About Melbourne
Melbourne is set around the shores of Port Phillip Bay. The city itself, laid out in a large rectangle and boasting a lively and cosmopolitan pulse, sits on the northern banks of the Yarra River, and the Docklands development has seen Melbourne city embrace the beauty of the Bay, converting old port authority sheds west of the city into a vibrant residential, business, sporting and entertainment precinct by the water.
The city is renowned for its festivals and sporting events, staging an exciting variety of entertainment each year including the Formula One Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Open Tennis, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Melbourne Film Festival, the Boxing Day Test Cricket, the AFL Grand Final, the Heineken Golf Classic, and the Spring Racing Carnival.
For the night cats, Melbourne has the most live music venues in Australia and a burgeoning number of chic and groovy inner city bars for every level and style of socialising imaginable. Melburnians are also spoilt by the quality and range of gastronomic delights available to them. And for the shop-a-holics Melbourne fashion is the envy of many, from the Paris end of town in ritzy Collins Street to the urban cool of Chapel Street in South Yarra. World smash hit theatre productions and “block-buster” art exhibitions also regularly visit Melbourne.
Places of interest include:
• Melbourne Zoo, recognised as one of the world’s best.
• The sporting precinct which includes the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), scene of the Melbourne 1956 Olympics and still one of the world’s great stadiums, as well as Rod Laver arena (venue of the Australian Tennis Open).
• Many waterfront promenades and cafes along the Yarra River or docklands precinct.
• Some of the finest examples of historic gothic architecture (used as backdrops in many major movies).
Public Transport in Melbourne
The Melbourne Central Business District (CBD and its suburbs) are one of a few cities in the world that has a low cost electric tram network, as well as an underground train system. There is a free-of-charge historic tram that runs regularly around the perimeter of the Melbourne CBD. This free historic tram is designed for visitors to Melbourne and has high-quality maps and tour guides on board – a most recommended means of getting around the Melbourne CBD.
The city and suburbs is also well-serviced by taxis and buses or, for something a little different, catch a water taxi along Melbourne’s famous Yarra River and docklands area. One of the reasons that Melbourne is regarded as one of the world’s safest and most livable cities it is quite safe to walk and travel around Melbourne, day and night.
Melbourne is well serviced by trains, trams, buses and taxis both in the city and surrounding suburbs. For more information about the transport network, go to Metlink ( www.metlink.com.au )
Regional Victoria
Take a drive for about one hour out of the city and depending on the direction chosen, you might be forgiven if you thought you were suddenly in Tuscany at any of hundreds of wineries in the Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula regions. Toward the south west there’s the Great Ocean Road and the picturesque seaside towns of Queenscliff, Anglesea, Lorne and Apollo Bay. A longer drive is rewarded at historic Port Cambell by the magnificent natural grandeur of the 12 Apostles. To the south east you’ll find the fairy penguins and seals at Phillip Island, the famous surf of Portsea and Cape Woollami, and further on the wild natural parks of Wilson’s Promontory. A short trip north leads to the salubrious spa country at Daylesford, historic country towns like Castlemaine, Kyneton, and Ned Kelly’s Glenrowan and the mighty Murray River at Echuca. Just beyond Mansfield is the Victorian high country where ski bunnies have recently enjoyed bumper snow seasons at Mt Buller and Mt Hotham come wintertime.
Tours
Check out the following links for more information:
