AFL

Melbourne is often considered the sports capital of the world, and no sport owes to the city as much as Australian football does. Australian football had its start in Melbourne in 1858 as the brainchild of Tom Wills, and today the majority of teams in the Australian Football League play in and around the city.  If you’re not a big Aussie football fan, don’t fret; cricket is huge here as well, and association football, netball, horse racing and basketball also have ties to the city.

Bunyip

The bunyip is a large mythical creature from Aboriginal myths, and the myth originated with the Aboriginal people of South-Eastern Australia.  Though tales of the bunyip have spread as far as the United States, the fearsome predator has made his mark in Victoria the most, with placenames such as the Bunyip River and the town of Bunyip, about an hour away from Melbourne CBD.  Many claim to have seen the bunyip out in the wild, but no actual proof has turned up...so far.

Cycling

Cycling is one of the easiest ways to get around the city, and the climate and relative lack of hills make the journey even more enjoyable.  Though Melburnians mostly choose other forms of transportation, there is an extensive network of bicycle paths and designated bicycle lanes on roads, and a bicycle hire system is starting to be put into place.  The Parliament of Victoria passed helmet legislation in the 1990s, so if you’re thinking of using a bike while in Melbourne, make sure to bring a helmet along.

Docklands

The Docklands used to be a slum of Melbourne, a relic of shipping past.  That is, until the 1990s, when Melbourne decided to kick-start its urban renewal projects by making the Docklands a premier entertainment district.  Today, the area houses the Docklands Stadium, home to many different sports teams, concerts and the headquarters of the AFL.  It also has Waterfront City, a destination entertainment and shopping complex, and a host of fascinating clubs and restaurants, making this a really great place to go to at night.

Events & festivals

Melbourne plays host to a variety of festivals throughout the year, from international festivals like the International Film Festival in late July and the International Comedy Festival in early April, to events on a much more local scale, such as the Royal Melbourne Show in September and Moomba, the largest free community festival, which takes place in early March.  There’s even Midsumma, the annual gay and lesbian festival, which takes place in January and February.

Federation Square

Open to the public in 2002, Federation Square is a large complex of galleries, museums, movie theatres, restaurants, bars, and shops around two open public spaces.  Built on top of a concrete deck over rail lines going into nearby Flinders Street station, the square was built as part of a giant redevelopment of the area.  It’s home to the head of the city’s visitor centre, and the large fixed screen broadcasts major sporting events.  People have varied reactions to the square’s architectural layout; go down there and judge for yourself!

Great Ocean Road

This road, built by soldiers returning from war in the early to mid twentieth century, sports some of the best views of Victorian coastline throughout its 243km span.  It also provides access to important landmarks, such as the Twelve Apostles natural formations.  If you’re interested in making the trip, many tours leave from Melbourne and go up and down this famous road. Wildlife Tours (1300 661 730) comes highly recommended by THE WORD.  Quote THE WORD for the best rates.

Islands

There are many islands around the city of Melbourne, including Phillip Island, notable for its Grand Prix and its nature park where Little Penguins come ashore, and French Island, famous for its unspoilt beauty and great campsites.  Ferries shuttle visitors from the mainland to the islands on an almost daily basis.

Koalas

Everyone is familiar with Australia’s favourite marsupial, but did you know that koalas are most prevalent in Victoria?  Victoria is the only state in the country where the koala population is large and thriving, and the Melbourne Zoo has them in captivity so you can see them up-close and personal.  Want to hold a koala?  Well, you’ll have to go somewhere else for that; snuggling with a koala is illegal in the state of Victoria.

Museums

Melbourne has a variety of museums for every type of museum lover.  There’s the Melbourne Museum, located in the Carlton Gardens, which is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere. Then there’s the Immigration Museum, located in Melbourne’s old Customs House, and there’s also the Scienceworks, which houses many different interactive exhibits.  These are just a sample of the many different museums that can be found in and around the city.

Nightlife

The evening is a great time to experience Melbourne; dance music is a big part of the Melbourne scene.  Not only does the city have enormous places like the Metro Nightclub (near cnr Bourke & St, near Parliament train station) and QBH (Queensbridge St south of the river promenade), there’s an entire dance that was created here: the Melbourne Shuffle.

Observation points

The city has not one, but two great places to get a fantastic view of the city and the surrounding area. The Melbourne Observation Deck, located on the 55th floor of the Rialto Towers, offers a great view of Melbourne city and beyond, but for a different sort of view, head to the Eureka Skydeck in Eureka Tower and walk over to The Edge, a glass cube which sticks out 3m from the building and is 300m off the ground.

Parks & gardens

One of Melbourne’s nicknames is the garden city, and as such there are a lot of parks and gardens within walking distance of the CBD.  One of the city’s oldest park, Flagstaff Gardens, is still a big hit with locals at lunchtime, and the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens is right across the Yarra River, housing over 10,000 different species of plants (including, throughout history, some invasive ones).

Restaurants

Melbourne houses some of the most varied restaurant choices in all of Australia, and the city has built up a reputation as a culinary centre.  Lygon Street in Carlton is the home of the famous “Little Italy,” but other great food destinations are Chinatown, the Docklands and Southbank areas.  In the suburbs, visitors can find an array of restaurants and cafes on Fitzroy Street in St Kilda, Victoria Street in Collingwood, and Brunswick Street in Fitzroy.

Transport

Public transportation in Melbourne is abundant with choices.  The city’s tram system is the largest in the world, surviving an era where many tram networks around the world were completely shut down.  The heritage trams running on the City Circle are great for visitors and are completely free. The suburban trains, run by Metro Trains Melbourne, consist of sixteen different lines radiating from Flinders Street station, and Melbourne is at the centre of Victoria’s regional rail network run by V/Line out of Southern Cross station. The bus network is run by a multitude of companies, but all buses, along with suburban trains and trams are all a part of the Metlink network and take the Metcard.  A smart card, called the myki, will replace the Metcard on all networks soon.

Water sports

Water sports are a popular activity in Melbourne, with the Yarra River playing a big role.  Rowing on the river is especially popular; universities and schools build many boat-sheds on the river and race in many different competitions.  Port Phillip Bay plays host to jet skiers, kite-surfers and wind-surfers, who mostly operate from St Kilda Beach.

Yarra Valley

The Yarra Valley, the region surrounding the Yarra River, refers mostly to the upper regions, away from the city and its suburbs. The winemaking industry is huge in the valley, and the area’s climate contributes to the fantastic chardonnays and pinot noirs that are shipped throughout Australia and all over the world.

Other things to see and things to do

Melbourne Cricket Ground    Melbourne Park    Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre    Royal Exhibition Building    Carlton Gardens    National Gallery of Victoria    Parliament of Victoria   Victorian Arts Centre   Melbourne Aquarium    Shrine of Remembrance    Luna Park Melbourne    Chapel Street   Glenferrie Road, Malvern    Australian Centre for Contemporary Art   Southbank    Mornington Peninsula    Surf Coast    Geelong   Ballarat Bendigo    Gippsland    Bells Beach    Walhalla

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