Cruise up Melbourne's Yarra River. Photo: Alf Scalise from Pixabay
Melbourne is continually ranked one of the world’s most liveable cities, and with good reason! Thriving café culture, an excellent public transport network, some of Australia’s best museums and art galleries, world-class shopping, sumptuous dining spots, and beautiful parklands – what else could you want?
Let’s talk about the 9 of the best things to do in Melbourne…
One thing I recommend all first time travellers to Melbourne do is take the time to head to one of the visitor centres and arm yourself with printed self guided walks. Choose from a variety of themed walks including street art, music, Aboriginal, arcades and laneways, parks and the waterfront locations of Southbank and Docklands. Do one or do them all. They're an excellent way to discover the city on foot, and you'll uncover some of Melbourne's hidden gems. Two of my favourite visitor centres can be found at Federation Square (across the road from Flinders Street station), and Melbourne Town Hall (on Collins Street).
Hop on, hop off, hop back on! Travel on the City Circle tram is not only free, it is the most convenient and best way to see the sights of Melbourne. Mingle with shoppers, office workers, families and other travellers who use this as a means to travel to work, major events, shopping, restaurant and the cities attractions. Trams run Every 30 minutes - between 10am and 6pm from Sunday to Wednesday and between 10am and 9pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Ride the Melbourne trams. Photo: Wim Kantona from Pixabay
Stunning, extravagant, beautiful, magnificent and elegant. Am I describing a fine-dining restaurant or a designer hotel? Neither. This is the best way to describe what you will see on your visit to the State Library of Victoria. Established in 1856, this amazing piece of architecture on Swanston Street, has been welcoming visitors to enjoy its marvellous interiors. The library has a rich collection of historical items, offers talks and lectures as well as free tours. This is also the place where you can see famed bushranger Ned Kelly’s armour.
Head over to the Young & Jackson Hotel (opposite Flinders Street station) to meet Chloe, a Melbourne icon who has kept soldiers company through two World Wars, a Korean War and a Vietnam War. Chloe has graced covers of magazine, is a mascot for the HMAS Melbourne, has had wine named after her and poems written about her. Chloe has kept company with prime ministers, celebrities, bushies, soldiers, drunks, poets, artists and art connoisseurs. Who is this mysterious woman? Chloe is a painting by artist Jules Joseph Lefebvre from 1875. Today, you will find her in the upstairs saloon. Call past and have a drink with Chloe.
Melbourne is the home of comedy and you're guaranteed to have stitches from laughing. There's independent comedy theatres, plus quite a few bars and pubs that host regular comedy nights. Get ready to book tickets to see some of the best local and international 'funny people' test out their stand up, sketches, and test out their new material on you. A few comedy club suggestions are the Comedy Republic, Basement Comedy Club, Comedy at Spleen Bar, and Comedy at Coopers Inn.
Officially opened on 20 March 1878, Queen Victoria Market has been serving the people of Melbourne for more than 140 years. Take a foodie walking tour and learn about the fascinating history, discover the freshest produce on offer, meet the vendors, sample the delicacies and uncover tasty treats to take away with you. Come hungry and bring your own reusable shopping bags.
No trip to Melbourne would be complete without a stroll around the world’s biggest outdoor art exhibitions. Many of these jaw-dropping art galleries are found in Melbourne's laneways. You may even have a chance to meet some of the artists as they are creating. My personal favourite is the art in Hosier Lane which is home to the 23-metre-tall unnamed Indigenous Boy by the artist Adnate. Another spot that is worthy of a selfie in front of is Union Lane, look out for the big pink and grey Galah!
See the many artworks adorning the Melbourne laneways
It's always interesting to see the many different personalities of a city, and Melbourne is no different. I highly recommend seeing Melbourne from its famous Yarra River which cuts through the middle of the city. There are two different cruise itineraries to choose from which offer very different things to see and learn about. When you cruise down the river, you'll see the sights of Docklands entertainment complex, Melbourne CBD and discover one of the discover one of the busiest trading ports in the Southern Hemisphere. Up river, cruise past the cultural precinct, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), and AAMI Park (which is Melbourne’s newest soccer stadium). Watch out for the stunning Toorak mansions, tree-lined streets, and ornate bridges. This peaceful part of the Yarra is only minutes away from the heart of the city and catches the true charm of Melbourne.
The Koorie Heritage Trust is the only public collection in Australia dedicated solely to Koorie art and culture. Located in Federation Square, visitors can take part in public events, workshops, education tours and walks which help develop Indigenous cross-cultural awareness. There's gorgeous handmade art, jewellery and clothing designed by Koorie and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. All sales support the Koorie Heritage Trust and Koorie artists and designers. This Koorie Heritage Trust is owned and managed by the Aboriginal community and promotes and celebrates the continuing journey of the Aboriginal people.
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