Marvellous Melbourne | A Local Guide To Australia’s Most Liveable City

Explore Melbourne like a local and be immersed in a dynamic travel experience in this attractive coastal capital of Victoria

Melbourne is teeming with a wide range of things to do that will accommodate all your sight-seeing, shopping, and food interests. We’ve invited guest-writer Ielyzaveta Ivanova (Liza in short, who now calls Melbourne her home) to provide a local’s guide to explore Melbourne so you can get the most out of your time in the city.

Located in south-eastern Australia, Melbourne has a European-style city centre that is dominated by its famous trams, colonial-style buildings, and of course sky scrapers. There are two major airports, Tullamarine (23km from city centre) and Avalon (55km west of the city). Tullamarine is Melbourne’s largest domestic airport and only international gateway comprising of four main terminals, one for international and three for domestic.

🚀 How to get around?

• Transfers from the airport to the city will involve either a private taxi, Uber, or the Skybus and Starbus (which are cheaper options compared to a private cab if you’re travelling alone or there’s two of you). Pre-booking the Skybus is not necessary, and it is important to note that it drops you only to a number of popular destinations after which you need to transfer into a smaller shuttle to get to your hotel. The Starbus on the other hand requires you to pre-book and offers door-to-door service directly to your hotel.
• Public transport options in Melbourne include trains, buses, and trams. Most travel will involve using at least two of those.
• The Melbourne region is divided into two public transport zones – Zone 1 and Zone 2. Fares are based on the zones in which travel occurs, whether in a single zone or across both zones.
• On weekends there’s a flat rate, so open for all tourists and locals to go exploring as they wish while not paying extra.
• Within the inner city centre bordered by Docklands and the Yarra River, the city trams are free for all.
• Use a Myki card to swipe on/off buses, trams, and trains; there’s a card that tourists can buy for a short visit. The cards can be loaded with money at any 7-Eleven store.
• For a tourist though, unless the plan is to see the city and be near it, hiring a car will be necessary – most of the sightseeing opportunities in National Parks and scenic spots are unreachable by public transport (or will take like forever and a half). If you’re not renting a car, then opt to go for a tour that includes a convenient service of pick-up and drop-off.
• If you’re driving, do note that trams are given priority and that right turns very often need to be done from the left side of the road.
• You could also hire bicycles from the public Melbourne Bike Share racks and quickly get from one spot to another in the CBD within the quick 30-minute allotted time.

🚀 CBD Melbourne and nearby

Melbourne’s city centre is shaped like that of a grid, right next to the banks of the Yarra River. Major shopping precincts and laneways can be found here, especially between Flinders, Elizabeth, Bourke, Swanston, and Little Collins streets. Stop by the Flinders Street Railway Station and take a photo of this most recognisable landmark of the city. Do not miss out strolling along the banks of the Yarra River, either during broad day light, or perhaps at night when it’s prettier with the building lights bouncing off the water making for a very delightful scene.

City’s Laneways

The laneway culture in Melbourne is very unique to the city. The maze of laneways and arcades connects the major roads for pedestrians only and hosts heaps of shops, restaurants, and street art that are oh-so-amazing. Silke, the blogger of Happiness and Things has shared a self-guided tour of Melbourne’s laneways, and it is mighty useful! Here’s a map of the Melbourne laneways and arcade tour.

Royal Arcade & Block Arcade

The two shopping arcades are very similar and are situated across the street from one another in the Melbourne CBD. There are many artisan shops inside (one that specialises in Dr. Seuss-inspired artwork for example, and heaps selling chocolates and sweets of umpteen kinds). There are also some really nice cafés to stop for lunch or an evening tea, such as the Hopetoun Tea Rooms (in Block Arcade) that is a fantastic place for a fancy high tea and to devour some DELICIOUS cakes and patisseries. To have desserts in most cafés, reserve your spot in advance and go early (before 4pm), so you won’t have to stand in a queue and the good stuff will most likely still be available!

Melbourne Town Hall

Definitely worth taking the tour for this one, as there’s much to be learnt about this place and the employees are really knowledgeable. The Abba and Beatles played in this Town Hall once, and Paul McCartney used the piano that stands there now (Liza touched it)! There is also a glass case you’ll be shown, where there’s the tea set that was made specifically for the royal visit from the Queen. Only thing is that when the Queen was actually there and was asked what she’d have, she replied that just water, and so the tea set was never actually used by her.

Federation Square

Known as Melbourne’s cultural heartbeat, located on the edge of Melbourne CBD right next to the Flinders Street Railway station, Fed Square is where you can immerse in arts, culture and public events. You’ll find the Ian Potter Centre that houses over 20,000 Australian artworks that are part of the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) that is Australia’s only national museum of film, video games, digital culture and art. What’s also interesting is that at the Fed Square, you can visit the Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Centre and find out what Melbourne was like before the British was colonised two centuries ago, and learn about the history of the Aborigines.

Fitzroy and Carlton Gardens

Fitzroy has lovely European-style gardens with plenty of flowers even through winter. There is an artificial little “waterfall” that gets switched on for the day, and there is a tiny “village” in the middle of it with little gnome constructions all surrounded by a fence.

The Carlton Gardens is a World Heritage Site located on the northeastern edge of Melbourne CBD, lined with trees and flowerbeds, has a majestic fountain and a pond full of ducks. It’s a lovely garden home to the Royal Exhibition Building (explorable with a guided tour), Melbourne Museum, IMAX Cinema, and an award-winning children’s playground.

Parliament House and Old Treasury Building

The Parliament house is a beautiful gold-adorned structure with regularly operating tours. What Liza found really interesting is that there is a meeting room in there that often gets hired out to host all kinds of events in, events as small as high tea can be arranged… a great idea for someone’s birthday! The inside is just as grand as the outside,  with the splendid architecture of the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, Queen’s Hall, and library. The Old Treasury Building is regarded as one of the finest buildings in Australia, and is now a museum of Melbourne history.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

This church has got a beautiful granite exterior, a medieval-style building. Its bell can be heard from quite a distance several times in a day! It stands right next to the Fitzroy Gardens and the Parliament house, so can be nice to visit after (or before) seeing those.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

A gorgeous Anglican church with a massive organ inside. They have an operating gift shop inside, if you feel like getting embroidered handkerchiefs or designer (or very plain) crosses or other souvenirs. You can also pay a small fee to light and place a candle in memory of loved ones.

Bishopscourt

Facing the Fitzroy Gardens is the Bishopscourt that serves as the residence of the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne. The architecture is impressive, for the building was made of bluestone in gothic style in 1853, with the red brick wing added in 1903. A great place to stop by to marvel at the building and the beautiful English garden it has.

Queen Victoria Market and Chinatown

While at the CBD, visit the open-air Queen Victoria Market to find everything from clothing to vintage records to souvenirs, the freshest local produce, and heaps of international cuisines to indulge in. Chinatown is also a fantastic place to check out some historic buildings, the Chinese Museum, shopping and food stalls, and to partake in the festival during Chinese New Year.

🚀 Just out of the CBD

Eureka Skydeck 88

Across the Yarra River is the Eureka Tower which is a must see for anyone in the city. Being 297 metres high, equivalent to 88 floors, this observation deck offers stunning views of the gorgeous Melbourne city.

Melbourne Star

Located in the Docklands precinct, you’ll find the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, a 120-metre tall giant ferris wheel that offers some good views of the Docklands area, Melbourne’s CBD, Port Phillip Bay, going as far as Mount Macedon, Arthur’s Seat and the Dandenong Ranges during a 30-minute ride. Opt to go there in the evening to watch the sunset during the ride.

The Docklands is also a nice area to wander around the water’s edge, do some shopping, watch some entertainment, and grab a bite or two.

Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens

Located at the heart of Melbourne’s city centre, the 38-hectare landscaped gardens are always blooming with native and exotic plantations. Tours, activities, and programs run regularly and provide a range of informative and exciting experiences for visitors of all ages.

Shrine of Remembrance

Being Victoria’s national war memorial, this iconic building is visited by people since 1934 who honour the service and sacrifice of Australian men and women in war and peacekeeping. From the balcony, you can enjoy stunning views of the Reserve and many of Melbourne’s landmarks. The Eternal Flame continues to burn on the Second World War Forecourt symbolising eternal life for those who have served.

Melbourne Cricket Ground

If you’re in Melbourne during the Australian Football League (AFL) season, you must head for a game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which is unlike anything else in this country.

Shopping at Chapel Street

Chapel Street in Prahran is the longest street for shopping in Melbourne and it takes you from high-end designer shops through to quirky goods by Aussie designers, finishing in vintage stores that edge over into Windsor.

St Kilda

This suburb has a very nice botanical gardens that is in full bloom all year round. Not to mention the St Kilda Beach which is Melbourne’s most famous beach! Walk, cycle, or skate under the palms on the foreshore, and indulge in one of the many little eateries serving all sorts of different cuisines. The National Theatre is also worth visiting, which is a very unassuming building on a street corner, but quite pretty inside housing a beautiful staircase. St Kilda is a bit of a hipster town, very artsy as there’s much exotic graffiti, and at the same time has fancy old architecture. There are festivals and parades happening often organised by people of diverse cultures for special occasions! The St Kilda Pier at dusk is a lovely highlight to catch, where you can watch the resident fairy penguins burrowing in the rocks.

Check out the city’s universities

If you’re interested to check out some more of Melbourne’s architecture, Liza recommends you to visit the University of Melbourne, as it has some unique buildings and old-style gardens throughout. If you want to see more university stuff but in a modern style, Monash University has some architectural “marvels” of this century. It proudly displays several of its buildings as very cleverly designed, and the newer constructions tend to embrace the new learning styles – so unusually built classrooms, with mixed seating of chairs and couches, with screens on all the walls, and plenty of light coming in through big windows. The exteriors of the buildings are also all unique, in colour and texture and style.

🚀 Out of CBD

Brighton Beach

Brighton Beach, just 25km from the city centre, is a great spot for surfing and swimming and is also home to brightly coloured bathing boxes which make for stunning photo subjects!

Chadstone Shopping Centre

This is the biggest shopping mall in Australia and one of the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere. Liza recommends knowing exactly what one wants to get when going in, otherwise it’s quite possible to spend the entire day walking around! Be prepared for crowds on the weekend, as it’s a favourite hangout spot. There is plenty of parking for the cars and it’s free; the bus interchange is quite extensive, so reaching the shopping centre is definitely not an issue. There are several information desks and some self-help machines if one needs to go through the store directory to orient themselves.

🚀 Tours from Melbourne

Melbourne is a fantastic base for a diverse range of day trip destinations. Day trips can be organised to Ballarat (where you will find the fantastic open-air gold mining museum of Sovereign Hill), the Great Ocean Road (where the famous 12 Apostles are), the wine producing region of the Yarra Valley and the oh-so-delicious Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery, the picturesque countryside of Dandenong (where you will find Puffing Billy, the historic railway) and Phillip Island (home to the biggest fur seal colony in Australia and some really cute penguins which you can spot during the daily penguin parade at sunset).

The Dandenong Ranges

So much to do here for nature-oriented people, or those that love high tea as the ranges are known to be a scone-eating place. There is the 1000 steps to walk up (very popular, probably gets far too busy on the weekends) with beautiful views of surrounding rain forest all the way. There are also many cafés tucked around road bends (and the roads really do bend – it’s quite a hilly area, so perhaps not for those with motion sickness if extensive driving is planned through the area). There are some towns located in the ranges, where you’ll find antique shops, thrift shops, and nurseries. Another major attraction to the area is the Puffing Billy – a steam train that goes through quite a large portion of the ranges. It has several stops, so one could purchase a short or long trip, either one-way or return. They also do meal packages with seasonal menus.

Oh and read more about our Great Ocean Road Trip here.

🚀 What to eat in Melbourne?

EVERYTHING – Abso-forking-lutely everything you wish for! Melbourne has uncountable food options and restaurants of every kind! But Liza’s favourite is the Eating House Restaurant which she finds absolutely fantastic variety wise (even for vegetarians) and also because their desserts are HUGE! Not to mention, fine dining at restaurants of world-renown celebrity chefs who have set up camp here, such as Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck, George Calombaris’ Press Club, Shannon Bennett’s Vue de Monde (offers a good view from high above the city), and Neil Perry’s Rockpool.

Oh and Melbourne is all about the Food Truck these days and there are heaps of them popping up in and around Melbourne. They make for a fantastic option to try out a wide variety of foods likes burgers, tacos, pizzas, and Liza’s favourite jam-filled doughnuts at Cardinia Reservoir, just on the side of Wellington Road (this van was next to the roundabout with Belgrave-Hallam Road, almost in Narre Warren East).

Happy travels to Melbourne, now that you know there’s a lot to do, explore, and eat in Melbourne!