Melbourne - The epicentre for sports, arts and entertainment

Melbourne is Australia’s bar capital and hub of live music. The central business district not only serves its after-work drinkers, but also attracts a young, trendy crowd. Many of the city’s smarter bars are tucked away in the city’s numerous narrow lanes. With plenty of culture, activities, art exhibitions, and live music, you could easily spend a long period of time here with no regrets. Fair chance you could end up like so many travellers and never leave.

In this blog I am going to outline the best things to do in Melbourne based on my own personal experiences. 

Melbourne’s Must Do’s 

St Kilda and Brighton Beach 

You cannot visit Melbourne without going to St Kilda and Brighton, a suburb area south from Melbourne central that’s known as an affluent beachside area. Without a doubt, the most popular thing on Brighton beach are the colourful bright bathing houses from the early 1900s and nowadays have become one of the most expensive real estate in Australia.

 

If you’re feeling energetic you can walk from Brighton up to St Kilda, of course I didn’t but the walk is a scenic route through the coastal line and would take you approximately 2 hours. I recommend visiting the St Kilda Pier and walking around the boardwalk area and if you’re around until sunset, you might be able to spot the St Kilda Penguins at the pier too!

MCG – Melbourne Cricket Ground

Fancy watching some live sport with remarkable atmosphere. There’s no place like ‘The G’. The MCG is the largest sporting stadium in the Southern Hemisphere with a capacity of over one hundred thousand. Depending on the season you can watch international cricket, the extremely popular and exiting Aussie Rules or take a tour of the Melbourne sports museum.

Café Culture 

Melbourne is very well known for its café culture. Whether its meeting friends to catch up over a coffee or sitting in a café whilst working or reading a book, there are thousands of coffee shops and hidden gems that you cannot miss. Whilst there are many coffee shops in every street in the city, there are also Melbourne Coffee Tours and a Café Culture Walk for those coffee connoisseurs! 

Flinders Street Station 

You don’t have to spend a lot to discover major landmarks, you can simply come across them whilst travelling. Flinders Street Station is an example as although it serves the entire metropolitan rail network, it is also a major landmark and popular meeting place in Melbourne. The infrastructure is old at it was built in the 19^thcentury and features Victorian architecture and large clock faces – at least you’ll not miss your train! Flinders Street Station is said to be the busiest railway station in the Southern Hemisphere!

Federation Square 

Across the street from Flinders Street Station is Federation Square. It is an open square that is a venue for arts, culture and public events and just right by the business district. It is ideal if you enjoy people watching and just enjoy watching the world go by! Along the river at the bottom of the square there are many popular restaurants, bars and cafes. Fed Square is also known to be one of the best NYE celebrations and offers an unbelievable firework display! 

State Library 

Whilst visiting a library may be the last thing you would consider whilst on a gap year, the State Library of Victoria has a flabbergasting 8 million visitors a year! It is known for having a long queue of people waiting to get a desk before it even opens! It was built in 1956 and is a source of pride for the residents in the area. If you are interested in learning more about the history and architecture of the institution, it offers free tours. 

Great Ocean Road 

You simply cannot visit Melbourne without taking a trip along Great Ocean Road. It is one of Australia’s most iconic and popular destinations, and the incredible scenery makes it very attractive for tourists. It is 243 kilometres long and features one of its most famous attractions, the 12 Apostles. The road was built by soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and the route will allow you to discover the Surf Coast, Otway Rainforest and Shipwreck Coast. This is a must for your Melbourne to-do list! 

Phillip Island

If you’re looking for a beach break and to get away from the city, I would highly recommend Philip Island. It is suitable for a day trip (however there are infrequent buses if you’re relying on public transport) but I would recommend staying at least one night here. It has the most spectacular beaches and is very popular for locals to come at the weekends. I would advise staying a night here as it is renowned for a nightly penguin parade, when thousands of penguins return from the sea for the night. The island also has a koala sanctuary, you cannot visit Australia without holding a koala! 

Weather 

Melbourne is a great spot year-round, and there’s always so much to do. The summer months from December to February are the busiest in Melbourne, seeing as how it’s Australia’s summer and so many tourists flock here to escape the cold. The temperatures during this time are usually in the high 70s°F (high 20s°C), but they’ve been known to climb a lot higher. Winter in Melbourne (June to August) can be quite cold and dreary, especially in comparison to Sydney and Brisbane. 

Thank you for reading, check back soon for more travel blogs :)