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Hostelworld Guide for Melbourne

Rivalling Sydney as Australia's number one city, Melbourne is famously the country's most European city.Capital of Victoria, here you will find some of Australia's coolest bars, restaurants and cafs. While it

doesn't have the harbour or beaches of its eastern counterpart, it does have some of the country'strendiest neighbourhoods. It is also the home of Aussie Rules Football which is a massive part of Victorian

life. This is a city that's just as pleasant to visit for three days as it is to live in for three months.

In this Guide...

Useful InformationAfter Dark

Places to EatTop Attractions

Budget TipsWhere to Shop

The Essentials Climate

Getting There

By plane: Melbourne's international airport is 14miles northwest of the city centre.

The 'Skybus' connects the airport to downtownMelbourne.

The 20-minute journey costs $16 one-way/$26return and terminates at Southern Cross Station

near the corner of Little Bourke Street and SpencerStreet.

By train: Melbourne has connections with all majorAustralian towns and cities. Travelling there by train,your journey will end in Spencer Street station in thecity centre.

By bus: If your journey to Melbourne is on a bus,you will reach your final destination when you get toMelbourne Transit Centre on Franklin Street.

Getting Around

By trams: Melbourne's trams are as much anattraction as they are a mode of transport. Slower

than other modes of transport, they serve all majorareas of the city centre.

By train: An overland train network also operates inthe city centre and is sometimes an easier way toget to/from some suburbs.

By taxi: Just like in all Australian cities, you canwave down taxis in Melbourne on the s treet.

Melbourne facts

Location: The city of Melbourne is located insouth eastern Australia on what was originallythe land of the Kulin Nation. On the banks of the

Yarra River, many of Melbourne's suburbs lookout onto Port Phillip Bay.

Population: Around 4 million people live in andaround Melbourne.

Area: The Melbourne Metropolitan Area coversapproximately 7,700 kilometres squared.

Founded: Melbourne was founded by Sir JohnBatman in 1835.

Melbourne enjoys a temperate climate with hotsummers and mild springs and autumns. Event h o u g h t h e w e a t h e r h e r e i s f a m o u s l ytemperamental, it still experiences less rainfall thanSydney and Brisbane. January and February, theheight of Austral ia 's summer, are the hottestmonths. Spring and autumn are very pleasantmonths for visiting while in winter it can get cool, butnever freezing.

Good to know...

Language: English

Currency: Australian DollarElectricity: 240AC/50HzArea Code: +61 (Aus), 03 (Melbourne)Emergency Codes: Ambulance/Fire/Police 000Time Zone: Australian Eastern Standard Time(GMT+10)Central Post Office: Melbourne GPO, CornerLittle Bourke St & Elizabeth StMain Tourist Office: Melbourne Visitor Centre,Federation Square

Consulates

USA: +61 (0)3 9526 5900UK: +61 (0)3 9652 1600Canada: +61 (0)3 9653 9674South Africa: +61 (0)3 8825 4114Ireland: +61 (0)3 9397 8940Germany: +61 (0)3 9864 6888Spain: +61 (0)3 9347 1966Italy: +61 (0)3 9867 5744New Zealand: +61 (0)3 9642 1279France: +61 (0)3 96025024

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Cheap Eats After Dark

Niagara Hotel, 385 Lonsdale Street Located in theheart of Melbourne's CBD, the Niagara Hotel hasone of the city's best deals. For a very affordableprice, you can get yourself a pizza and a glass ofwine or pot of beer. Here you can choose from 17pizzas so you're bound to find one that tickles yourfancy. Open Mon-Sat 11am-close.

Grill'd, 83 Acland Street, St Kilda Specialising inburgers, burgers, and burgers, this is one of ten

Grill'd restaurants around Melbourne, yet doesn'thave tha t ' f ranch ise- fee l ' o f o ther fast foodrestaurants. The varied menu has beef, chicken andlamb burgers, p lus vegg ie ones too . OpenSun-Thurs 11.30am-10pm, Fri & Sat until 11pm.

Alfresco eating

Degraves Espresso, 23 Degraves St Tuckedneatly between Flinders Street and FlindersLane, Degraves Street is one of Melbourne'scoolest lanes for outdoor eating. If you like tonibble on your nosh, try the tapas in this cafwhich include dishes such as chorizo andSpanish potatoes. There's a particularly goodvibe here on Friday evenings. Open Mon-Fri8am-10.30pm, Sat 8am-6.30pm.

Spicy Fish Restaurant, 209 Little Bourke St Some

people tend to like their food spicy, others don't. Ifyou are one who does, this restaurant in the heart ofMe lb o u r n e 's Ch in a to wn i s p e r fe c t fo r yo u .Specialising in traditional Shanghai and Szechuanstyle cuisine, prices are attractive and food is topnotch. Open daily from 11.30am-10.30pm.

Southgate Food Court, Southgate ShoppingCentre, Southgate Food courts were invented forthose times when hunger strikes but you don't knowwhat you want. When this happens go to this foodcourt on the banks of River Yarra. Open Mon-Thurs9am-pm, Fri & Sat to 10.30pm, Sun to 8pm.

Vineyard, 71a Acland Street, St Kilda Extremelybusy at weekends due to a constant stream ofMelbourne bands that play in this St Kilda Bar,Vineyard is one of Melbourne's best live musicvenues. When things get quite busy though, y ou'llbe thankful of the large outdoor seating areaoverlooking Luna Park. Open daily from 10am-3am.

Cookie, 1F 252 Swanston St Wondering whyMelbourne is always referred to as Australia's most

European city? 'Cookie' on Swanston Street willanswer that as it feels like it's been transporteddirect from Germany or Belgium. This beer hall,which doubles up as a restaurant, has an extremelyrelaxed atmosphere and a vast selection of beers.Open daily from 12 noon-11pm.

Bar With No Name, 302 Brunswick Street,Fitzroy Walking down Fitzroy's Brunswick St, it willsoon dawn on you that it is peppered with some ofMelbourne's coolest bars. Step inside 'Bar with NoName' and it you'll soon realise that this is arguablyits coolest. This bar is full of small nooks andcrannies perfect for catching up with friends. Opendaily from 4pm-1am.

Gay / Lesbian MelbourneIt may not be as famously gay as Sydney, butMelbourne's gay scene is extremely active. Themain 'strip' is Commercial Road in Prahan. TheMarket (143 Commercial Road) is a two-storeybar also known as 'the meat market'! Not faraway, Xchange (119 Commercial Road) is oneof the road's firmly established gay bars and isopen over 20 years. While both these venuescater mainly for men, Glasshouse Hotel (51Gipps Street, Collingwood) caters forMelbourne's growing lesbian community.

Red Rhythm, 10 Centre Place, Off Flinders LaneWhen on a budget its always nice to enjoy cheapbooze that isn't from a supermarket or off licence.That's why Red Rhythm gets our stamp of approval.Every Thursday and Friday evening between 5pmand 8pm all beers in this extremely intimate bar arehalf price. To top things off, they give you a freebowl of chips too. Open daily from 5pm-1am.

Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy It'sSaturday night. You want to finish the night off witha bang. You need to get to Bimbo Deluxe. Onceyou get by the burly bouncers, step inside to seewhy this is Brunswick Street's most happening club.Open 12 noon-3am.

Don't Miss Mark Your Calendar

Aussie Rules game in the MCG Built in 1853 andtoday home to 4 teams, the MCG is Australia'slargest sports stadium, holding over 100,000 people.The season starts each year in April and ends thefollowing September so if you're in Melbourne duringthese months make sure to get hold of a ticket for agame. Ticket prices vary.

A drive to remember

The Great Ocean Road Stretching 400kmbetween Torquay and Warrnambool, Victoria'sGreat Ocean Road is one of the world's most

spectacular ocean drives. Best known for the '12Apostles', a drive down this road is not to bemissed. Autopia Tours operate 1 and 3-day toursfrom Melbourne which can be booked atwww.hostelworld.com/tours.

Eureka Skydeck 88, Riverside Quay, SouthbankPerfect for visiting either during the day or at night,as this is the highest viewing platform in theSouthern Hemisphere it will come as no surprise tolearn that the views are breathtaking. Make sure notto leave withot checking out 'The Edge' - a glasscube suspended 300 metres above the ground.Open daily from 10am-10pm; admission $17.50.

Federation Square Melbourne's newest attraction,

directly across from one of its oldest, Flinders StreetStation, is a mix of museums, restaurants, cafs andbars. It is also a great meeting place and home tolots of live entertainment at weekends. Drop into theMelbourne Visitors Centre on the square for detailsof what's happening there when you're in town.

Old Melbourne Gaol, Russell Street betweenVictoria & Latrobe Streets Between 1842 and 1929when this 'gaol' was open, Melbourne's famous jailwas the scene of 135 hangings. The most famous ofthese was of Aussie bushranger, Ned Kelly. Opendaily from 9.30am-5pm; admission $22.

January - Big Day Out Australia's annual 'Big DayOut' brings the world's top acts to the country's topcities and the end of January is when the tour visitsMelbourne. Acts who have played in the pastinclude the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Nirvana.

January - Australian Open The Rod Laver Arenais the location for Australia's annual tennis open.The first of the year's 'Grand Slams', each year theworld's top players compete against each other.

January/February - Midsumma Melbourne's3-week long gay and lesbian festival is its answer toSydney's Mardi Gras. Like most gay and lesbianfestivals, the highlight of the festival is the 'PrideMarch' which attracts 40,000 revellers.

Februay - St Kilda Festival This annual festival inMelbourne's celebrated beach suburb bills itself asthe largest outdoor crowd gathering in Australia.Over the course of the festival, thousands visit toenjoy free music, extreme sports and much more.

March - Melbourne F1 Grand Prix For four dayseach year Grand Prix fever takes over Melbourne.The race is the pinnacle of a 4-day event that seesmuch more take place down at Albert Park where

the race is staged.

March/April - Melbourne Comedy FestivalFounded in 1987 by Barry Humphries and PeterCook, the Melbourne Comdey Festival is one of theworld's three biggest comedy festivals. Each year itattracts top comedians from both home and abroad.

September - Grand Final Weekend Victor iacomes to a halt for Grand Final weekend when twoteams battle it out for the title of Australia's bestfootball team. The day before the big game bothteams parade through Melbourne city centre.

September/October - Melbourne Fringe FestivalThis event brings contemporary and innovative

work created by independent artists to a broaderMelbourne audience.

October - Melbourne International Arts FestivalThe Melbourne International Arts Festival, whichbegan in 1986, takes place over 16 days eachOctober and includes dance, visual arts and more.

October/November - Melbourne Cup Run on thefirst Tuesday of November, the Melbourne Cup isthe biggest horse race in the southern hemisphere.This event is so big that race-day itself is declared anational holiday!

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Neighbourhood Watch Retail Therapy

South Yarra Definitely one of Melbourne's moreaffluent suburbs, South Yarra is best known as thehome of Chapel Street, the caf-lined street whichhas been hipper than hip for decades. Funky clothesshops and trendy restaurants are also dotted alongit. Nearby Commercial Road is another shoppingstr ip. Trams: #78 & #79 to Chapel St; #72 toCommercial Road.

Life's a beach

St Kilda Melbourne's famous beach suburb is ahaven for backpackers who long for sun and sea

when living in the Victorian capital for thesummer. Its main thoroughfare is Acland Streetwhich is dotted with clothes shops, restaurantsand cafs. It is also one of the more vibrantneighbourhoods at night time. Trams: #16 to theEsplanade, #96 to Acland St.

Fitzroy With its funky bars, restaurants, cafs andshops, Fitzroy is arguably Melbourne's most eclecticneighbourhood. The heart and soul of the district isMelbourne's famous Brunswick Street, a street bestvisited after dark on a weekend night. Anothernotable street is Johnston Street, Melbourne's LatinAmerican quarter. Tram: #112 to Brunswick St.

Carlton One of Melbourne's trendier precincts,

Carlton is just north of the CBD. Here you will findlots of cafs and bookstores. It is also home to alarge Italian community. This is particularly evidenton Lygon St, one of the city's premier dining stripsand full of Italian restaurants. Tram: #1 to Lygon St.

South Melbourne This suburb on the banks of theRiver Yarra is home to t he city's number one greenarea, Albert Park. Once a year it hosts the firstFormula 1 Grand Prix of the year, while the rest ofthe time it acts as an inner-city oasis to joggers,walkers and tourists. Tram: #96 to Albert Park.

Crown Casino, 2 Whiteman St, Southbank Like somany casinos around the world, many of the storesin the southern hemisphere's biggest casino belongto the world's most exclusive designers. LouisVuitton, Prada and Versace all have stores here. Butit's not all glam as French Connection, Guess andother more affordable brands have stores there too.Opening hours vary from store to store.

Spencer Street Fashion Station, 1/201 Spencer St

Spencer Street Fashion Station (formerly DFOSpencer) is where you will find over 100 big namebrands under the one roof. Some of the top fashionnames you will encounter here include Timberland,Levis and Mossimo. Open daily from 10am-7pm(until 9pm on Fri).

Melbourne Central, 211 LaTrobe Street Thisparticular shopping mall in the CBD has over 300stores. And if they don't keep you occupied thecinema and bowl ing a l ley shou ld . Mon-Sat 10am-6pm (until 9pm on Fri), Sun 10am-5pm.

Melbourne CBD Those of you who don't want tohave to explore the districts and shopping centres ofMelbourne for new purchases are bound to findsomething in the city's central business district.

Bourke Street Mall is the centre of things here, butother streets such as Swanston Street, Collins Streetand Little Collins Street are also lined with stores.

A bit of this, a bit of that

Queen Victoria Market, Corner Elizabeth andVictoria Streets Since it opened back in 1878,Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market has been thecity's premier market. Here you will pick up everykind of food imaginable in the food market, whilefurther back from the main entrance you can findall types of clothing in the clothes market. OpenTues & Thurs 6am-2pm, Fri 6am-6pm, Sat6am-3pm, Sun 9am-4pm.

Budget Tips A Day in Melbourne...

Go to the movies on a Tuesday If there's a moviereleased when you're in Oz and you really don't wantto miss it, do your best to catch it on 'tight arsetuesday'. On this day cinema tickets are up t o 50%cheaper than any other day of the week. A goodplace to catch a movie in Melbourne is either inHoyts Cinema in Melbourne Central (see 'RetailTherapy') or Greater Union Cinemas on Russell St.

Chill out in Melbourne's parks Even though

Melbourne's city centre is one of the world's morepleasurable cities to walk around, it's still nice toretreat to a quieter place every now and then. Whenyou get an urge to do that, make your way to thecity's famous Albert Park or Royal Botanic Gardens.Both are free to enter.

Bring your own alcohol when eating out A host ofMelbourne's restaurants are 'BYO' restaurants. Thisstands for 'bring your own', meaning you can bringyour own wine or beer when eating out. As casks ofwine in Australia hardly ever cost more than $15,bring one with you when eating out with friends andthe bill won't be that expensive!

Fancy a free ride?

Take the 'Circle Tram' around the cityOperating every day (except Good Friday andChristmas Day) between 10am and 6pm (9pm

Thurs-Sat), the free City Circle Tram passes bymany of the city's top attractions. This includesthe Old Melbourne Gaol, St Paul's Cathedral,Federation Square and the Telstra Dome.

Visit the Australian Centre for the Moving ImageLocated on Federation Square, the AustralianCentre for the Moving Image is solely dedicated tothe moving image, making it the first centre of itskind in the world. Inside enjoy film, TV, games andmore fo r f ree . Open dai ly f rom 10am-6pm; admission free.

Start the day exploring Federation Square,Melbourne's newest attraction. Ful l ofmuseums, restaurants and cafs, it hassomething for everyone.

Ho p o n th e f r e e C i t y C i r c l e T r a m a tFederation Square and get off at the stop forQueen Victoria Market. Take a walk aroundthe stalls of the city's best-known market.

Take the opportunity when in the QVM tograb lunch also. Its food court, Vic MarketPlace, offers Middle Eastern, seafood, Italianand Asian food.

Use the tram to get back to the CBD. Get offon Flinders St, close to Melbourne 360(Rialto Towers). Get in line, then take theelevator to the top for amazing views.

Explore downtown Melbourne. Stroll throughChinatown, take a picture of Flinders StStation, shop on Bourke St Mall...the list ofthings to do is endless.

T a k e t r a m # 1 6 o r # 9 6 f o r S t K i l d a ,Melbourne's beach suburb. Grab a coffee onAcland Street, catch some rays on the beachand ride the rollercoaster in Luna Park!

Head back to the city and go for a bite to eaton Degraves St, just across from Flinders StStation. The choice of food here is endless.

Now go bar hopping in Fitzroy's BrunswickSt. Check out 'Labour in Vain', 'Black Cat','Black Pearl' and our favourite, 'Bar with NoName'.

Finish the night off dancing the night away inBrunswick St's number one late night venue,'Bimbo Deluxe'.

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