General: Melbourne (Australia)

Advantages: The Most Liveable City in the World
Disadvantages: A long way away from practically everywhere else!

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 ...
...more lively and appealing city to visit. WHY VISIT MELBOURNE? Why? Well, because it's a city like no other. For starters, it has a fabulous climate with four genuine seasons, which is a rarity in Australia. Melbourne tends to be hot and sunny all through the summer, pleasantly bright and warm in the spring, romantically autumnal in the autumn and suitably frosty in the winter, albeit with plenty of sunshine during the day. On a September day in ... Read review

Advantages: cosmopolitan; great dining, arts and sports scene; prettiest city in Oz
Disadvantages: not very many at all - perhaps some unsafe areas at night, but only if you're alone

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, ...
...approximately 3,500,000 people spread throughout about 6000 square kilometres, making Melbourne one of the largest cities in terms of size. The City itself houses only about 100,000 people, but the suburban sprawl of Melbourne is very extensive. It continues out to Werribee and Sunbury in the west, up to Hurstbridge in the north and out to Belgrave and Lilydale in the east. Get out an atlas! It also follows the mornington peninsula and officially ... Read review

Advantages: Tons to see / do / experience / buy / eat
Disadvantages: Colder than some other regions in the country as so far south

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 ...
...long weekend or on a stop over from or to Tasmania or Adelaide or Perth. I liked Melbourne, and would go so far as to say I would choose to live there over Sydney if I ever come back to Australia for a long stint. It's hard to pin down exactly why I prefer it, but I think the number of things to see and do and explore in the city played a big part. I started at the top of the city, with a trip to the observation deck where you can admire the city ... Read review

Advantages: Slower pace ... most livable city
Disadvantages: At the other end of the world

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 ...
...you have food items, plants or even animal skin, do declare it. Upon exiting the arrival hall, you have 3 choices. One, someone is there to meet you, whereupon transportation is already taken care of. Two, you are in Melbourne by yourself and have already decided where you are staying (in the city), and so the airport shuttle (Airbus) would be a viable form of transportation to get into the city. It cost $13 (australian) one-way or $21 return. Three, ... Read review

Advantages: Lovely for a Short Stay, Good for day Trips
Disadvantages: Very Cold in Winter, Very Quiet in evenings

I have one tip if you are intending on visiting Australia and that is "Come to Melbourne before you visit Sydney". We visited Melbourne in July (the middle of winter in Oz) having flown from Sydney which we had been living in for the past 7 months. Our first day in Melbourne, we froze and ended up in shops buying gloves and scarves. It is so much further south than Sydney, that it gets very cold in Winter with winds which cut through you, so be ...
...Accommodation in Melbourne is not great for the budget traveller. We found a place called 'The Lords Lodge' in the Rough Guide, it got 4 stars and they said it was very nice with clean facilities - they were very wrong. We ended up staying one night and found a really nice place called 'Toad Hall Hotel' {441 Elizabeth St., Melbourne (03) 9600 9010 } in the city. It was so clean and warm that we ended up staying there for about 11 weeks. Melbourne ... Read review

Advantages: Everything you need, neatly packaged into an attractive city
Disadvantages: Not on many people's itineraries - though it should be!

...on one side and Southbank on the other. I liked the layout of Brisbane, the weather, the attractions and the general feel of the place. In fact, if England ever gets too much and Australia beckons, Brisbane, along with Melbourne, would be the first place I'd look for a new life. Warmer and more relaxed than Sydney, with much more to do actually in town than Cairns, it's pretty perfect. £1 = ~$2.20... Read review

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