ABOUT MELBOURNE

Melbourne is always bustling with activity. Interesting architectural designs add to the fascinating mix of old and new buildings and ensure the skyline is constantly changing. Melbourne is very much about lifestyle. Melbourne’s flourishing café scene is as invigorating as a double espresso. Coffee in Melbourne, thanks to its strong Italian roots, is nothing short of excellent. Cafes fill streets and laneways in the city and inner suburbs, their tables and umbrellas spilling onto the footpaths. Let's just say that you'll never be too far from that next caffiene fix when visiting Melbourne!

Melbourne is one of the major hubs for art, design and culture in Australia and abroad. As well as enjoying unique Aboriginal art, you can check out public galleries housing some of Australia’s most important colonial and contemporary works, while private galleries, both large and small, showcase the works of talented local artisans and craftspeople. And you’ll be glad to know Melbourne has spectacular year-round events celebrating film, food and wine, dance, theatre, comedy, music, and much more.

Due to its multi-cultural population, you will be delighted with the famed choice and quality of food you'll find in melbourne. Beer is Australia’s most popular alcoholic beverage and some of the best and most interesting beers in Melbourne come from microbreweries. Melbourne is also Australia’s premier ‘wine city’.

Melbourne offers a wide range of activities and attractions for families to enjoy together, from exhilarating outdoor activities to educational and interactive museums and exhibitions. Wander through the living Forest Gallery at the Melbourne Museum, have a close encounter with a shark at the Melbourne Aquarium, or walk the newly opened Trail of the Elephants at the Melbourne Zoo.

Getting around Melbourne is easy, thanks to an integrated network of trains, trams and buses. Tickets allowing travel across all services can be purchased from vending machines at train stations, on trams or buses, or pre-purchased at selected shops like newsagents. Melbourne’s efficient train system covers city and suburban destinations. Flinders Street Station, on the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets, is the hub of Melbourne’s train system, and all metropolitan trains begin or end their journey there. The city’s famous trams travel along most of Melbourne’s major thoroughfares, extending out to about 15 kilometres into the suburbs. Visitors can also use the burgundy and gold City Circle Tram, which does a free 30-minute circuit around the city centre, linking major attractions and other transport routes. Melbourne’s bus network links with trains and trams, as well as services destinations overlooked by either train or tram.

Other ways of getting around include taxis, which are numerous and easy to spot (they are all eye-catching yellow), boat (an abundance of vessels cruise up and down the Yarra River, travelling to destinations like Williamstown) and cycling (Melbourne has an extensive trail and road network). Laid out in an elementary grid pattern, the city centre is easy to navigate on foot, while a multitude of tour operators makes sightseeing in Melbourne a breeze.