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Australia > Victoria
> Melbourne
By Jessica Lloyd
 Melbourne has tastes to suit every palette with enough shops to satisfy
every shopaholic, enough excellent bars and restaurants to fulfill the most
pedantic food critic and enough festivals to fill a calendar. It is
Australia's second largest city, after Sydney. The city is less than 200
years old, and is blending old with new in a creative and unique way. It was
also voted as the worlds most livable city in an international poll - which
the inhabitants will agree with wholeheartedly. It also has a large
international student population, with over half the students being from
overseas.
Weather
Four seasons in one day - that's Melbourne. Some say this is great - they
will never get bored, but we all know what this really means - changeable
weather. It can get very hot in the summer, which can make the change
welcome - sweltering heat broken up by a cool breeze. Otherwise, pack your
umbrella and jacket even if the sun looks and feels like it will never stop
shining.
Art and Culture
July 20th until August 7th is the Melbourne International Film Festival
which is a showcase of the art of the big screen. A visit to one of
Melbourne's many theatre productions, or the National Gallery of Victoria,
Australia's most visited and oldest art gallery. The Melbourne Museum, the
largest in the southern hemisphere, has some real treasures - including the
set of Neighbours. The arts play a major role here, so you will always,
always find something good to do.
Major Events
Some of the major events held in Melbourne include: Australian Open Tennis,
Fosters Australian Grand Prix, Moomba Waterfest, Melbourne Food and Wine
Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Melbourne International
Flower and Garden Show, Melbourne International Arts Festival and Melbourne
Cup Carnival. There is always something big on.
Places to Visit
There are many hidden bars and cafes down Melbourne's laneways and if you
have plenty of time to explore, this is one of the great pleasures of the
city - finding the ones you like the most. If you are looking to get away
from the city, take a ride on the Great Alpine Road or the Great Ocean Road
- guess where they lead? A visit to the Yarra Valley or the Grampians
provides a quiet, scenic daytrip. If you enjoy boat rides, glide down the
Yarra River or head over to Williamstown on a ferry. There are a lot of
parks to have a picnic in, or just sit and watch the world go by.
To See
Federation Square has an interesting mix of architecture, restaurants and
large open public spaces. NewQuay is a new development, with shopping, food
and entertainment in all one place - a good place to visit with children.
Melbourne Zoo is an awarding winning masterpiece, and the Botanical gardens
provide some eye candy with amazing displays. St. Kilda is beautiful for a
walk, with trees on the foreshore and lots of cafes and bars to enjoy
refreshments or coffee. In winter, the MCG has Aussie Rules football games,
and the Observation Deck gives you a fantastic view of the whole city.
Around Melbourne
There are five wine growing regions within an hour and a half of the city,
and all provide a unique atmosphere and wine for your tasting pleasure. Some
of them have bed and breakfasts, so you can enjoy the many flavours without
having to worry about legal driving alcohol limits. There are many great
beaches, cute seaside villages and golf courses an hour from Melbourne.
Nightlife
The trendy club or bar is now in vogue here - great places for drinking and
dancing and checking each other out. Here you will find the biggest
congregation of live music venues in Australia - home grown and international
bands and DJ's all performing regularly. If you like it, it's sure to be
found somewhere here. The Crown Entertainment Complex holds Australia's
largest casino, cinemas, discos and designer shops - a good place to start
if you are lost. Other things to do at night include catching a live comedy
show, movies and sex.
People
People from Melbourne are laid back, and trendy. They look good, but aren't
obsessed with it - they love to party in their city, and weekends are
super-busy here. In general - sophisticated is the word that comes to mind,
fashion usually goes towards chic with a twist. Nothing too eccentric, but
of course there are always exceptions. It's a nice place to watch people and
a great place to visit.
Accommodation
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