Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne is one of the fastest-growing Australian destinations for British visitors, set in a great location on Port Phillip Bay and often regarded as Australia’s culinary capital and most ‘European’ city.
Like Sydney, it’s an easy place to enjoy: there’s a dynamic cultural scene, world-class events scattered throughout the year, and plenty of green parks and open spaces. The multicultural residents have created an impressive array of restaurants serving up international cuisine, too – and an equally eclectic mix of music, art and theatre.
Getting to Melbourne – flights from the UK
An increasing number of international airlines are now operating flights into Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport, which lies about 14 miles northwest of the city centre.
Flights from the UK to Australia are operated by many international airlines including Etihad, Qantas, and British Airways many from London Heathrow and Gatwick. There are, however, also flights from regional UK airports, including Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham.
Melbourne’s top attractions
Melbourne’s architecture spans many styles, including Gothic, Victorian and mega-modern. The Block Arcade shopping centre, the Old Royal Mint and Flinders St Station are fine examples of Victorian architecture, St Paul’s Cathedral shows off Gothic, while at the opposite end of the spectrum there are the striking and far-out designs in Federation Square, where controversial modern buildings line the irregularly-shaped piazza, and an atrium creates a forest within the urban landscape.
While you’re in Federation Square, visit the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, or the Ian Potter Centre, home to the National Gallery of Victoria’s Australian art collection. The National Gallery of Victoria itself is on St Kilda Rd, displaying pieces by some of the world’s most famous artists.
Melbourne’s historic Queen Victoria Market, which dates back some 120 years, is another big attraction – said to be the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere, and selling a wide range of fresh produce and speciality goods, clothes and accessories.
For a spot of tranquillity, explore the Royal Botanic Gardens or visit the William Ricketts Sanctuary, where the sculptor placed his mystical clay sculptures of Aboriginal figures in a ferny glade amongst the rocks and plants. The British left Melbourne with plenty of public parks, too, including Fitzroy Gardens (designed to represent the Union Jack) and Treasury Gardens (home to the Old Treasury Building).
Melbourne Beaches
If you’d rather chill out on the beach, hop on a tram in the city centre that’s heading south, where you’ll find several good beaches along Phillip Bay, including St Kilda Beach and Brighton Beach.
Eating out in Melbourne
Eating out is another of Melbourne’s great pleasures. To name just a few popular options, there are relaxed outdoor cafés on Crown Promenade with views of the Yarra River; Bohemian eateries around Brunswick Street (Fitzroy); Vietnamese restaurants around Victoria Street (Abbotsford); authentic Chinese food in Chinatown; refined seafood restaurants in St Kilda Beach (a half hour tram ride from the centre); and Italian restaurants in Carlton (Lygon Street).
Return Flights to London from Melbourne take approximately 22 hours 30 minutes.
From Foo:
The strength of the Australian dollar is nasty at the moment for international tourists. But don’t let that stop you. Prices for food and accommodation have leveled out. You can still eat interesting food in Melbourne for about 3 pound.
Foo´s last blog ..Where to eat in Melbourne from under 30 per day
From Henri:
Hey Foo – how about submiting a guest post – we’d be delighted to publish it.