Melbourne, Australia, 2013

Overview
I had started a 8-month assignment in Melbourne in 2013 and this gave me a wonderful chance to really explore the city and the surrounding areas. However, the amount of information I intend to post would be too large for a single blog post so I will be splitting it up into multiple posts. This first post will focus mainly on the city while my subsequent posts will cover the other areas outside of the city that I visited.

Map

View AU-Melbourne-MFM in a larger map

Garmin gdb file is available here.


Transport
Melbourne is a very modern and well connected city and normaly, transport should not be an issue here. There is a very efficient network of Trains and Trams thatd services the city and suburbs. However, you will need to get a MyKi card (a prepaid card) in order to use the trains, trams of buses in Melbourne. You can get the MyKi card at the train station or at most 7-Eleven shops. You will need to load/reload value on the card prior to any trip and this can be done at 7-Eleven shops or news agents/Lotto agents or at the train stations. After your first Touch-On, use of the MyKi on a trip, all subsequent trips/touch-ons are free for 2.5 hours and there is a max cap on what you can be charged in a single day. Once you become familiar with the system, it's a very convenient system to help you get around the city. 

Another important thing to remember when using public transport is that you must Touch-On and Touch-Off your MyKi card for all travel on the trains. You will also need to Touch-On your MyKi card when you board all Trams and buses. Ticket inspectors are quite frequent and you can be liable for fines for failure to Touch-On. Even if you have touched on on a previous train/tram, when you board a new tram or bus, you must still touch-on (even though you won't get an additional charge) or you can be fined by the ticket inspector.

You do not need to Touch-off when disembarking a tram/bus if you're traveling within Zone 1 (you should Touch-off if you're travelling within Zone 2 (outer suburbs) as the fare is cheaper).

Driving
If you're staying in the Melbourne CBD, I probably would not recommend renting a car/driving. The parking charges in the CBD are very expensive and drivers must know how to perform the famous 'Hook Turn' in the city due to the many trams sharing the same roads. If you're new to Melbourne driving, it's definitely safer for you to take public transport and avoid driving in the CBD.

If you're staying in the suburbs, then renting a car is a good way to do shopping as well as to travel to the other famous sites further away like Mornington Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road.

Internet Access
You can get free WiFi internet at all McDonalds or at most public libraries (including the Victoria State Library). The train station at Melbourne Central also provides free public WiFi access.

Another cheap option I've discovered is that Optus provides a relatively cheap 3G internet pre-paid plan. If you purchase an Optus Prepaid SIM (such as the Connect4Less plan), you can then visit Optus website and choose to do a top-up. When you are queried for how much you wish to top-up, you can see an option for Data RevUp which gives you 500MB data for 30-days for AUD5.00.


Places of Interest:
Chinatown
Chinatown is located on Little Bourke St. I've been down it a few times and I thought that it looked pretty cheap and fake and I didn't really like the Chinatown here in Melbourne. However, there are many trading shops here which are good for some souvenirs and you can also buy nougat here at cheaper prices than what you would find at the airport.

There is a small dumpling shop that is located on Tattersall Lane called Camy's Shanghai Dumpling & Noodle Restaurant. It used to be famous but nowadays their food is not as good as it was previously. I tried it out and found it good but not stellar. However, it's still a good place to try if you're in the area and are looking for something to eat. The price is quite reasonable. They also have a branch outlet at Box Hill. 

Another restaurant worth trying in Chinatown is Deng Café. They serve mainly Sze Chuan style fare so you had best be prepared for spicy food here. I tried out their Sze Chuan stir-fried chicken (pictured left) and it was quite good although the spiciness was a bit of a challenge for me. I almost couldn't finish the dish.



Bourke St. Mall

Bourke Street Mall is a shopping area further south of Chinatown. It is famous for housing many shopping malls including David Jones, Myers and others. There are also many street performers busking here, especially on public holidays.

Personally, I felt that most things here were over-priced and you could find most of the items at the nearby Target or Big W shops except for the fashion, jewellery and cosmetics.

There is a tourist information booth located along the road here if you wish to get pamphlets or city guides or just to ask for some directions.


Flinders St Station & Federation Square

Flinders Street Station is the oldest train station in Melbourne and all trains in Melbourne will pass through this station. The station is also famous for a series of old clocks on the main entrance which shows the time for each of the train lines. these clocks have become an icon of the station as many people have used it for scheduling meet-ups in front of the station.

It's a short walk away from Federation Square. There is always some festival or event being held at Federation Square every weekend... to the point that it is also known as Melbourne's Meeting Place.

Melbourne Central

Melbourne Central is both a shopping centre as well a train station on the city circle. This stop is very central to the CBD and you will generally stop by here to get to the other nearby places like Chinatown or Queen Victoria Market.

The picture on the left is of the Coop Shot Tower which was built in 1888 to make ammunition. It was incorporated into Melbourne Central in 1991 and now houses a museum.

There is also a food court on the lower levels near the train station where you can get a reasonably priced meal.

The State Library of Victoria is directly opposite Melbourne Central and is free for all visitors. It also includes free WiFi and air-conditioning. Besides being a great architectural sight, it is also a good place to escape the heat and check your emails.



Melbourne Museum

The Royal Exhibition Hall is a world-heritage listed site that is located next to the Melbourne Museum. It is a very beautiful building and has a beautiful garden around it. Many exhibitions and events are held here.
If you're visiting the Melbourne Museum, it's definitely worthwhile to take a short stroll around the hall.

You may want to pack some lunch with you as the only place to eat is in the Museum café which is a bit pricey.

The Melbourne Museum houses the skeleton of a Pygmy Blue Whale on display on the ground floor.

There are a large assortment of dinosaur bones on display as well. If you have children travelling with you, they will definitely enjoy this section.

Besides the dinosaurs, there is also a preserved body of a Colossus Squid.


The geographical and mineral section has a wide assortment of stones and quartzes but the most interesting section is the one on gold. There's a little weighing scale and screen that will calculate your net-worth in gold based on your weight.



Queen Victoria Market

Queen Vic Market is definitely a must for the food-lover as well as the shopper. It has dedicated areas for eateries, the butchery, seafood, fresh fruits & vegetables as well as an area selling knick-knacks from souvenirs, to t-shirts, to luggage bags.

Queen Vic originally started in 1850s and has continued to expand to this day. It is the only 19th century market remaining in Melbourne.

If you visit after 1pm, the shops will start discounting their meats and seafood up till 3pm, and you could end up with huge discounts on your purchases.

Near the side entrance, you will find Diane's Antipasto which has a beautiful selection of prosciutto ham, smoked salmon, marinated octopi, and stuffed artichokes. It's a great place to get a snack or an appetizer to start your food journey at the market.

The famous Bratwurst Shop is definitely a must-try. It is distinguishable by the huge crowds in front of the store as well as the aroma of bratwursts being grilled on the pan.

Their signature best is the Spicy Hungarian Bratwurst on a bread roll, which goes best with some fried onions and healthy serving of mustard. The only thing you need to beware of is the onions or mustard dropping on your shirt while you're eating. :-)

The picture on the left shows the various bratwursts and chorizos being cooked. Not much to say here except to hurry up and go get some... :)

The seafood section has a wide assortment of fresh lobsters, mussels, oysters and myriad selection of fish.

I would frequently see a person buying a tray of oysters fresh off the ice and just sitting down at the tables with a slice of lemon and slurping down oysters by the dozen.

During the summer, the Spanish Gourmet opens a small stall near the carpark where they serve a range of good Spanish food including seafood paella, chicken & chorizo paella, chorizo sandwiches and sangria wine.

Angie tried out their beef peppito with aioli (a special garlic-mayo sauce). Despite our stomachs being full from eating a bratwurst earlier, we couldn't resist trying out this succulent beef dish after seeing how fresh the ingredients were and how well it was prepared despite it's roadside stall settings.

Near the fruits section, you'll probably see this famous mini-donuts wagon that has been around for ages. They are famous for their little mini donuts which are stuffed with thick strawberry jam that oozes out when you bite into them.

This is the famous Mr Burger (www.mrburger.com.au) food truck. It is hidden away in a side alley behind the McDonalds restaurant located just outside The Bratwurst Shop. I passed by it so many times without realising such a tasty treat was hidden behind the mass-produced Big Macs shop.

For the meat-lovers, I definitely recommend the Mr Meat burger shown on the left. Beef patty topped with slices of bacon and cheese is definitely a must try for the carnivores.






St. Kilda Beach and Pier

Despite being beside the city, St Kilda has remained a very clean and popular beach. On a warm day, you will always find someone either sunbathing on the beach or taking a swim. There are lockers available for rent and public showers as well. There is a long stretch of walkway allowing you to either walk or cycle or skate along the whole length of the beach.
Additionally, there are many operators offering a range of sea-sport activities during the summer including kite-surfing, sailing, fly-boarding, and paddle-boarding.

I always enjoyed taking a walk along the St Kilda Pier. Besides the strong sea breeze, you can take a walk onto the rock breakwater for some great photos or for some quiet reflection.

At the end of the pier, you will find a colony of fairy penguins.

There are a series of rock breakwaters beside the pier that you can climb onto. It's a good spot to take some photos but do be careful of the uneven footing and beware of the rough waves which can come crashing onto the rocks if you are too close to the water's edge.

If you visit the pier just after sunset, you can catch a glimpse of the colony of fairy penguins that make their home on the pier. You are not allowed to use flash photography or torchlights or bring dogs onto the pier in order to protect the penguins.

The best season to visit is in the winter or early spring / late autumn as the earlier sunset means you do not have to stay out as late to see the penguins as they come out after the sun sets. However, do remember to bring a good jacket or dress warmly as the winds coming in from the ocean can make it very chilly. 
 

On my last trip there, I even saw a black swan. It was very friendly and came around looking for food handouts. I managed to snap quite a number of photos. However, the law bars people from disturbing the animals there so take heed as the fines can be hefty.

Besides the fairy penguins and other wildlife, you can also catch an amazing sunset from the pier. I've been here 3 times and have never been disappointed with the view.




Besides the pier, you will find St Kilda to be a very lively scene. One of my favourite restaurants on Ackland St is the BlueCorn Mexican Restaurant. Taking a walk along Ackland St will allow you to find many food shops. However, do take care not to venture too late at night as St Kilda is still being gentrified and there are still incidents of crime.
 

They serve very good Mexican food including fish tacos (shown on left) as well as their signature slow-cooked beef ribs (shown on left). I really do recommend the ribs and I always have it when I visit them.

Another great place for dessert on Ackland St is Monarch Cakes. They serve very good cakes and their most famous signature cake is the Chocolate Kougelhopf shown on the left.

Luna Park is an amusement park near Ackland St. It has many rides and it's front entrance is iconic.


That's all for now. I hope the information above gave you some good ideas for your next trip to Melbourne. I'll post additional items about Great Ocean Road and Mornington when I have time.