Guide to Melbourne

Me and my wife are aften asked for what to do around Melbourne when people are visiting from the UK. This is a fairly opionated guide aimed at brits abroad.

Day Trips

Mornington Peninsula

There is a bunch to do out in the Mornington Peninsula area which is about an hour from Melbourne.

• Red Hill
  • Red hill is a lovely wine growing area that is covered in these huge red gums
  • Wineries - if you fancy a tour, check out Manna Gum tours. They can do pickup from Melbourne (or anywhere in the Peninsula)
    • Quealy
      • Very innovative winemakers (aging wines in amphorae) and absolutely lovely people - kinda bonkers
    • Red Hill Estate
      • Mainly go for the dining room looking out across the vineyards to the sea
    • Paringa Estate
      • Beautiful wine
    • Mont Rogue
      • Nice spot for lunch.
  • Eateries
    • Red Gum BBQ
      • Excellent BBQ in a huge laidback warehouse
• Sorrento and Surrounds
  • Sorrento
    • Just Fine Food - the best vanilla slice in Victoria
    • The high street is quite nice for a wander
    • Sorrento Back Beach nearby is also scenic - fairly choppy
• Peninsula Hot Springs
  • A number of bathing pools fed by local hot springs, lovely way to spend a few hours. You can get massages and treatments as well.
  • Try and go mid-week or at off-peak times, as otherwise it can get quite busy

Split Point Lighthouse

Where they filmed Round the Twist. About 2 hours out of melbourne just along the great ocean road. Scenic outlook and quite nice coast nearby. If you carry on along the great ocean road there are a bunch of little towns and beaches that you can stop off at. There is also some good walking near Lorne - not too far away.

Phillip Island

About 1 ½ hours out of melbourne. You can go see fairy penguins come up on to the beach which is pretty awesome and there is a koala sanctuary out there so you can see some drop bears, and maybe a wallaby or two.

The Dandenongs

Mountaintop gum forest (that meets tropical rainforest vibes) down in some of the valleys about an hour out of melbourne. Nice place for some walking, and some of the towns nearby are worth a wander.

The Grampians

Big mountainous ridge. You probably have do some walking to get the most out of it, but if you get up onto the main ridge there are great views across the plains.

Yarra Valley

Another famous wine region, still lots of Chardonnay, slightly less pinot and a bit more cool climate Syrah. If you had a day then go to Healesville, check out the nearby animal sanctuary and the Four Pillars distillery and check out a winery on the way back.

• 400 Gradi at Rochford is good for a casual pizza. Go in the evening and watch the sun set across their lake.
• Pizzini Wines is a great spot for some wine tasting and a nibble.

Eating & Drinking

A few notes on food

• If you want to try a classic Melbourne dish you have to have a parma (chicken schnitzel with ham, tomato sauce and melted cheese on top). College Lawn in Prahran does a good one, but a classic joint is Mrs Parmas in the city.
• A bacon sarnie is a foreign concept. It will always contain egg and it blows people’s minds that you might want just bacon. Same with a sausage sarnie. Oh, and a sarnie is a sanga.

A few notes on Drinks

• Coffee
  • Melbourne is one of the best places in the world of coffee drinkers - if not the best.
  • To be peak Melbourne, a flat white is the way to go (if you are unfamiliar, just think a latte, but smaller).
  • To transcend even the most Melbourne Melbonian you can order a Magic (a double shot espresso with 3/4 milk).
• Beer
  • If you order a beer there are three key sizes.
    • A Pot - 285ml
    • A Schooner - 425ml
    • A Pint - 568ml
  • To make it more confusing, some of these terms are state dependent, but you will always be able to get a pint.
  • A stubby is a small bottle of beer, a tinnie is a can.
  • There are some good local breweries so check out Two Birds, Future Mountain or Hop Nation.
• Wine
  • Chardonnay is more likely to be oaked, so ask if you mind.
  • Riesling is more likely to be sweet, so ask if you mind.
  • Locally produced stuff tends to be Pinot Noir (Mornington Peninsula) and Chardonnay (Yarra Valley)
• Spirits
  • Our favorite local gin is Melbourne Gin Company (you may see it listed just as MGC)

Sights

Abbotsford Convent

Lovely old convent with nice gardens. Selection of nice cafes. Walk along the yarra nearby or checkout the community farm nearby (especially if they have a market on).

NGV

NGV is the national gallery for Victoria. Fantastic selection of art and design plus rotating exhibitions. They also host late nights on a Friday during summer with music etc. which are worth checking out.

ACMI

Great permanent exhibitions about the history of moving image

Good temporary exhibitions but its about $20 to get in normally

St Kilda, Luna Park and Acland Street

Brighton vibes, check out he seafront and the pier (you might be able to spot penguins and starfish in the rocks)

Go ride the oldest working wooden roller coaster in the world at Luna Park

Checkout the shops on Acland street and marvel at the cakes (though they generally look better than they taste)

Botanical Gardens

Lovely big gardens to wander round with a huge variety of plant life. Free to get in.

Check out the outdoor cinema that runs over summer - Moonlight Cinema

War Memorial

You can walk up from the botanical gardens and climb to the top of the war memorial. Good view back towards the city.

Fitzroy & Carlton

Fitzroy is very much East London vibes - lots of little designer shops, bars and quirky places. Definitely somewhere you can wander around for a few hours.

The top end of Carlton nearby is also nice, so if you are in the area wander across. Cinema Nova is a great little cinema and Readings is probably the best bookshop in the city.

Markets

Prahran

Great food market. Butchers, bakers, fishmongers, grocers, a mushroom specialist, a cheese specialist, deli’s - you name it, it’s here. Check out the amazing cooks shop The Essential Ingredient.

South Melbourne

Good food market and some nice little shops. A little bit of tat thrown in. Go to Bibelot nearby for Macaron and ice cream in a cone they fill with molten chocolate.

Victoria

Biggest market in the city and worth a wander. Food market is interesting but the rest of it tends to be a lot of tourist rubbish. If you want to get some cheap gifts, quite a good spot. Check out the Cooks Bookshop for cookery book heaven.

Arcades & Laneways

There are bunch of arcades and laneways in the city of varying interest. My favourite is the Royal Arcade.

General Info

• You will need a MyKi card to travel round on public transport. You can pick one up from almost any station or from a 7-eleven.
• There are no trains from the airport to the city, so you can get a bus or a taxi
  • The bus is about $27 to Southern Cross station
  • An Uber will be $45-70
  • A local friend will be $0, so hit me up.
• Get the Lonely Planet app on your phone - good coverage of the city.
• Eating and drinking out are generally more casual than the UK - feel free to dress up and don’t feel put off if the guys on the next table are in t-shirts.
• The weather here is VERY changeable so probably pack an umbrella, sunscreen, sunglasses, a jacket and a wooly hat regardless of what the forecast says. The UV is also intense.
• The city is pretty small, so you can walk most places but the trams and trains are pretty frequent. Trams within the CBD are free.
• They stand on the other side of the escalator.
• Jaywalking is a thing, so don’t come crying to me if you get a fine.