Haven't been here for years... all new and shiny these days.
Haven't been here for years... all new and shiny these days.
Member since:31.10.2000
Reviews:148
Members who trust:101
To 'celebrate' my new name on Ciao (I had to change from SB as the new-fangled internal search engine the site now uses can no longer find member names that are less than three letters long) I've decided to write an opinion on my travels. For those that don't know, or should that be care, Mercury was the Roman God of Travelling... cunning heh? Anyway my five months of work in Sydney finished a few weeks ago and instead of spending all my hard earned cash in the familiar pubs and clubs that I've been drinking excessively in for the last half a year or so I decided it was time to hit the road again and get back in the travelling spirit... my destination for a two week sojourn the Southern State of Victoria and the Australian Grand Prix.
As with my previous travel opinions this will be an amalgamation of a guide book style things to do and see and a diarised type travelogue of the various things I've actually been up to in Melbourne. Hopefully this will ensure, firstly, that this opinion might actually be of some use to any prospective travellers to or through these parts and secondly, and far more importantly, it won't bore you all to tears. As I mentioned the main reason for my trip to Melbourne, Australia's second largest city and the State Capital of Victoria, was to watch the first Grand Prix of the 2002 season so much of my first two weeks was dominated by the lure and excitement that is the phenomena of Formula One but more on that in my next opinion. Melbourne, I discovered has much more to offer than just the Grand Prix, and outside of Melbourne the magnificent Great Ocean Road and scenic beauty
of the Grampians were an essential part of my fortnight itinery and will be the focus of another opinion.
Before I get carried away about the four excellent days I spent at Albert Park, the venue for the last seven Australian Grand Prix's, a little about Melbourne itself. I'd heard mixed reports about Melbourne, ranging from ecstatic outpourings of praise to people strongly advising me against going for fear of my being bored out of my tiny mind. Having now been I can see the validity of both sides' thoughts but my own lean far more heavily to the first than the second.
Melbourne is a truly beautiful city and hosts several major events through out the year, sportwise the Grand Prix, Australian Tennis Open and regular international cricket at the massive MCG are just a selection of what occurs. There is also a vibrant Arts scene epitomised by the modern and intriguing design of the Melbourne Theatre and the music scene has been a fertile breeding ground for many famous Australian bands. I must admit though, even with all this going on Melbourne still doesn't really feel like a city, no where is the same electric hussle and bussle of Sydney, hence some peoples critism. Life in Victoria's capital has a much more laid back, comfortable large town feel, a feeling emphasised by its small centre, sprawling scenic parks and the plethora of coffee houses that spill out onto the streets.
Much of my time after the Grand Prix was spent in the centre of Melbourne and I must profess to knowing little of the suburbs or the particular attractions they hold. As to the centre I'll move onto things that are worth doing and seeing but to get a feel of the place simply walking around or perhaps stopping for a coffee at the abundance of coffee houses is the best way to soak up the atmosphere. It is soon evident that it is not just the stunning lush parks that make Melbourne so attractive even the architecture is a visual delight with buildings with a late ninteenth century colonial feel mixed with the neo-gothic design of St.Pauls Cathedral and the smattering of innovative designed buildings that lend the city a contemporary edge.
On the first day in the city I spent about six or seven hours just walking around and taking it all in and was quickly rapt by the place. However for those of you who want to do more than merely perambulate here's a far from comprehensive list of things that Melbourne has to offer. I must admit that lack of time and money prevented me from doing some of these but to borrow and modify a phrase 'I know a man who has' : -
- MCG Tour - Two of my friends made the trip to the MCG whilst I was hiking up some hills in the Grampians and both were impressed, not only can you take in the awesome site of the 100,000 capacity ground but the tour also includes a visit to the Cricket Museum and the famous Longroom amongst other places of interest. Obviously not one for those who don't appreciate the joys of cricket.
- Neighbours Tour - Melbourne is the home of the most famous Australian export, no not weak nasty tasting lager but the king of the daytime soaps. There are a variety of tours offered to the home of the soap at Ramsey Street that allow you to see the set and meet some of the stars.
- Botanical Gardens - Just out of the centre and across the Yarra river are the picturesque and beautiful Botanical Gardens. Australian cities really do put their English counterparts to shame when it comes to parks and gardens, touted as the 'best' Botanical Gardens in Australia, the gardens are an essential visit, surprisingly tranquil and rich with all manner of flora and fauna that I couldn't begin to name it seemed unreal to think there are only five minutes away from the centre.
- The Casino - When the new The Crown Casino Complex, located at the end of the lively and attractive Southgate, opened it was briefly the largest casino in the world but now only holds the title as the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. If you're into gambling then this is definitely the place to head personally I couldn't afford to spend any money here gambling although the 24 hour bar did gain some of my funds as did the food vendors especially the unbelievably priced $2 Fish and Chips (around 70p). The casino is definitely worth a visit just to stand and gape at the rows and rows of pokies, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and all manner of other games solely designed to remove crisp clean notes from peoples wallets.
- Old Melbourne Gaol - At the moment the Melbourne Gaol has a special display on dedicated to larrikan highwayman Ned Kelly who was hanged there in 1880. Defintely one to see for the more morbid visitor.
- Pubs - Melbourne differs from Sydney in that the centrally located pubs all have a distinctly English feel to them and whilst relatively rare I can certainly advise the Elephant & Wheelbarrow located on Bourke street which has a range of English bitters... admittedly these are fairly pricey and served far too cold but it made a pleasant change to drink something less gassy than the standard Australian fare. Young and Jacksons is also well worth a visit and is handily located just opposite Flinders Street Station. My only word of warning on drinking is make sure you find a pub that sells pints (which both of these do) as Melbournians drink pots which are essentially half-pint glasses and feel decidedly unmanly to drink from.
I could go on and on and on but I think that you get the message, theres plenty to do in Melbourne but my advice would be not to stay too long as the rest of Victoria has much to offer. As my final guidebook-esque piece of wisdom, for those travelling on a backpacker budget, Hotel Bacpac located on Franklin Street is a huge hostel that offers cheap accommodation and excellent facilities which coupled with its central location make it an ideal place to head to for your first few nights. It organises regular events, many of which involve drinking at reduced prices in the basement Roo Bar which is always a good place to start an evening.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Melbourne, not least for the four fantastic days I spent at the Grand Prix, but the magnificent parks and laid back atmosphere made it an excellent location to get away from it all. Also its close proximity to the majestic Great Ocean Road and other major Victorian attractions only add to its already evident appeal. As always if anyones got any questions or queries I'll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.
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the pub measures certainly got me confused as well!
Glorificus1 05.07.2002 23:21
I so hope to go to Australia one day. God I do want to go ;)
Pauley123 03.05.2002 18:31
Another great op mate!! I agree with you, Melbourne is a great place, but it just doesn't cut it compared with Sydney. I was only in each city for 3 days though. I can definitely say, I'll be going back to both though!
Hope you're having a great time in NZ. Look forward to hearing all about it.
Paul
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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
Mar 14th, 2002
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