Hostelworld Guide for Melbourne

The Essentials

Rivalling Sydney as Australia's number one city, Melbourne is famously the country's most European city.
Capital of Victoria, here you will find some of Australia's coolest bars, restaurants and cafs. While it
doesn't have the harbour or beaches of its eastern counterpart, it does have some of the country's
trendiest neighbourhoods. It is also the home of Aussie Rules Football which is a massive part of
Victorian life. This is a city that's just as pleasant to visit for three days as it is to live in for three months.

Getting There
By plane: Melbourne's international airport is 14
miles northwest of the city centre.
The 'Skybus' connects the airport to downtown
Melbourne.
The 20-minute journey costs $16 one-way/$26
return and terminates at Southern Cross Station
near the corner of Little Bourke Street and Spencer
Street.

Climate
Melbourne enjoys a temperate climate with hot
summers and mild springs and autumns. Even
though the weather here is famously
temperamental, it still experiences less rainfall than
Sydney and Brisbane. January and February, the
height of Australia's summer, are the hottest
months. Spring and autumn are very pleasant
months for visiting while in winter it can get cool, but
never freezing.

Good to know...
In this Guide...
Useful Information
After Dark
Places to Eat
Top Attractions
Budget Tips
Where to Shop

By train: Melbourne has connections with all major

Australian towns and cities. Travelling there by train,
your journey will end in Spencer Street station in the
city centre.
By bus: If your journey to Melbourne is on a bus,
you will reach your final destination when you get to
Melbourne Transit Centre on Franklin Street.

Getting Around
By trams: Melbourne's trams are as much an
attraction as they are a mode of transport. Slower
than other modes of transport, they serve all major
areas of the city centre.
By train: An overland train network also operates in
the city centre and is sometimes an easier way to
get to/from some suburbs.
By taxi: Just like in all Australian cities, you can
wave down taxis in Melbourne on the street.

Melbourne facts

Language: English
Currency: Australian Dollar
Electricity: 240AC/50Hz
Area Code: +61 (Aus), 03 (Melbourne)
Emergency Codes: Ambulance/Fire/Police 000
Time Zone: Australian Eastern Standard Time
(GMT+10)
Central Post Office: Melbourne GPO, Corner
Little Bourke St & Elizabeth St
Main Tourist Office: Melbourne Visitor Centre,
Federation Square

Consulates
USA: +61 (0)3 9526 5900
UK: +61 (0)3 9652 1600
Canada: +61 (0)3 9653 9674
South Africa: +61 (0)3 8825 4114
Ireland: +61 (0)3 9397 8940
Germany: +61 (0)3 9864 6888
Spain: +61 (0)3 9347 1966
Italy: +61 (0)3 9867 5744
New Zealand: +61 (0)3 9642 1279
France: +61 (0)3 96025024

Location: The city of Melbourne is located in

south eastern Australia on what was originally
the land of the Kulin Nation. On the banks of the
Yarra River, many of Melbourne's suburbs look
out onto Port Phillip Bay.
Population: Around 4 million people live in and
around Melbourne.
Area: The Melbourne Metropolitan Area covers
approximately 7,700 kilometres squared.
Founded: Melbourne was founded by Sir John
Batman in 1835.
Hostelworld Guide for Melbourne

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Cheap Eats

After Dark

Niagara Hotel, 385 Lonsdale Street Located in the

heart of Melbourne's CBD, the Niagara Hotel has
one of the city's best deals. For a very affordable
price, you can get yourself a pizza and a glass of
wine or pot of beer. Here you can choose from 17
pizzas so you're bound to find one that tickles your
fancy. Open Mon-Sat 11am-close.

Vineyard, 71a Acland Street, St Kilda Extremely

busy at weekends due to a constant stream of
Melbourne bands that play in this St Kilda Bar,
Vineyard is one of Melbourne's best live music
venues. When things get quite busy though, you'll
be thankful of the large outdoor seating area
overlooking Luna Park. Open daily from 10am-3am.

Grill'd, 83 Acland Street, St Kilda Specialising in

burgers, burgers, and burgers, this is one of ten
Grill'd restaurants around Melbourne, yet doesn't
have that 'franchise-feel' of other fast food
restaurants. The varied menu has beef, chicken
and lamb burgers, plus veggie ones too. Open
Sun-Thurs 11.30am-10pm, Fri & Sat until 11pm.

Cookie, 1F 252 Swanston St Wondering why

Melbourne is always referred to as Australia's most
European city? 'Cookie' on Swanston Street will
answer that as it feels like it's been transported
direct from Germany or Belgium. This beer hall,
which doubles up as a restaurant, has an extremely
relaxed atmosphere and a vast selection of beers.
Open daily from 12 noon-11pm.

Alfresco eating
Degraves Espresso, 23 Degraves St Tucked
neatly between Flinders Street and Flinders
Lane, Degraves Street is one of Melbourne's
coolest lanes for outdoor eating. If you like to
nibble on your nosh, try the tapas in this caf
which include dishes such as chorizo and
Spanish potatoes. There's a particularly good
vibe here on Friday evenings. Open Mon-Fri
8am-10.30pm, Sat 8am-6.30pm.
Spicy Fish Restaurant, 209 Little Bourke St
Some people tend to like their food spicy, others
don't. If you are one who does, this restaurant in the
heart of Melbourne's Chinatown is perfect for you.
Specialising in traditional Shanghai and Szechuan
style cuisine, prices are attractive and food is top
notch. Open daily from 11.30am-10.30pm.
Southgate Food Court, Southgate Shopping
Centre, Southgate Food courts were invented for
those times when hunger strikes but you don't know
what you want. When this happens go to this food
court on the banks of River Yarra. Open Mon-Thurs
9am-pm, Fri & Sat to 10.30pm, Sun to 8pm.

Bar With No Name, 302 Brunswick Street,

Fitzroy Walking down Fitzroy's Brunswick St, it will
soon dawn on you that it is peppered with some of
Melbourne's coolest bars. Step inside 'Bar with No
Name' and it you'll soon realise that this is arguably
its coolest. This bar is full of small nooks and
crannies perfect for catching up with friends. Open
daily from 4pm-1am.

Gay / Lesbian Melbourne

It may not be as famously gay as Sydney, but
Melbourne's gay scene is extremely active. The
main 'strip' is Commercial Road in Prahan. The
Market (143 Commercial Road) is a two-storey
bar also known as 'the meat market'! Not far
away, Xchange (119 Commercial Road) is one
of the road's firmly established gay bars and is
open over 20 years. While both these venues
cater mainly for men, Glasshouse Hotel (51
Gipps Street, Collingwood) caters for
Melbourne's growing lesbian community.
Red Rhythm, 10 Centre Place, Off Flinders Lane
When on a budget its always nice to enjoy cheap
booze that isn't from a supermarket or off licence.
That's why Red Rhythm gets our stamp of approval.
Every Thursday and Friday evening between 5pm
and 8pm all beers in this extremely intimate bar are
half price. To top things off, they give you a free
bowl of chips too. Open daily from 5pm-1am.
Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy It's
Saturday night. You want to finish the night off with
a bang. You need to get to Bimbo Deluxe. Once
you get by the burly bouncers, step inside to see
why this is Brunswick Street's most happening club.
Open 12 noon-3am.

Hostelworld Guide for Melbourne

Don't Miss
Aussie Rules game in the MCG Built in 1853 and
today home to 4 teams, the MCG is Australia's
largest sports stadium, holding over 100,000
people. The season starts each year in April and
ends the following September so if you're in
Melbourne during these months make sure to get
hold of a ticket for a game. Ticket prices vary.

A drive to remember
The Great Ocean Road Stretching 400km
between Torquay and Warrnambool, Victoria's
Great Ocean Road is one of the world's most
spectacular ocean drives. Best known for the
'12 Apostles', a drive down this road is not to be
missed. Autopia Tours operate 1 and 3-day
tours from Melbourne which can be booked at
www.hostelworld.com/tours.
Eureka Skydeck 88, Riverside Quay, Southbank
Perfect for visiting either during the day or at night,
as this is the highest viewing platform in the
Southern Hemisphere it will come as no surprise to
learn that the views are breathtaking. Make sure not
to leave withot checking out 'The Edge' - a glass
cube suspended 300 metres above the ground.
Open daily from 10am-10pm; admission $17.50.
Federation Square Melbourne's newest attraction,
directly across from one of its oldest, Flinders Street
Station, is a mix of museums, restaurants, cafs
and bars. It is also a great meeting place and home
to lots of live entertainment at weekends. Drop into
the Melbourne Visitors Centre on the square for
details of what's happening there when you're in
town.
Old Melbourne Gaol, Russell Street between
Victoria & Latrobe Streets Between 1842 and
1929 when this 'gaol' was open, Melbourne's
famous jail was the scene of 135 hangings. The
most famous of these was of Aussie bushranger,
Ned Kelly. Open daily from 9.30am-5pm; admission
$22.

Mark Your Calendar

January - Big Day Out Australia's annual 'Big Day
Out' brings the world's top acts to the country's top
cities and the end of January is when the tour visits
Melbourne. Acts who have played in the past
include the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Nirvana.
January - Australian Open The Rod Laver Arena
is the location for Australia's annual tennis open.
The first of the year's 'Grand Slams', each year the
world's top players compete against each other.
January/February - Midsumma Melbourne's
3-week long gay and lesbian festival is its answer to
Sydney's Mardi Gras. Like most gay and lesbian
festivals, the highlight of the festival is the 'Pride
March' which attracts 40,000 revellers.
Februay - St Kilda Festival This annual festival in
Melbourne's celebrated beach suburb bills itself as
the largest outdoor crowd gathering in Australia.
Over the course of the festival, thousands visit to
enjoy free music, extreme sports and much more.
March - Melbourne F1 Grand Prix For four days
each year Grand Prix fever takes over Melbourne.
The race is the pinnacle of a 4-day event that sees
much more take place down at Albert Park where
the race is staged.
March/April - Melbourne Comedy Festival
Founded in 1987 by Barry Humphries and Peter
Cook, the Melbourne Comdey Festival is one of the
world's three biggest comedy festivals. Each year it
attracts top comedians from both home and abroad.
September - Grand Final Weekend Victoria
comes to a halt for Grand Final weekend when two
teams battle it out for the title of Australia's best
football team. The day before the big game both
teams parade through Melbourne city centre.
September/October - Melbourne Fringe Festival
This event brings contemporary and innovative
work created by independent artists to a broader
Melbourne audience.
October - Melbourne International Arts Festival
The Melbourne International Arts Festival, which
began in 1986, takes place over 16 days each
October and includes dance, visual arts and more.
October/November - Melbourne Cup Run on the
first Tuesday of November, the Melbourne Cup is
the biggest horse race in the southern hemisphere.
This event is so big that race-day itself is declared a
national holiday!
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Neighbourhood Watch
South Yarra Definitely one of Melbourne's more
affluent suburbs, South Yarra is best known as the
home of Chapel Street, the caf-lined street which
has been hipper than hip for decades. Funky
clothes shops and trendy restaurants are also
dotted along it. Nearby Commercial Road is another
shopping strip. Trams: #78 & #79 to Chapel St; #72
to Commercial Road.

Life's a beach
St Kilda Melbourne's famous beach suburb is a
haven for backpackers who long for sun and
sea when living in the Victorian capital for the
summer. Its main thoroughfare is Acland Street
which is dotted with clothes shops, restaurants
and cafs. It is also one of the more vibrant
neighbourhoods at night time. Trams: #16 to the
Esplanade, #96 to Acland St.
Fitzroy With its funky bars, restaurants, cafs and
shops, Fitzroy is arguably Melbourne's most
eclectic neighbourhood. The heart and soul of the
district is Melbourne's famous Brunswick Street, a
street best visited after dark on a weekend night.
Another notable street is Johnston Street,
Melbourne's Latin American quarter. Tram: #112 to
Brunswick St.
Carlton One of Melbourne's trendier precincts,
Carlton is just north of the CBD. Here you will find
lots of cafs and bookstores. It is also home to a
large Italian community. This is particularly evident
on Lygon St, one of the city's premier dining strips
and full of Italian restaurants. Tram: #1 to Lygon St.
South Melbourne This suburb on the banks of the
River Yarra is home to the city's number one green
area, Albert Park. Once a year it hosts the first
Formula 1 Grand Prix of the year, while the rest of
the time it acts as an inner-city oasis to joggers,
walkers and tourists. Tram: #96 to Albert Park.

Hostelworld Guide for Melbourne

Retail Therapy
Crown Casino, 2 Whiteman St, Southbank Like
so many casinos around the world, many of the
stores in the southern hemisphere's biggest casino
belong to the world's most exclusive designers.
Louis Vuitton, Prada and Versace all have stores
here. But it's not all glam as French Connection,
Guess and other more affordable brands have
stores there too. Opening hours vary from store to
store.
Spencer Street Fashion Station, 1/201 Spencer
St Spencer Street Fashion Station (formerly DFO
Spencer) is where you will find over 100 big name
brands under the one roof. Some of the top fashion
names you will encounter here include Timberland,
Levis and Mossimo. Open daily from 10am-7pm
(until 9pm on Fri).
Melbourne Central, 211 LaTrobe Street This
particular shopping mall in the CBD has over 300
stores. And if they don't keep you occupied the
cinema and bowling alley should. Mon-Sat
10am-6pm (until 9pm on Fri), Sun 10am-5pm.
Melbourne CBD Those of you who don't want to
have to explore the districts and shopping centres
of Melbourne for new purchases are bound to find
something in the city's central business district.
Bourke Street Mall is the centre of things here, but
other streets such as Swanston Street, Collins
Street and Little Collins Street are also lined with
stores.

A bit of this, a bit of that

Queen Victoria Market, Corner Elizabeth and
Victoria Streets Since it opened back in 1878,
Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market has been
the city's premier market. Here you will pick up
every kind of food imaginable in the food
market, while further back from the main
entrance you can find all types of clothing in the
clothes market. Open Tues & Thurs 6am-2pm,
Fri 6am-6pm, Sat 6am-3pm, Sun 9am-4pm.

Budget Tips
Go to the movies on a Tuesday If there's a movie
released when you're in Oz and you really don't
want to miss it, do your best to catch it on 'tight arse
tuesday'. On this day cinema tickets are up to 50%
cheaper than any other day of the week. A good
place to catch a movie in Melbourne is either in
Hoyts Cinema in Melbourne Central (see 'Retail
Therapy') or Greater Union Cinemas on Russell St.
Chill out in Melbourne's parks Even though
Melbourne's city centre is one of the world's more
pleasurable cities to walk around, it's still nice to
retreat to a quieter place every now and then. When
you get an urge to do that, make your way to the
city's famous Albert Park or Royal Botanic Gardens.
Both are free to enter.
Bring your own alcohol when eating out A host
of Melbourne's restaurants are 'BYO' restaurants.
This stands for 'bring your own', meaning you can
bring your own wine or beer when eating out. As
casks of wine in Australia hardly ever cost more
than $15, bring one with you when eating out with
friends and the bill won't be that expensive!

Fancy a free ride?

Take the 'Circle Tram' around the city
Operating every day (except Good Friday and
Christmas Day) between 10am and 6pm (9pm
Thurs-Sat), the free City Circle Tram passes by
many of the city's top attractions. This includes
the Old Melbourne Gaol, St Paul's Cathedral,
Federation Square and the Telstra Dome.
Visit the Australian Centre for the Moving Image
Located on Federation Square, the Australian
Centre for the Moving Image is solely dedicated to
the moving image, making it the first centre of its
kind in the world. Inside enjoy film, TV, games and
more for free. Open daily from 10am-6pm;
admission free.

A Day in Melbourne...
Start the day exploring Federation Square,
Melbourne's newest attraction. Full of museums,
restaurants and cafs, it has something for
everyone.

Hop on the free City Circle Tram at Federation

Square and get off at the stop for Queen Victoria
Market. Take a walk around the stalls of the city's
best-known market.
Take the opportunity when in the QVM to grab
lunch also. Its food court, Vic Market Place, offers
Middle Eastern, seafood, Italian and Asian food.
Use the tram to get back to the CBD. Get off on
Flinders St, close to Melbourne 360 (Rialto
Towers). Get in line, then take the elevator to the
top for amazing views.
Explore downtown Melbourne. Stroll through
Chinatown, take a picture of Flinders St Station,
shop on Bourke St Mall...the list of things to do is
endless.
Take tram #16 or #96 for St Kilda, Melbourne's
beach suburb. Grab a coffee on Acland Street,
catch some rays on the beach and ride the
rollercoaster in Luna Park!
Head back to the city and go for a bite to eat on
Degraves St, just across from Flinders St Station.
The choice of food here is endless.
Now go bar hopping in Fitzroy's Brunswick St.
Check out 'Labour in Vain', 'Black Cat', 'Black Pearl'
and our favourite, 'Bar with No Name'.
Finish the night off dancing the night away in
Brunswick St's number one late night venue, 'Bimbo
Deluxe'.

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