I’m taking the Mrs. for a getaway to Melbourne. We have friend there who are taking us to the beach on the weekend, but we’ll be on our own for a few days before then.
Those of you from that area, what should we see? We’re sort of moderate travelers and pretty casual people–we don’t mind walking a bit, trying something new, but we’ll not be documenting the pre-WWII era architecture or anything like that. For us, seeing a good mix of interesting museums and modern areas is ideal. We’re also hoping to discover a few good restaurants.
One special request–I like to visit the best live blues house in each new city I visit. Where is that in Melbourne? Any live music pub recommendations are welcome, as we’ll have three nights in which to go out (and the kids are staying in Taiwan!).
Oh, and anything special we should be aware of? Do bars stay open late, or is there some rule about closing early? Is smoking allowed in bars? Any concern about white man/Asian woman prejudice? Stuff like that. Don’t want to be a total rube.
When are you going to be in Melbourne?; I’m headed that way. My sister lives there. She’s given me a few suggestions on stuff to do. She recommends a trip to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat (about 90 minutes from Melbourne). It’s a living museum type of set-up; an old gold mining town.
Actually that place isn’t bad. I loved it as a kid because you actually get to use the equipment they used in the gold mining days and take home any gold that u find. (They refresh it with gold flakes every now and again)
Live music is everywhere. I couldn’t tell you a particular place because it’s been over 5 years since I last lived there, but in Fitzroy/Carlton/Collingwood areas there’s quite a few places. They also have great food (Carlton especially for Italian food) and great cafes.
Go into almost any CD/music store and look for one of two free newspapers - Beat or Inpress. Both cover listings of venues, bands, DJs, pubs etc. You’ll find something in there that you’ll like. I’ll send an email to some friends who are in Melbourne and see if I can get better info for the blues.
Fitzroy - Brunswick Street - Mario’s for brekkie and a read of The Age. Wear black.
Carlton - Lygon Street. Be cool
Collingwood - Smith Street - Comedy Club. Look Vietnamese.
If you’re staying in a serviced apartment and want a cook up brekkie, hit Queen Vic markets for your supplies.
If you have a car, drive the Great Ocean Road to Lorne, stop at Bells Beach and see if there’s any suirf happening. Go to Hanging Rock - freaky fun, especially if there’s any shrooms about.
Track down Limey and smack him about the head if he doesn’t come back with a more comprehensive list - he lives there now.
REMEMBER, they drive on the other side of the road! But living in Taiwan you should be used to looking both ways before crossing a road anyway.
I second the trip along the Great Ocean Road. It will take a whole day (including a few stops for sight seeing and food) and going back via the highway.
‘flower drum’ restaurant for the best Chinese food in the world. Seriously. if anyone ever complains that Chinese can’t do high class food, they’re wring. it’s just that no-one bothers, or has any idea. At Flower Drum, they do. (In the alley next to the Paramount Hotel, in Little Bourke street).
Of course, it’ll totally spoil you when everything else tastes like crap afterwards.
Lakhsa in melbourne is pretty good too (Malay spicy coconut soup), as are the Vietnamese rolls you find in many places. but the best part of Melbourne cuisine is the coffee shop culture: almost everywhere really knows about good coffee and how to make it.
the G for a good game of footy. an australian classic… even the pre season games are worthwhile catching. bring binoculars or sit where you can see one of the big screens for a close-up. (the G = the MCG = the melbourne Cricket ground)
Punt Road for shopping for clothes bargains, especially in end of season sales.
Lygon street for restaurants. Victoria market for fresh produce.
No one has mentioned St Kilda as yet, I guess we’re all inner city wankers. Is the Esplanade still open? I heard they were going to knock it down
A tram out to St Kilda and a coffee and in that little strret with all the cake shops (forget it’s name, but it’s near the station) is a must. Absolutely a must if the Esplanade is till there.
And what’s that new bit they built in the city over towards the Yarra? Southbank? Not been back since that was built, but I heard suprisingly good things about it.
Phar Lap at the Victoria Museum . . .
Avoid the wog nightclubs on King Street. They feature in the movie Chopper, if you get my drift. That movie makes good preliminary research, as does Death in Brunswick.
One of the marsupials wrote" [quote](the G = the MCG = the melbourne Cricket ground) [/quote]
No, MCG stands for Mass Convict Gathering
For me, a trip to Melbourne means - well, apart from the inevitable boozing - getting my hands on some bloody books. I’m going to be an animal! Mmm, university libraries, public libraries, and bookstores.
[quote=“Tomas”]Thanks for all of the responses. I failed to mention we’ll be staying in South Yarra. Serviced apartment, supposed to be really nice.
We’ll have three days to check out Melbourne, then head for the beach.[/quote]
If you have more time, you should head North. Coffs Harbour in New South Wales and Noosa [Sunshine Coast] and Cairns in Queensland are ideal places for a vacation.
For me, a trip to Melbourne means - well, apart from the inevitable boozing - getting my hands on some bloody books. I’m going to be an animal! Mmm, university libraries, public libraries, and bookstores.
What’s the library like at Monash Uni?[/quote]
Tomas, I sincerely hope you get to avoid one unfortunate reality of Australian life, and that’s those awful drift over kiwi dole bludgers. You have no idea what a scourge they are. You know some of them are so low as to visit our university libraries and steal the books. Unbelievable, eh? What, like we don’t give NZ enough foreign aid already?
For me, a trip to Melbourne means - well, apart from the inevitable boozing - getting my hands on some bloody books. I’m going to be an animal! Mmm, university libraries, public libraries, and bookstores.
What’s the library like at Monash Uni?[/quote]
Tomas, I sincerely hope you get to avoid one unfortunate reality of Australian life, and that’s those awful drift over kiwi dole bludgers. You have no idea what a scourge they are. You know some of them are so low as to visit our university libraries and steal the books. Unbelievable, eh? What, like we don’t give NZ enough foreign aid already?
Let them eat possum, I say.
HG[/quote]
Most developed countries have visa schemes that allow professionals from one country to work in another (e.g. Nafta visa in North America). In Australia and New Zealand, they have a scheme that allows the bums in each country to receive welfare in another. What Labor PM implemented this policy gem?
For me, a trip to Melbourne means - well, apart from the inevitable boozing - getting my hands on some bloody books. I’m going to be an animal! Mmm, university libraries, public libraries, and bookstores.
What’s the library like at Monash Uni?[/quote]
Tomas, I sincerely hope you get to avoid one unfortunate reality of Australian life, and that’s those awful drift over kiwi dole bludgers. You have no idea what a scourge they are. You know some of them are so low as to visit our university libraries and steal the books. Unbelievable, eh? What, like we don’t give NZ enough foreign aid already?
Let them eat possum, I say.
HG[/quote]
Yes, but I assumed that with my lack of wool and status as a bipod, I’d be safe from Kiwis. I suppose that if I am approached by one, I can always throw books in his direction to distract him while I run away.
A bloody disgrace. So many losers went over to Oz to bludge off the marsupial taxpayer that they had to change the rules. Used to be that you could just fly to Oz and sign up on the dole, but it was changed to a six month waiting period, and now I think it might be a two-year period.
Overall, I think that most Kiwis that head to Oz are hard-working and want to get ahead; in fact, employment rates are higher for Kiwis as opposed to Aussies in the Big Red Continent.
The marsupial opium merchant in Hong Kong wrote: [quote]Well I dunno about that, 10 years hard labour doesn’t necessarily mean hard-working. [/quote]
The black fellas got an apology. Now it’s time for you and the Australian public to do some soul searching and apologize to Kiwis for all the abuse we have suffered.
Erhm, Melbourne. So where to for the beach, Tomas? Melbourne is most famous for it’s shitty weather - typically four seasons in one day, and most of the beaches in Melbourne are on that crappy bay. I hope the beach is elsewhere!
