More about Melbourne
The Garden State: Melbourne is a city of gardens and avid gardeners; something which is evident with a visit to any of the renowned leafy suburbs or any of the magnificent public parks. Close to the Melbourne CBD are many historic gardens including Fitzroy garden. Spectacular anytime of the year, the gardens take on a wonderful ambience in the colder months as the deciduous trees reveal their wonderful trunks and branches and the morning autumn fogs transform the impression of these wide-open spaces to a wonderfully moody scene that is familiar to any European traveller.
St Kilda: Located on one of the most picturesque points of Port Phillip Bay St Kilda is a must for anyone wishing to visit Melbourne. During Edwardian and Victorian times, St Kilda was a place for Melbourne’s elite and as a tourism destination for day-trippers. During the middle 20th century, St Kilda became a red-light district renowned for prostitution, drugs and the seedier side of life. It has certainly changed since then and is a top tourist destination for anyone wishing to visit Melbourne. St Kilda beach offers eclectic activities and cosmopolitan lifestyle and is a huge drawing point on those hot summer nights when Melbournians spend the twilight time cooling down in the refreshing waters of Port Phillip Bay.
The Palais: The site of the current Palais was formerly the location of ‘Palais Pictures which burned down in the early 1900s. A replacement was planned and Walter Burley Griffin began designing a remodelled Palais Pictures which began construction in 1925 but an unfortunate fire did not see his vision come to fruition. A subsequent design was built and opened in 1927. Over the years, the classic Art Deco theatre has hosted events as diverse as The Bolshoi Ballet, Jesus Christ Superstar, Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, the Melbourne International Festival, John Butler Trio and many more. Wonderfully, and prominently, located on St Kilda’s Lower Esplanade next to Luna Park, it is a wonderful example of Art Deco architecture – and is a wonderful instance of lineage with parents dropping children off to a concert venue that their parents were also dropped off.
Block Arcade: Melbourne is renowned as the shopping capital of Australia and the proliferation of shopping tours to the Victorian capital is a testament to the fact. The Block Arcade is a wonderful example of classic 19th Century shopping arcade with its exquisite etched glass roof and mosaic floor (the largest in Australia). The complex is classified by the National Trust and is on the register of the National Estate. The arcade is so named due to the late 1800’s Melbourne tradition of ‘Doing the Block’, meaning to walk up and down the very fashionable shopping strip of Collins Street. Today, Block Arcade is full of unique retail shops and wonderful cosmopolitan cafes and maintains its original vision of a being modelled on those of Milan and London. The décor of the arcade has been dutifully restored to maintain the feel of yesteryear and the warmth of what was initially envisaged.
Melbourne Docklands: Melbourne Docklands is a region west of the Melbourne CBD that opened what was basically a dilapidated and unused area of Melbourne’s waterside. Located close to Southern Cross Station and the stadium precinct, the development has taken many years and has produced a modern commercial, retail and residential area; invigorating this side of the city. Like any city development, the construction initiative reveals a life of its own.
Venture away from the city and there are so many attractions within easy reach (Victoria is a compact state with the NSW-Victorian border being a bit over 3 hours away.) with the Great Ocean Road, The 12 Apostles, the Victorian High Country, The Victorian Alps & ski fields and the Murray river which runs from the Alps along the border with NSW to the north-west corner of the state near Mildura and Wentworth.
The Surf Coast: The Victorian Surf Coast is a short drive from Melbourne and is the location of one of Australia’s most scenic coastal drives; The Great Ocean Road which begins at Torquay and meanders along the coast through wonderful seaside towns of Anglesea and Apollo Bay. From there it traverses the beautiful Cape Otway and onto the 12 Apostles and Port Campbell. Being part of the world’s longest south-facing coastlines, the weather coming off the Southern Ocean creates some wonderful meteorological creations.
