram Zone, Melbourne has two transit zones (1 and 2), with a single price to travel across both. It is cheaper to travel in Zone 2 only. Touch on and touch off within two hours and before 7.15am on a weekday, and make sure you have a positive myki Money balance, to receive the free Early Bird fare on your metropolitan train journey. For more information on ticketing and timetables, visit the Public Transport Victoria website.
MAPS
View the Inner Melbourne Map for an overview of tram, train and bus routes, parks, landmarks and attractions, bike paths and walking trails. Street and transport maps are also displayed on the wall at many train stations, at tram and bus shelters and are available from visitor information centres.
TAXI AND RIDE SHARE
Melbourne taxis are easy to spot, as they display a lamp on the cab roof and most are painted yellow, silver or white. You can book taxi cab pick up for a set location, or take one from a cab rank at signposted spots. You may also hail a taxi in the street. If the rooftop lamp is lit, the taxi is usually unoccupied and available for hire. Rideshare trips are available via apps with Uber, Taxify and DiDi. Apps show fare estimate, driver's picture, vehicle details, and can track your trip on a map.
THINGS TO DO
Gather a group and be the captain of your own electric boat cruise along the Yarra River with GoBoat Melbourne. Head upriver past the MCG or downriver past Crown Casino. Pack some picnic goodies and enjoy on the water in the summer sun.
For further fun by the Yarra, dine waterside at Arbory, or jump aboard Arbory Afloat. Raise a toast at Ponyfish Island in the middle of the river and settle in for a meal of local Victorian produce at floating eatery Yarra Botanica.
CONNECT WITH CULTURE
Learn about Victorian Aboriginal experiences and the rich history of the world's longest continuous living culture at the Koorie Heritage Trust. See the latest exhibitions and join a Birrarung Wilam (River Camp) walking tour, learning more about the history of Birrarung Marr (River of Mists – Yarra River).
Get to know native plants and learn about connection to Country on an Aboriginal Heritage Walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens.
HEAD FOR A HIKE
Bring a day pack for some scenic walking trails, a short drive or train trip from Melbourne. Delve deep into forest trails in the Dandenong Ranges National Park. Walk among lush ferns and discover gurgling streams and gushing waterfalls. Zip down to Phillip Island for rugged Bass Strait coastline and salt-whipped breezes on the George Bass Coastal Walk.
Stick closer to the city within Melbourne's Yarra Bend Park, where stunning trails wind alongside the Merri Creek and the Yarra River.
CRAFT BREWERIES
Head a few short stops into Collingwood on the 86 tram for a hopping good time. A bunch of craft and microbreweries have set up shop, making it easy to sample diverse flavours in a few short blocks. Get taste-testing at Fixation Brewing Company, Molly Rose and The Mill Brewery. Head a little further with our self-guided Urban Brewery Trail, or let the experts show you around on a pre-booked Craft Beer Lovers' Tour.
LOCAL FLAVORS
Victoria's exceptional local produce is best tasted at the city's top tables. Make a beeline for Federation Square to Victoria by Farmer's Daughters. Sample the finest flavours from our growers and producers, and enjoy your meal on the terrace overlooking the Yarra.
Narrow the regions at the original Farmer's Daughters on Collins Street, where the flavours of Gippsland vie for MVP. Other star players include Big Esso by Mabu Mabu, Hero and Collingwood's hatted vegan eatery Smith and Daughters.
BIRD’S EYE-VIEWS
Get to know Melbourne from a different point of view. Zip up to the Southern Hemisphere's highest observation deck at Melbourne Skydeck in Southbank. Gaze at the expansive city views, step out onto The Edge – a transparent glass cube – and enter a 6D immersive sensory experience in the Voyager Theatre.
Head to Vue de Monde's Lui Bar on the 55th floor of the Rialto Building for a winning combo: sophisticated cocktails mixed with breathtaking city views.
FRIENDLY WATERING -HOLES
Prop up the bar at some of Melbourne's welcoming neighbourhood pubs. See what sport is playing on the small screen, catch some live music, and maybe bag a 'parma and pint' special. Meet fellow sports lovers at The Rose Fitzroy or go for an elegant pub meal at The Builders Arms. Down in St Kilda, enjoy a bevvy with sparkling bay views at the Hotel Esplanade, known as the Espy.
ART AFTERNOONS
Get up to speed with the latest exhibitions while you're in town. The Australian collection at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square is an undoubted highlight, and free to enter. Understand Australia's visual history, from Indigenous art pieces through to Australian modernists and beyond. Then hop across to RONE's nostalgic and immersive exhibit TIME on the third-floor wing of Flinders Street Station ballroom
