What to see and do when in Melbourne?

Will be off on my holidays in the next fews days. Spending a week in Hong Kong visiting relatives, and then flying out to Melbourne (Australia) and spending a further week there.

Haven't made any firm plans yet for when I'm in Melbourne. Any ideas for things to see and do, good value for money places to eat at, good clubs (especially ones that play retro music), live music venues, places to stay, etc. All ideas welcome, but nothing too extravagant as I'll still have a hi-fi habit to fund upon my return. In fact, if I were being honest I'm looking to do this as cheaply as possbile but still have a good time.

 

Henry,
Cant help with Melbourne.
Just had to say -
I am not jelous, but i hate you!!!

 

I've been away for too long now for most of my information to be relevant, Henry. In addition, I have zero interest in clubs and our musical tastes are so different that I wouldn't be seen dead in most live alleged music venues. However, that aside, Melbourne has approximately zero worth seeing. Melbourne is a Victorian city, built on the plain of the Yarra (which the locals claim is the only river that flows upside-down), and the modern architecture in the central business district is soulless and uninspiring. The Botanical Gardens are nice, but not exceptional. For a view of the whole caboodle, go up the Rialto Towers on the corner of King St. and Flinders Lane.

For nice things to see, you have to go outside Melbourne, and as Oz public transport is not brilliant, a car is the best way. Some suggestions:

1. Mornington Peninsula National Park. This was formerly Commonwealth territory and completely off limits, but some of it has recently been opened, including the old forts at Point Nepean, originally built during the paranoia about a Russian attack in the 1800s and beefed up during WWs 1 and 2. A nice walk down there and great views over Port Philip Bay.

2. Dandenongs. Melbourne's local hills (Mt. Dandenong is only 633M high). Pretty drive to get there, great view over Melbourne on a good day.

3. Healesville Sanctuary. The Sir Colin MacKenzie Sanctuary at Healesville, about 80Km from Melbourne, is THE place to go to see Oz native animals more or less in their native habitats. They have the lot there, even a special platypus tank. Many of the animals, especially the 'roos and emus, roam around freely and are used to being around humans.

4. The gold mining towns. Bendigo and Ballarat, are a bit further out, but have marvellously preserved architecture of the period (mid-1850s) and interesting museums on the Gold Rush days.

5. Wilson's Promontory. The "Prom" is a peninsula about 120Km from Melbourne and a favourite spot for Melburnians. It's mainly rugged bush with only one road in , but there are pleasant walks and views when the weather is nice (when it's not it's soggy and miserable).

I suggest a copy of the "Lonely Planet" guide to Melbourne and/or Victoria. I haven't got one, because I don't need one, but their guides to other parts of Oz have been excellent.

 

In melbourne itself, the zoo is worth a visit.

You can get great views from the public viewing gallery at the top of one of the tall buildings which I've forgotten the name of.

Hitch a ride on the Tramcar Restaurant. It's around AU$70 per head, which isn't much more than £20, and you'll get a good meal as well as gently seeing around some of the city. See if you can beat dropping three knives!

If you're of a literary bent, you can visit hanging rock, the setting for the book. It's not wildly impressive though.

If you have someone to drive you, take a trip down the Great Ocean Road. You can do it as a daytrip from melbourne no probs, and it's pretty spectacular.

Philip island is the place for the penguins.

Wilson's prom is nice, but it's more a getaway rather than a must-see for tourists. It's also better done as a weekend or something, which would probably take up more of your time there than you want.

There are some wine valleys towards bendigo, but south australia (near adelaide) is the place for the better aussie wines.

If you can make it there, Tidbinbilla national park is very well worth a visit. Good chance you'll see wild koalas, but the downside is that it's in ACT (Australian Capital Territory, where Canberra is), about 8 hours drive from melbourne. Canberra is not worth going to other than for Tidbinbilla.

 

Apart perhaps for to see how NOT to build a capital city! (To overcome the enormous rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney, they built a capital roughly half-way between, in the middle of nowhere. The architectural competition was won by an American, Walter Burley-Griffin. It has, I suspect, the world's biggest roundabouts - I was on the second lap of one before I realised what it was).

The Great Ocean Road is an excellent recommendation.

And it is indeed a long way to the Barossa Valley (just north of Adelaide) for the really interesting old wineries. However, there are some good ones in Victoria, but you'll have to find someone that drinks the stuff to tell you more. Again, I suggest the relevant Lonely Planet guide.

 

Andy - "no worries mate" as they say out there! Just think of Italy and everything will be OK.

Tones and Isaac - thanks for the suggestions. I'll probably print this thread out before leaving. I'd really like to visit some of the national parks nearby, although if it's more than a day trip it'll be no go this time around - I'm going to be traveling everywhere via public transport when I'm over there. I maybe going back over to Oz for a few months next year, so should be able to visit some other places further afield then.

Isaac - Have you lived in Melbourne, or just been over there on holiday once?

Tones - What about venues to see/hear classical music in central Melbourne? I am partial the odd bit of "real" music every now and then you know!

 

hit the coast

Awsome dude!

 

I visited there for a few weeks, and had a friend that lived near there (he still does, but lost touch), in a village out towards Bendigo. It was "base camp" for the time I spent in aus and nz (about 8 weeks total) in 2002.

It was coming down from the Flinders ranges into adelaide that we passed through the Barossa and Clare wine valleys. By the end of that I was a couple of hundred dollars lighter, and distinctly wobbly...

 

Hi, Henry, there's a lot of stuff on in Melbourne, so best to get a copy of "The Age" (Melbourne's quality paper)

http://www.theage.com.au/

and see what's on at the time. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has a concert series in the relatively new Arts Centre auditorium, just over the Yarra from Flinders St. Station (you can't miss it, it has a small white version of the Eiffel Tower stuck on top). However, it's an enormously popular subscription series and it's hard to get tickets. Se:

http://www.mso.com.au/whatson/upcoming.asp

The universities (Melbourne, Monash, LaTrobe) also have concerts of various ensembles in their audiotoria, and there are often concerts in churches (Melbourne has two imposing cathedrals (one of each) and a number of very nice churches). Many of Melbourne's amateur ensembles are of excellent quality (a friend sang in the Melbourne Chorale and they were frequently invited to sing with the MSO in works demanding a choir).

There used to be a "What's on in Melbourne?" guide available in the toruist office - if it's still around, grab a copy of that.

 

Henry,

Agree with the recommendations above, however I believe Tones was a touch harsh on the city itself . If you let me know the dates you'll be in town I'll look into concerts, pub gigs etc. Just let me know what you are interested in.

I am planning a few weeks off work shortly, so if the dates happen to coincide, I'd be happy to meet up and drive you round a few places, especially if you are interested in visiting some of the vineyards either on the Peninsula (nice and close to home for me and can be combined with Tones' recommendation 1 above) or the Yarra Valley (can be combined with Tones' recommendations 2&3 above) - my supplies are getting low so would be a good excuse!

I'm always up for a Great Ocean Road trip – best to do it mid week so the road is relatively clear.

Tidbinbilla and Canberra are probably a bit much to fit into a week. An 8 hour drive up the Hume Highway is not the most enjoyable pastime (particularly with the tediously low 110 km/h speed limit and gross number of Kodak cops).

Not sure on clubs as I've turned into a bit of a homebody in the past few years; however one of my good mates is heavily into it so I'll be able to get some recommendations for you on this front as well. Once again, would help to know dates to find the best bets for you.

Regards,

Stuart.

 

I try not to be too unkind about my other home town, Stuart! It certainly beats the pants off my first home town (although that's not such a compliment when I reveal that that one was Belfast!). I lived in them both about the same length of time (around 20 years each).

Melbourne suffers in comparison with Sydney because of the magnificence of Sydney's setting - nothing can match that, one of the world's great natural harbours. In addition, one (this one anyway) always got the feeling of a large country town trying hard to carry off the illusion of being a capital city (some country town! 4.5 million people and about 50Km across!). As typified by the eternal wrangle of what on earth to do with the city square.

At least Henry will be spared the state religious festivities, concluded last Saturday. (Port Adelaide? Whatever happened to the Maggies, the Blues, the Bombers, the Hawks...)

 

Hi Stuart,

I'll be arriving on the morning of Thursday 7th October and departing on the evening of Tuesday 12th October.

My musical tastes a very main stream and probably somewhat UK oriented too, so popular western classical from Baroque through to Late Romantic, classic rock, 70's disco and 80's pop. Although I'm very open to experiencing new folk and ethnic styles, so any didge ensembles and the like would also be worth a mention.

Would be great to meet up if plans coincide, this would be the longest distance forum meet up ever!

 

Henry,

Although I've not yet confirmed dates, was looking at taking 2 or 3 weeks from the 6th of October, so all going well this should work out nicely, particularly if you are interested in getting out of town a bit. I'll look into concerts etc. over this period and let you know the options. Will you be keeping an eye on the forum whilst in HK? If so, I'll PM you some info in the next few days. Otherwise, let me know the best way to keep in touch so we can work something out.

Also, if you can let me know where in Melbourne you will be staying, I'll try to put together a list of good places to eat and things to see that are close to base for you.

Stuart.

 

Stuart,

Have sent you a PM.

 

Henry, received - you (hopefully!) now have PM as well. SM.

 

I've no real comments about the trip other than I hope you have a good one.

However, just wanted to point out how nice it is to read things like Stuarts offer of meeting up and showing around etc...

Nice to see some of the positives of this www thing

 

Cheers MO, will do!

Just completed my last shift at work earlier on for a while, so it's no more work now for the next 2 weeks, and flying out to HK tomorrow night. :banana:

 

Henry

Have a good time and a safe trip

ATB
Jeff

 

Cheers Jeff! :beer:

This will be my final post for a while, off to the airport now.