Melbourne
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Melbourne is the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1835 by free settlers and not by convicts as many other Australian cities were.
Someone who lives in Melbourne is called a Melburnian. As at June 30 2008, there were more than 4,100 CouchSurfers registered in Melbourne.
What's the weather like?
Try to check the forecast for the next few days when deciding what to pack for Melbourne, and carry an umbrella or a light water-resistant coat to protect you from sudden rain.
What are the areas of Melbourne?
Greater Melbourne covers an area in excess of 8,800 square km and is comprised of a number of regions. Each region contains a number of suburbs, each with its own cultural and historical identity.
CBD (Downtown)
- Includes Melbourne, Docklands, Southbank, East Melbourne, West Melbourne
Inner North
- Includes Carlton, Brunswick, Fitzroy, Collingwood, Coburg, Northcote
Inner South & Bayside
- Includes St Kilda, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Albert Park, Elwood
Inner East
- Includes Northcote, Richmond, Hawthorn, South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor
Inner West
- Includes Kensington, Footscray, Flemington, Yarraville
North West
- Includes Tullamarine (Melbourne Airport), St Albans, Keilor, Essendon, Sunbury, Broadmeadows, Craigieburn
North East
- Includes Epping, Eltham, Heidelberg, Greensborough, Bundoora, Reservoir, Preston
East
- Includes Glen Waverley, Lilydale, Box Hill, Doncaster, Blackburn, Camberwell, Wantirna
West
- Includes Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Sunshine
Dandenong Ranges
- Includes Mt Dandenong, Mount Evelyn, Olinda, Sassafras, Belgrave, Monbulk, Silvan
South East
- Includes Clayton, Dandenong, Narre Warren, Cranbourne, Noble Park, Berwick, Hampton Park
Mornington Peninsula
- Includes Frankston, Seaford, Dromana, Portsea, Rosebud, Rye, Cape Schanck
What do I do in an emergency?
Please look at the Melbourne Emergency Information page for detailed information to help with most emergencies in Melbourne. One important detail to remember is the Australian Emergency Services phone number - 000.
How do I get to, around & from Melbourne
Need information on transport in or near Melbourne? There's a special page dedicated to transportation in Melbourne, containing a wealth of information for public transport, car or bicycle transport within the city, and air travel to and from the city. It includes links to current timetable & fare information along with basic road rules.
What can I do in Melbourne?
Melbourne has many hidden secrets in its laneways - bars, shops, cafes, graffiti, galleries and much more. Pick up a map of the Melbourne CBD from the Visitor Centre at Federation Square and don't be afraid to explore! You're more likely to find a great day or night out by traversing the laneways rather than the main streets.
Don't forget to check out the Melbourne group for upcoming gatherings and tips on where to go & what to do.
Melbourne's public gardens are the pride of the city. These popular places, filled with city workers and weekend family picnickers, are european inspired and among the finest in Australia. During summer, these are the places to see open air movies or to catch a concert.
Melbourne is always trying to improve access for cyclists and already has some beautiful tracks to be explored - please note that a helmet and lights are compulsory and you may incur a fine for not using them. You also can't take bikes on trams or buses.
Festivals
Melbourne is known for its many festivals - there sometimes seems to be a different one every week! They are a good oppourtunity to experience something a little bit different. Here are some of the better known ones, but for a comprehensive listing, check the festivals listing on whitehat
- Big Day Out - Australias biggest music festival: January
- Tropfest-short film festival: February
- St.Kilda Festival: Febuary
- Melbourne Fashion Festival: March
- Food and Wine Festival: March
- Comedy Festival: April
- Flower and Garden Show: April
- International Film Festival: August
- Melbourne Fringe Festival: September
- International Arts Festival: October
- Spring Racing Carnival (dressing up, wearing a hat, getting drunk & some horse racing): November
Nightlife
Melbourne is renowned for its nightlife and pub/bar scene. Many venues around the City and suburbs have regular live music, including popular Australian and international acts. There are many sources of information, including Beat, also available as a free newspaper from many cafes and music stores around the City.
The links below will take you to the Region/Suburb page for some of Melbourne's popular nightlife districts.
What can I do & see near Melbourne?
- Bendigo
is one of Australia's oldest, grandest cities. For a few brief years during the 1850s and 60s, it was one of the world's richest cities. That wealth was reflected in many opulent buildings which now line the main streets. And the gold that created those riches are still visible in reefs under the ground - one mine is literally around 800 metres below the city's main centre. It takes around an hour and 15 minutes to drive to Bendigo, or two hours on the train. - Geelong & the Bellarine Peninsula
is about one hour away via the Princes Freeway. The waterfront is worth a walk - gorgeous at sunset. The Bellarine Peninsula has a wealth of hidden secrets to explore, including a tourist railway & some great lighthouses at Queenscliff and Airey's Inlet. There's also really good beaches at Torquay, Anglesea and Lorne. - You Yangs
are some hills between Melbourne and Geelong. They provide a good view towards Geelong and Melbourne. "Big Rock" is nice. No 4WD needed - easy roads. Official website - Brisbane Ranges National Park
just shares the name with the known city. It is located in the middle of the triangle Melbourne-Geelong-Ballarat. The National park offers some hikes including a three day hike. Anakie Gorge Walk is easy but is nice. 40% of the National Park burned a few years ago, but nature is coming back with all its power. Most of the roads are easy to drive with any 'normal' car. Some parts may be a bit tricky after heavy rain - there are some steeper valleys. Parks Victoria - Cathedral Ranges State Park
is a small park north of Healesville next to Maroondah Hwy. It features a great hike along a ridge with light rock climbing (no ropes needed; beware: not for people who have claustrophobia - there is a tight rift to squeeze through). The park is is the start for an easy 4WD-only track up mountain to 1145m height - good for newbies.
- Yarra Ranges National Park
has breathtaking white gumtrees with masses of ferntrees at their feets. Maroondah Hwy curls through these hills with down to 35km/h sections. Not as long as Great Ocean Road, but definitely worth seeing. - Daylesford & Hepburn Springs
The centre of Victoria's alternative complementary therapies. Massage, counseling, second hand books, rowing a boat on a lake, snazzy restaurants, old convents converted into gallery and restaurant, Tarot readings, natural springs, bath house, cheap accommodation, etc... all set in an old growth forest of gum trees and gentle hills. Getting there: Calder Highway to Woodend, then turn North West. Not far from Daylesford is beautiful Castelmaine, also worth a look.
- There is some surprisingly good SCUBA diving near Melbourne
Go to the Mornington Peninsula. The Portsea Hole is a great boat dive, amongst several options including a beautiful wreck (non penetrative), and the Rye Pier a pleasant enough shore dive for macro life.
Does Melbourne have a lot of CS members?
The Melbourne CS community is very active, with planned and spontaneous events taking place regularly. For details on upcoming meetings, check out the most active local group.
CS Ambassadors in Melbourne
For a current list of Ambassadors in Melbourne and surrounds, refer to the CS Australia list of Ambassadors.
Got any tips on life in Melbourne?
Moving to Melbourne
The following information is useful Australia-wide, but also see the CS Australia Wiki.
Renting or Share Housing
If you are looking for somewhere to stay longer term, flatmatefinders is very useful and detailed for those interested in locating housemates with available rooms. Free sites to try are Australian Flatmates Directory, Melbourne Exchange or Gumtree, which is probably the fastest moving share site. There is also a limited search on sharing in realestate.com.au.
Other places to check offline include local noticeboards in Readings bookshops in Lygon St - Carlton, Friends of the Earth food co-op in Smith St - Collingwood, universities, hostels & cafes.
Finding work
Finding work, your rights and general information about working in Melbourne and Australia Job Surfer.
If you're interested in finding work, check out this post.
Volunteer work
Check this post.
Study
If you want to learn English you can have a look at the Homepage of the East Melbourne Language Center. They offer one on one classes or the Melbourne language center (enrolment form with fees). There you can do a full day class for $290 a week or a part time class for $220 a week.
What's with the trash-talking of other cities &/or Suburbs?
Due in part to its location - central to 4 other Capital Cities - Melbourne enjoys a friendly rivalry with its neighbours in Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart and - to a lesser extent - Canberra. Melburnians can often be heard commenting on the City's great cafe & arts culture, quirky laneways, and sporting events - especially when Sydneysiders are around!
The yarra river seems to cut a style divide between the north & south of Melbourne, so don't be surpised if a Melbournian mentions 'oh you are living on THAT side of the river'.. Suburbs on the southern side, such as St.Kilda & Toorak tends to be more upmarket, chic & expensive while northern suburbs such as fitzroy & brunswick are most certainly more alternative & affordable.
Got any links to other information?
- Rough Guides travel information.
- Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Melbourne posts
- Find out more about the culture.
- Melbourne public holidays and annual events.
- Useful contact information - phone numbers and websites.
- Download some Melbourne Podtours
- ABC Melbourne invites you to put on your walking shoes, turn on your MP3 player and discover Melbourne’s secrets with the ABC Melbourne Podtours:
