Melbourne is generally regarded as Australia_fs cultural capital. The city_fs features include Victorian-era architecture, extensive shopping, many cultural institutions such as museums, galleries and theatres, and large parks and gardens.
Melbourne's 3.8 million population is both multicultural (with large Greek, Italian, Jewish, Vietnamese and other immigrant communities) and sports-mad.
Reasons for tourists to visit Melbourne are to attend major sporting events, to use it as a base for exploring surrounding regions such as Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and to visit Phillip Island to view the penguin parade. Many UK visitors come to Melbourne for tours of filming locations of soap opera ''Neighbours'' [http://www.neighbourstour.com.au/].
Melbourne, Australia's second largest city, spreads southwards along the shoreline of Port Phillip Bay, east towards the Dandenong Ranges, westwards towards the city of Geelong and northwards towards the plains of central Victoria.
Like any large city, Melbourne is divided up into many suburbs - not all will be of interest to travellers.
The Melbourne city centre is a beautiful and interesting mix of the old and the new. You can't miss the Eureka Tower and the Rialto stands out as well but look closely and you will notice some intricate buildings from a bygone era.
The settlement of Melbourne commenced in 1835 when settlers from Tasmania "purchased" land on Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River from the local Aboriginal tribes. The streets of central Melbourne were carefully laid out in 1837, with some streets 30 metres wide. The first British lieutenant-governor, Charles La Trobe, arrived in 1839 ? his cottage still stands and can be visited in the Kings Domain. The year 1851 was a landmark for Melbourne - the colony of Victoria was separated from New South Wales and very soon after, gold was discovered in Victoria, sparking a huge goldrush. Aspects of the goldrush history can be seen at the Gold Treasury Museum, housed in the Treasury Building built in 1858. Gold was the catalyst for several decades of prosperity lasting through to the late 1880s and examples of the ornate Victorian-era structures built during this time still stand. In 1888, the property boom collapsed and Victoria suffered the depression of the 1890s. Throughout the gold and building booms, Melbourne managed to retain its many spacious parks and gardens and these remain to this day.
In 1901, the British colonies of Australia became an independent federation and Melbourne the ''de facto'' capital of Australia, with the Federal Parliament meeting in the Parliament House of Victoria until 1927 when the new Federal capital of Canberra was founded. After World War II, Melbourne grew rapidly, with its mainly Anglo-Celtic population boosted by immigration from Europe, particularly from Greece and Italy. Today Melbourne has the biggest Greek city population (over 800,000) outside Greece and the biggest Italian city population (over 230,000) outside Italy. The significant pre-war Jewish population was also boosted after the war. From the mid-70s, many immigrants came from South-east Asia, particularly Vietnam and Cambodia. Melbourne has had a Chinese population since the goldrush of the 1850s and Chinatown has existed from that time but the population of Chinese and other East Asians has also been boosted by immigration in recent years.
New high-rise buildings replaced many of Melbourne_fs interesting old structures in the construction boom of the 1970s and 80s. Melbournians belatedly recognised the loss of their architectural heritage and steps were taken to protect what was left. Construction of the huge Crown Casino (briefly the largest casino in the world) in the 1990s upset some Melbournians with its introduction of a gambling culture. Melbourne_fs development continues in the 2000s with the opening of the Melbourne Museum, Federation Square and the Docklands precinct.
Melbourne is often called the cultural capital of Australia, with its many art galleries, film festivals, orchestras, choral and opera productions, vibrant live music scene, and a strong food, wine and coffee culture. People in Melbourne tend to dress up more than in Sydney, partly due to the colder climate. Many bars and clubs have strict dress regulations, such as requiring collars and dress shoes for men.
Particular events to note include the Melbourne International Film Festival in August, the International Art Festival in October, and the Melbourne Comedy Festival in April, as well as individual concerts and exhibitions throughout the year. In addition to the Melbourne Museum, there are special museums dedicated to subjects such as science, immigration, Chinese history, Jewish history, sport, racing, film and moving image, railways, police, fire brigades and banking.
Melbourne nightlife is world famous and justifiably so. It's 24 hours, loud, colourful and anything goes. Door policies are strict but once inside high quality entertainment is guaranteed. DJ's, live music, artists, beautiful people and so much more can be found. There truly is something for everyone and every taste. Gay, lesbian and transgendered party goers are welcome everywhere as Melbournians are on the whole very tolerant and welcoming people. Perhaps the one bad thing is that nothing really starts happening until 12AM!
As a guide: The city centre has a number of pubs, the most famous being the Young and Jackson. Melbourne is also famous for it's many trendy bars in the CBD. Most of these, however, are down narrow alleys and streets, and are therefore hard to find unless you know where you are going. The inner northern suburbs, such as Collingwood and Fitzroy cater for the young, laid-back, and bohemian crowd. Here you will find lots of live music, cheaper prices, and a relaxed atmosphere. Chapel Street/ Toorak Road in South Yarra and Prahran has the most glamourous bars and clubs. Here, expect high prices, strict dress codes, and beautiful people who want to be seen partying with the best. St. Kilda has a little bit of everything. With it's proximity to the beach, it is often regarded as the Melbourne suburb that feels most like Sydney.
Melburnians are sports enthusiasts and particularly passionate about Australian Rules football [http://afl.com.au/], a sport invented in Melbourne. In fact AFL is not so much a sport as a religion in Melbourne with 9 of the 10 Victorian teams being based in Melbourne, the only other being based in Geelong. As a guide, the entire national competition only has 16 teams, meaning over half the league is based in Melbourne. Horseracing is another passion, and the majority of the state has a public holiday on the first Tuesday of November for the racing of the '''Melbourne Cup''' [http://www.melbournecup.com/], one of the world_fs famous horse races. Cricket is the big summer sport and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the 'MCG') [http://www.mcg.org.au/] is one of the world's leading grounds. Each January, Melbourne hosts tennis' Australian Open [http://www.ausopen.org/], one of the world_fs four Grand Slam championships. In March, Melbourne hosts the first race of the Formula One season, the Formula One Grand Prix[http://www.grandprix.com.au/]. The race is held in Albert Park in South Melbourne. Melbournians have also taken football (soccer) to their hearts in recent times. The Melbourne Victory, playing in Australia's premier competition, the A-League, enjoy enormous crowds and colourful, boistrous support at their home ground, Etihad Stadium (previously known as the Telstra Dome). Melbourne is the unquestioned sporting capital of Australia with the largest arenas and two of the major sporting administrations basing their operation in Melbourne: Cricket Australia is a stone's throw from the MCG, and the Australian Football League games are played at both the MCG and Etihad Stadium.
Melbourne Airport [http://www.melair.com.au/] (MEL)(flights [http://flightmapper.net/flights/Melbourne_MEL.html]), located 22 km north-west of the city centre adjacent to the suburb of Tullamarine, provides regular access from all major Australian cities, as well as many international destinations across Europe, America, Asia and the South Pacific region. Due to Australia's isolation, many international flights go via an Asian hub (for example Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong), a Pacific Hub like Auckland, and/or transfer in Sydney.
The airport is divided into four terminals, T1, T2, T3 and T4. All bar T4 are in the same building.
All arrivals are on the lower level of the terminals, with departures from the upper level. Unlike many airports around the world, all the terminals at Melbourne Airport are connected and within easy walking distance of each other. However, each terminal has separate security screening, and access between terminals is not available once in the sterile area.
Taxis between the airport and the city centre cost around $40-$45 and take about 25 minutes in clear traffic.
Skybus [http://www.skybus.com.au/], tel +61 3 9670 7992, runs a 24/7 shuttle to and from the Southern Cross Station Coach Terminal on Spencer Street at the west end of the Central Business District, just north of Lonsdale Street. The trip takes 20 minutes and is the fastest way between the airport and city by road (it uses an enhanced freeway route with bus lanes). It costs $16 adult one-way, $24 adult return, $5 child one-way (between 4 and 14 years of age). There are also several family ticket options available.
There are two airport pickup locations. One is outside the Virgin Blue/REX terminal (T3), 50m from the international terminal (T2). The other is outside the Qantas/Jetstar domestic terminal (T1). There are ticket desks at both T1 and T3, and if unattended, tickets can be purchased electronically or from the driver.
Frequency ranges from hourly during the wee hours to quarter hourly from about 6:30AM-7:30PM (always on the quarter hour). They also run a connection service between the terminal and central hotels/hostels during the day (M-F 6AM-8PM, Sa-Su 8AM-6PM). Book hotel pick-up 3 hours ahead. Bookings are not needed for travel from the airport to hotels.
It is worth noting that the Skybus will drop you at Southern Cross bus terminal, which is connected to Southern Cross train station, where you can board all suburban trains and country/interstate trains.
Avalon Airport, [http://www.avalonairport.com.au/] (AVV), is situated in the Geelong outer suburb of Lara. The airport is located 55 km to the south-west of Melbourne, and is considerably further from Melbourne CBD than the Melbourne airport at Tullamarine. It is a very basic terminal facility, but it has an ATM and a food outlet, as well as hire car facilities.
Avalon Airport is serviced by Qantas subsidiary low-cost airline Jetstar from Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. All Jetstar flights from Sydney arrive at Avalon.
Options to get to the Melbourne CBD:
You can also use Avalon airport to ''Get in'' to Geelong and the Great Ocean Road. See thoese articles for the transfer information.
All intercity rail services from interstate and intrastate destinations operate to and from Southern Cross Station (formerly Spencer Street Station), located on the western edge of Melbourne's central business district. The station has recently been renovated and has excellent links to the rest of the city's public transport network as it is part of the '''City Loop'''.
CountryLink [http://www.countrylink.info/ ] operates a twice daily service from Sydney (11 hours away). Great Southern Railway run four services a week from Adelaide (10-11 hours away).
Services from cities within Victoria are operated by V/Line. These services operate from regional centres such as Geelong, Ballarat, Albury, Bendigo, Bairnsdale. Note that V/Line also operates bus services which connect with these trains.
VicLink [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/ ] is a handy website to manage your state-wide travel on trains and buses across Victoria. Regional Victoria's public transport is controlled by VicLink [http://www.viclink.com.au/ ].
From Sydney, the quickest route is the Hume Highway, which takes about 9-10 hours (non-stop). A less popular, longer route is along the coast on the Princes Highway. This adds several hours to the journey as it is longer in distance and there are fewer bypasses.
Adelaide is slightly closer, and can be reached in 7 hours. Once again, it is possible to go inland or along the coast - the coast is very scenic, but will add a couple of hours to the journey.
A direct journey from Brisbane takes around 20 hours (non-stop) and takes you further inland along the Newell Highway). This makes an interesting alternative to the more common Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne coastal route.
Bus services to Melbourne from out of state are provided by Firefly Express [http://www.fireflyexpress.com.au ] and Greyhound [http://www.greyhound.com.au ] (incorporating McCaffertys).
Bus services within Victoria are operated by V/Line, and operate from most major and many minor Victorian towns.
Melbourne can be reached from Devonport, Tasmania by car/passenger ferries run by Spirit of Tasmania [http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/]. The journey takes 10 hours and runs every night (in both directions), departing at 9PM and arriving at 7AM. During the peak of Summer, there are also day sailings (departing 9AM, arriving 7PM) on many days - check in advance.
Ticket prices depend on time of year and your sleeping accommodation. A seat (no bed) is the cheapest, starting (in off-peak season) from $108 for adults and $82 for children. Bear in mind, the seat is most uncomfortable, equivalent to a cinema seat. Cabins with bunk beds start from $187 adults, $97 children. Peak season costs are about 25% higher. Cars cost $59 all year round.
Melbourne is an excellent city for walking and you should have no problems navigating the CBD. Melbourne has a very large metropolitan area, but most areas of interest can be reached within about 20 minutes from the CBD on the train or tram. Maps can be purchased from bookstores such as Angus & Robertson [http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/], taken from Federation Square [http://www.federationsquare.com.au/] or viewed online. If you're planning on taking the train to a specific area and walking the rest of the way, a combination of the afore-mentioned site and a decent printer will serve you well.
Melbourne has an extensive network of public transport, and connections to most of the major attractions of the city.
Melbourne_fs public transport system, known as '''Metlink''' [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/], consists of trams, trains and buses: trams service the central city and inner suburbs, trains service the city and the suburbs, and buses where there are no tram or train tracks. A single ticket (called a "Metcard") allows travel on all three modes of transport. Melbourne Trains have been known to be dirty and run-down, but in recent years, a large public transport overhaul means that clean modern trains have replaced most of the fleet.
The "Met Shop" in the Melbourne Town Hall, on the corner of Swanston St and Little Collins St provides timetables and brochures, and sells tickets, maps and travel merchandise (open 8.30AM-5PM Monday to Friday, 9AM-1PM Saturday). <!--No longer 103 Elizabeth St--> The Metlink Information Centre, ph 131638 (131MET), every day 7AM-9PM, provides information and the Metlink website [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/ ] also provides information including maps, fares and zones and all timetables. Metcards are also available from:
Metcards are divided into "Zones", with Zone 1 covering the central city and inner suburbs (and consequently almost the entire tram network) and Zone 2 covering the middle suburbs and some outer suburbs. Until recently Zone 3 covered the remaining outer suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula however this has now been incorporated into a 2-zone system. Almost all tickets are time-based; that is, they can be used for the given period of time within the specified zone(s) from the first time you use it. The following are the most useful tickets (and some indicative costs) for travellers (fares as at March 2009):
Concession Metcards are available for all children aged under fifteen years, but concessions for older students are only available to Victorian residents who are eligible and have paid for a student concession card. Concessions are also available to holders of Victorian Seniors Cards, Victorian Health Care Cards, and Australian Pensioner Concession Cards. A concession Metcard costs roughly half the price of an adult Metcard. Children under 4 years old travel free.
Before each journey, and sometimes to gain access to the station platforms, a metcard must be "validated" by inserting it into a validation machine. On trams, the metcard must be validated after boarding the tram; however, tickets purchased on the tram (from the machine) are already validated. Note that a two-hour metcard that is validated for the first time at 6:01PM (18:01) or later is valid for the rest of the night, so if you_fre heading out after 6PM for an evening_fs entertainment, don't buy or validate a day ticket. Another hint to know is that 2 hour tickets do not count individual minutes, as such are rounded up the next hour to ensure that the traveler gets at least 2 hours worth of travel. This means for example, that if one validates the 2 hour ticket at 3:01PM then it is rounded up to begin counting down the 2 hours form 4:00PM. Note that you will not be allowed to leave a station with fare gates if you did not validate your ticket before you first got on the train.
If you are caught using a concession ticket without a concession card, you will be fined. The ticket barriers have a light on the top which flashes if you are using a concession ticket. It has now been written into law that your ticket can be inspected even ''after'' you have left your train, tram or bus. Fines start at $158 and can be as high as $500.
Services generally operate between 5AM and midnight Monday to Saturday, and after 8AM Sunday morning. After midnight on Saturday and Sunday mornings only there are NightRider buses which run defined routes to the suburbs. Metcards are now valid on Nightrider services, but you should keep in mind that daily and 2-hourly Metcards expire at 3AM - if you're boarding a bus after this time, you'll need to buy or validate a new ticket. If you board a bus scheduled to depart before the expiry time on your ticket, it will be considered valid for your entire journey, even if you don't alight until after it expires.
Although Melbourne is a reasonably safe city, crime can and does occur on public transport. If you're waiting at a station at night, it would be wise to stand in the designated 'safety area'. These areas are well lit and provide easy access to the emergency intercom. Some outer suburban stations are known to be 'hang-outs' for youths and louts. Generally the stations are still safe and you will not be hassled if you mind your own business and ignore any illegal behaviour that may be occuring. It is particularly safe following sporting events at night when there are lots of people using public transport in particular families.
Melbourne's public transport system regularly experiences delayed and cancelled services, especially during peak hour. If you you have an important appointment to attend, it is advisable that you take the train, bus or tram that is scheduled before one that is supposed to take you to your destination on time.
The free '''City Circle''' [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/city_circle/] trams run around the CBD perimeter, covering Flinders St, Spring St, Nicholson St, Victoria St, La Trobe St and Harbour Esplanade. It is an older style tram, easily recognisable by its maroon colour. The tram stops along the route are sign posted with City Circle. They run in both directions every 12 minutes every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day from 10AM-6PM, and until 9PM Thursday-Saturday during daylight savings. Several of the trams on this service are equipped with recorded commentary about attractions passed. Tourist information is often available on board either from brochures or from a city guide person. These trams are geared to visitors and provide access to sites of interest to the tourist. They are a great introduction to central Melbourne and a free way to have a tram experience.
The free '''Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle''' [http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=308&pg=2701] bus service stops at key tourist destinations in and around the city. The buses run at 15 minute intervals between 9:30AM and 4:30PM every day. A complete circuit takes 45 minutes, and there is onboard commentary.
Melbourne has an excellent network of bike paths, plus a generally flat terrain, making pedal-power a great way to take in the city. Most paths are "shared footways" under the law, although the majority of users in most places are cyclists. This means cyclists should expect to share the path with pedestrians, dog-walkers, rollerbladers, joggers, prams and tricycles. Some trails contain on-road sections (in marked bike lanes). It is legal to cycle on footpaths only when supervising cycling children or when the path is marked or signposted as allowing bikes. Helmets are required by law, and care should be taken when cycling near slippery tram tracks.
The main paths of interest to travellers are:
Detailed maps of the bike path network can be found online [http://goforyourlife.vic.gov.au/hav/articles.nsf/pages/bicycle_maps_metropolitan_melbourne?open].
Bikes can be hired from '''Hire-a-Bike''' near Federation Square at Vault 14 Princes Walk, Federation Wharf on the north side of the Yarra, ph 0417 339 203.
Mid-range rental companies give good value. Try:
The more pricey major chains are well-represented. These include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Thrifty.
Most hire cars should come with a detailed 'Melways' or 'UBD' street directory; which will be much needed.
Drivers should watch out for "hook turns" in the Melbourne city area. Hook turn intersections are in the vast minority and all are well-signed.
Normally, a driver would have to be in the right-most lane of a multilane street in order to legally perform a right turn. When a hook turn is indicated by a sign "Right turn from left only", the driver must go as far as practicable into the intersection, staying on the left. When the light of the street you are turning ''into'' turns green, you complete the turn. Lots of Melbournians are confused about this, but you should not complete the turn until you get a green light on the street you are turning into. The point of hook turns is to keep all turning cars away from the tram tracks, as it is an offence to delay a tram by trying to turn right across traffic. Check out Wikipedia's description of the hook turn :WikiPedia:Hook_turn.
Check out CityLink's [http://www.citylink.com.au/] site for details of Melbourne's T-shaped tollway which links the Westgate, Tullamarine and Monash (formerly South-Eastern) freeways. It is a fully electronic road with no manual toll gates. You can buy a day pass in advance, or within 3 days of having driven down it, giving your registration and car details. You can do this by phone, internet, or at some Shell petrol stations. The registered owner of the car will get a fine in the mail if you do not buy a pass within 3 days. The tolled sections are indicated with blue and yellow signs, rather than the standard green and white. CityLink can cut a worthwhile amount of time from your journey, especially if you are driving from, say, the south-eastern suburbs to Melbourne Airport. Motorcycles are free, cars are around $11/day. Larger vehicles are more.
In progress is the EastLink tollway. Formerly called the Scoresby, then the Mitcham-Frankston freeway, it will link the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula freeways.
In the CBD, parking at meters and ticket machines can be as much as $3.50 per hour.
Motorcycles and scooters are well catered for as footpath parking is both free and legal (providing the footpath is not obstructed). Scooters are becoming very common, however for all size scooters a motorcycle license must be held.
<!--Please only list MAJOR ATTRACTIONS here. Full listings and minor attractions all belong in district articles-->
Melbourne attractions are here listed according to their respective districts. See the district pages for full details.
The attractions in '''Carlton''' are mostly historical as it houses the Melbourne museum, and cultural with its strong Italian heritage.
'''Tullamarine'''— Home to Melbourne's International airport.
The most popular industry for a working holiday is to work in hospitality jobs around the St. Kilda area. The wages in all other industries are usually much better than working in hospitality but require a certain kind of skills. At the moment there are a lot of job offers for nurses etc and craftsmen.
Fruit picking is a possible source of income but in the greater Melbourne area there are not many jobs are offered. You will find better chances are in the dairy business but you should have some basic experience. Grape vine tending is another possibility in the near by Yarra Valley.
Melbourne is known as the fashion capital of Australia with numerous malls and boutique lined streets.
In the CBD itself, '''Little Collins Street''' is home to some of the world's top designers and fashion houses; '''Collins Street''' also boasts other high end shops such as Louis Vuitton. '''Brunswick Street''' (Fitzroy), and the southern end of '''Chapel Street''' in Prahran/Windsor, have clusters of stores selling an eclectic mix of vintage, rave, retro and alternative gear.
'''Melbourne Central''' is another shopping mall based in the city, adjacent to the underground station of the same name. The '''Bourke Street Mall''' with the department stores Myer and David Jones is another city-central shopping hub.
For the bargain shopper, there is a DFO Outlet Malls located on Spencer Street, Melbourne city, just north of Southern Cross Railway station.
It is also worth noting, for Backpackers, that Elizabeth Street has plenty of Bargain backpackers stores, for example Mitchell's Adventure (255-257 Elizabeth Street), which can offer outdoor products for bargain prices.
Melbourne is also home to many of Australia's largest shopping centres; including Chadstone (which is currently undergoing redevelopment to become Australia's largest shopping centre) which has over 450 stores, Knox City Shopping Centre which has 350 stores, and Fountain Gate Shopping Centre which includes approximately 330 stores.
Excellent eateries can be found sprinkled throughout all of the inner (and some outer) suburbs, while certain neighbourhoods have become magnets for residents and restaurants of particular countries. A large range of restaurants and cafes offering high quality food, and representating various cultures and countries, are scattered through the central city, Southbank, Carlton (mostly Italian and touristy), Victoria Street in Richmond (many low cost popular Vietnamese and South East Asian restaurants), Docklands, South Yarra and Prahran. Sydney Road in Brunswick and Coburg is known for its many Middle Eastern, Lebanese, Greek and Turkish restaurants. The popular tourist area of St Kilda offers a large range of good quality restaurants and cafes, especially on Acland Street, and Fitzroy Street.
English-style fish and chip shops are scattered through the suburbs - particularly in bayside areas. Souvlaki and gyros are very popular in Melbourne and outlets are plentiful through the inner and outer suburbs. Japanese nori rolls and sushi is very popular and many stores through the city and suburbs sell these items.
"Australian cuisine" is a nebulous concept that may include traditional native foodstuffs and more modern cafe infusions of international influences. Items such a emu and kangaroo meat are unusual, and are most likely to be found only at the high-end fine dining restaurants as a speciality item.
Meat pies are available from bakeries and convenience stores.
High quality delicatessen style eating available in many of a cafes in the small lanes of central Melbourne. Many high quality deli style diners can be found outside the city, in Acland Street, St Kilda.
Chinese cuisine has a long tradition in Melbourne and a large number and range of quality restaurants exist. Many are in Chinatown in Little Bourke Street, City centre. They are also dotted through the inner and outer suburbs, with concentrations in Richmond, Footscray, and suburban Box Hill and Springvale.
Most of the food is from the Southern (Cantonese) school of cooking, although Northern favourites like dumplings are also available. Eating dim sum, which is consumed either during breakfast or lunch (called yum cha or "drinking tea" in Cantonese) is an extremely popular Sunday pastime for Australians of all ethnic backgrounds.
Indian restaurants can be found throughout Melbourne, particularly in the city, North Melbourne, and inner eastern suburbs such as Richmond and Hawthorn. There are also numerous Indian snack bars in the city that serve cheap but tasty curries and samosas, cafeteria-style.
Nepalese food is also popular in Melbourne, and some restaurants feature both Nepalese and Indian cuisine on their menus. An increasing number of Indian restaurants offer home delivery.
Italian cafes and restaurants are plentiful throughout Melbourne but are in the greatest concentration in Lygon Street, Carlton, just north of the city centre. Lygon Street is where Melbourne's coffee culture originated. Suburban Italian restaurants are often large and family orientated and tend towards the pizza, pasta, seafood and steak formula. Most are reliable and good value, if somewhat predictable.
For dinner, many of the inner city suburbs have Japanese restaurants, but in the city itself there is a long an interesting Japanese restaurant history that continues to this day. Both Melbourne's oldest, Kuni's (which has been around since 1978) and it's sister restaurant Kenzans are known for a very authentic, if expensive, meal. There are a plethora of choices for those on stricter budgets as well.
Thai restaurants are ubiquitous in Melbourne: even dining precincts mostly known for Italian or Vietnamese food boast Thai restaurants. An excellent thai restaurant in the city centre is Melbourne Lanna Thai on Exhibition Street 287-293. Order to share or try one of the set menus to sample several of their amazing dishes.
Vegetarian food is widely available in Melbourne, and you can expect every restaurant or cafe to have a few vegetarian or vegan options. There are also many vegetarian restaurants: Vegie Bar in Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Gopals in Swanston St and Shakahari in Lygon St, Carlton are just some of the options. Crossways at 123 Swanston St. serves a very popular $5 all you can eat vegetarian lunch, Mon-Sat.
Spanish, Argentinian, Burmese and Polish restaurants can be found in the Richmond/Collingwood/Prahran area.
Melbourne has some Cajun/Creole restaurants and one or two faux-American 'diners', but US cuisine is otherwise absent: Foods like Southern-style barbecue and clam chowder are nearly impossible to find.
There are several Korean restaurants in the city centre.
Perhaps the most famous Italian style cafe is Pellegrini's, 66 Bourke Street, Melbourne city. Fitzroy is known for funky, bohemian-style cafes. Collins Street features many elegant cafes. Many Italian style cafes are found in Carlton; '''Brunetti's''' is open late and always packed.
Serious espresso connoisseurs would enjoy visiting St Ali cafe/roastery in South Melbourne, or the Maling Room cafe in Canterbury.
Atomica cafe (268 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, tel +61 3 9417 4255) serves a strong, but well-balanced mix of coffee and silky smooth milk. Atomica also has seats on the footpath, if the upbeat music is too much for your coffee buzz and, on a warm sunny day, it is an ideal spot to mix it with the Brunswick Street crowd.
Easy to miss, but better you don't, The Green Refectory, (115 Sydney Road, Brunswick, tel +61 3 9387 1150), serves great value homemade food, and quality Illy coffee to accompany it. The crowd is eclectic mix of the Brunswick artsy crowd, university students and young professionals pushing prams. Despite its non attendance in 'Signage 101' (look for the 'Illy' coffee sign that juts out from the front windows), the difficulty of locating this place hasn't affected its popularity at all.
7 grams (505 Church Street, Richmond, tel 9429 8505) has a 'best in show' coffee (check out the shelves housing their trophies, including the 2006 Pure Latte Art winner and 2007 Barista of the Year finalist). Despite these grand accolades, the cafe itself is unpretentious, with an understated decor and a row of black-topped, chrome-legged stools along a mirror bar.
Australian licensing laws are very similar to those in the UK, i.e. you are not allowed to be drunk on licensed premises. In practice though, Melbourne venues and bouncers draw the line <i>very</i> low. Ejection from a premises can be expected for fighting, vomiting, or frequent falling over. Some pubs and clubs are quicker to eject patrons than others, but it's only ever a short walk to another. Licensing is more liberal then what one may be used to, as you can still expect to find a drink past 2AM. This has lead to a culture of late night drinking where some venues won't get busy until some time after 11PM, especially true during summer.
Melburnians often draw a distinction between 'bars', meaning the small watering holes described above, and 'pubs' which are larger establishments in the usual Australian or British sense of the word. Melbourne's pubs, particularly those in the city and inner suburbs, usually serve restaurant-standard food and a wide range of local and imported beers. Pubs usually offer lunch from approximately midday to 2PM, and reopen their kitchens for dinner from approximately 6PM to 9PM.
King Street, Melbourne city, is the nightclub and strip club centre.
Please note that around the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix (early March) and other international events, hostel accommodation is booked out and some hostels raise their prices. Be sure to book ahead.
Accommodation in this price bracket can mostly be found in the city centre. There are however options scattered throughout the suburbs.
After a fire gutted the original building in 2001, most of Melbourne's grand General Post Office (250 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne; Phone: 13 13 18; Fax: 9203 3078; Mon-Fri 8:30AM to 5:30PM, Sat 9AM to 4PM, Sun 10AM to 4PM; [http://www.australiapost.com.au]) has now been turned into an upmarket retail precinct, but it still has a range of postal services including a post restante.
Mobile phone coverage within the CBD and surrounds is usually good-to-excellent. Melbourne's area code is 03 (internationally dial +613).
Melbourne's red-light districts include King Street in the CBD and Grey Street, St Kilda, but you're more likely to face drunken revellers and unwelcome approaches from street walkers than any major threat. Melbourne City Council has also recently established all-night "Safe City" taxi ranks with security guards on King Street, outside Flinders Street Station and on Bourke Street.
If travelling by train at night, travel in the front carriage close to the driver's area and note emergency buttons. If a problem occurs, push emergency buttons on the train or railway station to attract attention. Stay in '''Safety Zones''' while on stations at night. These are marked with yellow lines and are usually well lit and have emergency buttons as well as about 4 cameras pointed at the area. Robbery does happen on the train system, especially at night, though, this kind of occurance is rare. Railway police patrol most services.
If you are driving your own car or rented automobile, car theft or break-in is possible. Avoid temptation by hiding valuables out of sight, and always lock the car and leave the windows up before you leave. If you are waiting in your car, it is only sensible to lock the car as well. A police officer will always show ID before asking you to open your door or window.
Pickpocketing is rare in Melbourne, but be aware of your belongings out the front of Flinders Street Station and the first block of Swanston Street (between Flinders and Collins Streets).
Beggars frequent the southern ends of Elizabeth and Swanston Streets, Bourke Street Mall, and the intersection of Bourke and Russell Streets. Very rarely are they threatening or aggressive however.
Although '''scams''' are rare in Melbourne, be wary of '''real estate agents''' (especially if you have newly arrived and plan to stay only for the short term). There have been many cases of real estate agents preying upon overseas students in particular. Common scams include charging tenants for costs that don't exist (eg. charges for 'advertising' when tenants move out) and deducting costs for non-existent reparations and cleaning from the bond. Be sure to consult the Tenants Union of Victoria [http://www.tuv.org.au/] and know your rights when you are charged for anything and move in and out.
The infamous '''Melbourne gangland war''' which claimed many lives is now over and anything you see on the media to do with it is very rare to see now and it is dramatized and over the top anyway, as long you aren't involved with Melbourne's underworld you will not have anything to worry about.
As with any large metropolis, be vigilant but not paranoid, as Melbourne is generally a very safe city.