Accommodation & Apartments in Melbourne - Where To Stay
Melbourne is located on Australia’s south coast and is home to over 4 million people. Melbourne is the second largest city in
Australia and is the capital of Victoria State. The area is renowned for its relaxed atmosphere and laidback people but it still has a big city feel and there is plenty going on in the city. It frequently tops lists of the world’s most desirable places to live. The city has a busy yearlong calendar of activities including big sporting and cultural events. There are many hotels and hostels in Melbourne to suit most budgets and needs. Alternatively you could stay in private accommodation such as an apartment or guest room for a more authentic Melbourne experience. Visit Melbourne for sun, sea and good times!
Fun Facts
Until 1966, pubs in Melbourne shut at 6pm!
According to the RSPCA, Melbourne is the official fox capital of the world.
Melbourne has 480 hectares of parks and gardens – more than any other city in the world.
Melbourne was called ‘
Batmania Bearbrass’ before being renamed!
Melbourne has a public holiday in honour of a horse race!
Melbourne became the centre of a gold rush soon after it was established in the late 1900s.
Attractions and Sights in Melbourne
Melbourne has plenty to offer visitors to the city. There are museums, botanical gardens, beaches and parks as well good nightlife and some fine restaurants – it’s difficult to know where to start! We suggest you head to the central business district (CBD), where you’ll find most of the city’s main attractions. The
National Gallery of Victoria is Australia’s oldest art gallery and contains over 65,000 paintings, ceramics and silverware. The gallery hosts some major shows and exhibitions and has recently put on a well-received Monet exhibition.
Federation Square, known as ‘Fed Square’, is the entertainment and cultural centre of Melbourne. There are plenty of good restaurants in the area as well as the
Australian Centre For The Moving Image, a world famous exhibition celebrating the moving image with lots of hands on exhibits.
If you’d like a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, head to the
Royal Botanic Gardens, situated in the heart of the city’s CBD and covering over 38 hectares of land. You could easily spend a day walking around what some refer to as the finest landscaped garden on the planet. The gardens are very well looked after and there are tea rooms where you can enjoy cream teas.
Albert Park is built around Albert Park Lake and boasts amazing views of Melbourne Skyline and it’s a favourite with locals. The
Eureka Skydeck 88 provides great views over the city. It is the highest observation deck in the southern hemisphere and from it you can see each part of the city on a clear day.
Melbourne’s best museums
Melbourne Museum is the city’s biggest and best museum. Located in the Carlton neighbourhood, this museum has 8 galleries focusing on a broad range of topics such as the natural environment, culture and history.
The Immigration Museum is an interesting place to learn about how and why people came to settle in Australia. You’ll find some interesting interactive exhibits in the museum such as a boat showing what the journey would have been like travelling to Australia. It is inexpensive to enter the museum and they even have a research room giving you the chance to look up any long lost relatives you might have who moved to the country!
Melbourne’s love affair with sport
Melbourne is the unofficial sporting capital of Australia and is home to several world famous sporting events.
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is one of the world’s most famous cricket grounds and apart from many important test cricket matches, the stadium has hosted the 2006
Commonwealth Games and the
1956 Summer Olympics. The stadium has a capacity of 100,000 and also regularly holds Aussie Rules football matches. The
National Sport Museum is located at the MCG and is home to Australia’s finest collection of sporting heritage. The city’s
Rod Laver Arena is home to the Australian Open tennis final and is another popular venue. The
Flemington Race Course hosts the Melbourne Cup Horse Race.
Day Trips
Melbourne also has good day trip options. One of the world’s most famous coastal drives is the
Great Ocean Road. You’ll see
Bell’s Beach, a favourite spot for surfers and
Apollo Bay, a buzzing seaside town. One of the most famous features of the Great Ocean Road is a collection of limestone stacks called the
Twelve Apostles. It’s one of Australia’s most famous landmarks! Most Melbournian’s will tell you to visit
St Kilda beach as there’s nice beach bars and a clean beach.
Getting Around
Melbourne Airport, also known as Tullamarine Airport is located to the north of Melbourne. It is 14 miles from the CBD and a
SkyBus service takes passengers from the airport into the city centre. The bus runs every 10 minutes and the journey takes 20 minutes. Taxis are also a convenient way of reaching the city centre from the airport. Once you’re in the city centre, getting around is straightforward and cheap. Melbourne is famous for its
tram system which is the last of its kind in Australia. The City Circle Tram is a free tram service that circumnavigates the city centre. Riding this tram is a great way to see all of Melbourne’s best landmarks.