"Melbourne" Melbourne by gmg61

Melbourne Travel Guide: 3,341 reviews and 7,498 photos

Melbourne Skyline at sunset - Melbourne
Melbourne Skyline at sunset
Big spaces and relax

The first thing you notice when you arrive in Melbourne are the big spaces; the second thing is the relaxed atmosphere, the lack of heavy traffic even during peak hours.
Melbourne is a very liveable city, incredibly vast: you can drive for hours and you are still in Melbourne! People who live there say that to own a car is a must in Melbourne, because of the great distances and because of the poor public transportation system. Well, regarding this second point I have some doubts: trains are reliable and trams travel often, the real pity is that the service stops at midnight also during weekends and that trains don't travel very often. But, honestly, I've seen cities with much worse public transportation systems!

Southbank
View of the Liffey and the CBD from the Southbank - Melbourne

View of the Liffey and the CBD from the Southbank

Being such a big city, Melbourne has various sides, and many of them are attractive or fascinating. The CBD (Central Business District) is rather small, full of shops, banks and offices. On the other side of the Yarra River, a relatively new area has been built along the river bank. It's the "Southbank": bars, restaurants, a articraft market on Sunday, a nice river promenade with banks where to seat and enjoy the beauty of the area, fountains, pedestrian walks, etc. This path leads to the New Docklands area. A former Dock area, is now undergoing a massive refurbishment that will convert the whole area in a new exclusive residential district. Still some skyscrapers are finished and inhabited but a lot of works are still in progress.

St. Kilda
St. Kilda - Melbourne

On the opposite side, you walk under the St. Kilda Road Bridge and a new landscape is around you: botanical gardens along the Yarra, on the other bank the tennis stadium and Richmond (once was a sort of Greek colony, now it has changed). I think this is one of the biggest green areas in the real centre of Melbourne. If you walk for about 45 minutes you arrive to South Yarra, the road that leads to Toorak and to Chapel Street.

In Melbourne don’t miss the Victoria Market.
Also Saint Kilda is worth a visit, for its beach, it's Luna Park and the beautiful view on the bay.

  • Intro Updated Jan 28, 2006
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Reviews (7)

A weekly Metcard - Melbourne Metcard Transportation (1)

If you plan to stay more days in Melbourne and want to see the whole city, buy a Metcard, that allowa you to travel free... more travel advice

Chapel Street at sunset - Melbourne Chapel Street Things to Do (4)

The link between the poshy Toorak and the once infamous St. Kilda, Chapel Street is cosmopolitan and trendy. Here... more travel advice

Sunset from St. Kilda Pier - Melbourne St. Kilda Pier Things to Do (4)

Very popular amongst Melbournites, who come here for biking or walking and also enjoy the nice beach around. During... more travel advice

St. Kilda Luna Park's entrance - Melbourne St. Kilda Luna Park Things to Do (4)

Scent of family weekend and amusements, rather old fashioned with it's nice, wooden, old roiller coaster that was... more travel advice

Comments (3)

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