A Guide through Melbourne

The second week in Australia was in the city, Melbourne. I took an hour flight from Syndey and stayed in the centre of town on Flinders Street. Melbourne was a very different feel to Syndey, much more hippie and quirky with it’s unique coffee shops and many restaurants which suited me to a tea. I planned to stay in Melbourne a week and I think that was plenty of time to do everything in the city and get your bearings on the are as it is a small city. 

In this weeks post I wanted to give you a couple suggestions for a week in the city for all types of weather since the weather in Melbourne is unpredictable and therefore one must always be prepared. 

Alexander McQueen exhibition

The exhibition on the famous designer- Alexander McQueen is a must visit when in the city. From his designs, to his inspiration and the final garment, the exhibition showed the world from his creative perspective. 

Brighton Beach 

Famous for the beach bathing boxes, Brighton beach is a unique and colourful beach on the edge of the city that is an exact copy of the Brighton beach in the UK. Although the beaches in Melbourne are definitely not as impressive as Sydney’s if you had some time I would do a walk from St Kilda to Brighton for a costal walk. St Kilda also has a market on every weekend which is worth visiting. 

Pidapipo

This ice cream shop is on the corner of Flinders street and what a find it was! With the freshest ingredients and unique flavours- this is the perfect spot to treat yourself after a day at the beach. I went just before Christmas and got the Christmas Pudding and Eggnogg- very much a Australian Christmas experience. 

Old Melbourne Prison 

This was a very interesting experience and a great place to get to understand more about Australian history. In the centre of town the old prison has now become a museum as well as a live experience where you become a criminal and get transferred through the Guards ward. I would recommend doing this with a guide (for $5 extra) otherwise there’s not a lot to do or learn.  

Queen Victoria Market

On the weekends the Victoria Markets is one of the main tourist attraction in Melbourne. This market sells mainly souvenirs and there are a couple food stalls to check out too. I would go fairly early in the morning for a walk around and buy any gifts for family and friends back home. 

Fitzroy Market 

This market was my favourite market I have visited in Australia and would highly recommend for anyone into fashion and art. Fitzroy is a trendy area of town with many bars and cafes, as well as many vintage stores. There are two main markets that happen there every Saturday, the first has stalls of mainly clothes and jewellery underneath an abandoned car park. And the second is an art market which focuses on local artists selling their products. Make a day out of it and go early for the great deals and the famous ‘Melbourne coffee’ and then treat yourself to a lunch in one of the pubs or cafes. 

Melbourne Museums 

If you’re stuck in Melbourne on one of the bad weather days I would highly recommend spending the day moving between the many free museums and exhibitions. A five minute walk from Flinders street there is the ACMI and Melbourne museum  which always have new and free exhibitions on. 

State library

The state library is another spot that’s perfect for the bag weather. Near the museums, the library is a beautiful quiet space in the middle of the city which is often used by students to finish work, and I completely understand why it’s so popular! 

Bondi and Cycle 

If the weather is not too good or you’ve run out of things to do and you are in the mood for a good spin class I would highly recommend booking a section with this company. It’s not too expensive and the classes will make you sweat. 

Dragon Hot Pot 

Definitely go to one of the Dragon Hot Pot restaurants when in the city. This was such a fun experience and one that was also extremely tasty! You choose everything you want to put in your hotpot and they cook it all up for you and bring it to your table. It’s such good value for money and it can be as full or sparingly as you want. 

Botanical Gardens 

I went here on my final day in the city and it was so lovely to walk around the area. Remember to bring a book and enjoy a coffee or a picnic on the grass surrounded by Australia’s nature. 

Love,

Aria 

XO