General: Melbourne (Australia)

I suppose I should probably begin by declaring my unquestionable bias on this subject… Melbourne is my home town, and although I've lived in a lot of other places around the world, I've probably spent the majority of my life there.It often strikes me that whilst Australia is obviously a very popular destination for tourists generally, Melbourne is frequently overlooked in favour of Sydney; its bigger, brasher, older sister up north. This seems a great pity because Melbourne is in many respects a much more lively and appealing city to visit. WHY VISIT MELBOURNE? Why? Well, because it's a city ... more

There are several cities in Australia which compete to be the nicest, the most comfortable, and the most interesting. As far as I'm concerned, the hands-down winner is my home city of Melbourne. Not that I am in the least bit biased - but 20 years of living in one place tends to give you a certain, intimate connection with it. And Melbourne has a lot to be intimate about, I suppose! In case you do not know, Melbourne is the state capital of Victoria, the southernmost state in mainland Australia. It is home to approximately 3,500,000 people spread throughout about 6000 square kilometres, making ... more

I love Melbourne! If I could afford to live there and they would have me I would be there in a flash. It’s the most laid back and pleasant feeling metropolis I have ever been to. The old trams rumble through the streets to take you to work in your flip flops (or thongs, as they call them) and you hop off with your brief case and hard hat for seven hours days work at most and then on the beach with your family and friends for the evening BBQ and weekend fun. If the beach is not your thing then sport rages throughout the year, be it in the magnificent Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Grand Prix in ... more

I went to Melbourne not for the Neighbours connection as many people do, but for the gymnastics. Whike I was working in Sydney, the 2005 World Championships was taking place at the Rod Laver Arena in the city, and I had a ticket to the Women's All Round Finals on Friday night so decided to make a weekend of it. Melbourne's a 70 - 90 minute flight from Sydney, and you can fly there and back for about $150 if you book at the right time, so many visitors over in the east make the trip either for a long weekend or on a stop over from or to Tasmania or Adelaide or Perth. I liked Melbourne, and ... more

I visited Melbourne over the Christmas break and what a break it was! Instead of doing a usual what a wonderful city this is, I thought I will give a tour of Melbourne based on food. Getting hungry already? Well, here we go! Lets start at the airport. Upon arrival, the immigration officers were very efficient and before long, we were through and collecting our bags. Just a word of warning; because Australia is an island, they are very strict about bring flora and fauna products into their country. So, if you have food items, plants or even animal skin, do declare it. Upon exiting the arrival ... more