Melbourne is the Australian state of Victoria and the second-largest city in the country. It has also long established itself as a cultural center of the country, where many international concerts, exhibitions, and sporting events held, such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Melbourne has always considered a reasonably rich city-not far from it at one time found gold deposits. After that, immigrants from all over the world began to flock here, so today, almost 1/3 of Melburnians have a wide variety of ethnic roots. With such a diverse population, rattling trams and monumental European architecture, it is easy for a tourist to forget that they are in Australia.

Climate and weather

The environment in Melbourne is similar to that of southern Europe-Maritime and mild, at the junction of subtropical and temperate, with reasonably cold winters and hot summers. The coastal location of the city saves it from long periods of drought.

All seasons of the year clearly expressed here. Test time to visit Melbourne is from October to April. Summer in the city is quite hot — up to + 40 °C. the Australian winter is relatively cold; at night, sometimes there are frosts up to -2.8 °C.


The water in the ocean in the Melbourne area does not warm up too much, as the southern coast of Australia is washed by cold currents. The water temperature is +21.5 °C in summer and +10.5 °C in winter.

Nature

Melbourne located in the South-East of the Australian mainland. Its Eastern part has situated the banks of the Yarra River and along its valley leading to the Dandenong mountains. In the North of the city is a valley formed by tributaries of the Yarra-the rivers plenty, merry Creek, and Moonee Ponds Creek.

In the South and South-East of Melbourne is the coast of Port Phillip Bay, then the city buildings turn further South and reach the Mornington Peninsula and the river Patterson. To the West, the Maribyrnong river valley stretches with the volcanic hills of Geelong and Yu Yang.

Melbourne’s most extensive beaches lie on the shores of Port Phillip Bay. Beaches equipped for surfing are located 85 kilometers from the city center, in the districts of Sorrento, Rai, and Ports.

Attractions

The main attractions of Melbourne built at the time of its Foundation in the Victorian era. Among the most famous buildings in the city is the state library of Victoria, which is not only historical value, but also a center of the cultural life of the town. All significant exhibitions and conferences are here.
Melbourne is rightly proud of its oldest zoo in Australia. It divided into several different climatic zones, where a variety of animals that correspond to these zones kept.

Also, tourists are attracted to the old prison of Melbourne, now one of the most visited museums in the city. Its many expositions are related to the crimes and villains of early Australia. Equally impressive are the giant Melbourne aquarium and the Melbourne Museum, the largest In the southern hemisphere.

Also, among the main attractions should be noted, has an unusual form of Federation Square, the oldest station in the country Flinders Street station, and Queen Victoria Market. And the city’s houses of Parliament, Treasury, and Mint are generally considered among the best examples of British Empire architecture. Of all the temples in Melbourne, it is worth highlighting the neo-Gothic St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which one of the iconic symbols of Australia.
Other attractions in Melbourne are also impressive:

Immigration Museum;
Monument of memory;
National Gallery of Victoria;
Melbourne Has Four Airports.;
Eureka Tower;
captain James cook’s cottage;
Melbourne arts center.

Food

Melbourne has always been considered the culinary capital of the country. National Australian cuisine formed under the influence of English, but it included features of other world cuisines (uniquely Japanese, Chinese, and Malay). Therefore, many famous English dishes have changed so much that it is no longer possible to recognize them. The most popular recipes in Melbourne are:

“pie “(meat pie);
beef fillet with spinach;
avast, steak “Sprinkles»;
grilled chicken ” Melbourne»;
kangaroo steak with mushrooms;
different dishes cooked on coals, such as “Bush Tucker.”
Greek cuisine is also trendy in Melbourne. It is because there are many communities of Greeks who have added to the communal kitchen of Australia a dish called “Vegemite” – a thick dark mass of dough and vegetables, spread on bread.

Recipes from the aboriginal diet are very popular with visitors — possum, crocodile and EMU meat, macadamia nut, quandong (desert peach), and Australian tomato.

Also, Australia is famous for its wines. In Melbourne, you can enjoy local wine in any restaurant or cafe. And Australia is also known for its beer brands, such as Queen Victoria, Fosters, etc.

Residence

Melbourne has an excellent tourist infrastructure, so there are never any problems with finding housing here. A variety of hotels and campsites scattered around the city, which occupies a reasonably impressive area. A good option for tourists located in the city center hotel Victoria Hotel for stays of more than a week is given a significant discount, up to 20%. The most luxurious and expensive hotels are Melbourne’s Crown Metropol Southbank Melbourne, Crown Towers Hotel Melbourne, and many others. The price of living here is from $ 150 per night.


There are also many motels and hostels in the city with two-, four – and even eight-bed rooms, with shared showers and toilets. An option is ideal for young people who love big companies. A day’s stay in such motels or hostels costs from $ 20.

Entertainment and recreation

Melbourne provides an unprecedented number of activities and entertainment for the most discerning taste. For sports fans, there are many sports complexes, tennis courts, stadiums, and racetracks built here. Nightlife lovers will find the pathos of St Kilda, famous for its bars, dance floors, clubs, and casinos. The city also hosts various festivals: the Melbourne international film festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and others.

Theatre life here is also diverse, as Melbourne is home to the Royal Philharmonic orchestra and the national ballet of Australia. Also, the city is considered the main center of Australian fashion. Every year there is a fashion Festival.


Melbourne is famous for its street performances. In the summer, there is a program of theatrical productions and concerts, a traditional music event organized in each Park, and wandering musicians who travel around the world found on the streets.

If these activities are not enough, go to Phillip island (a reserve with unique penguins) – ride an old steam locomotive “Puffing Billy” or go for a tasting in the Yarra Valley (the wine center of Victoria).

Shopping

The Melbourne business center. Most of them are branches of well-known retail chains and points of sale of branded brands. Less famous stores more often found in alleys and passages. Some streets of the city are known for specializing in the sale of certain types of goods. For example, the high street is famous for antique boutiques, while Victoria Street is famous for Vietnamese and Middle Eastern stores.

For shoppers, we recommend visiting the Myers shopping center, which occupies four blocks of the city and is the largest in the southern hemisphere. Also, any products can be found in the two largest Department stores David Jones and Melbourne, which are open seven days a week.

Also, Melbourne has a wide variety of markets, the best of which are Mart and Target. And every Sunday, a huge flea market and a market for local artisans open on the outskirts of the city.

Transport

The most popular public transport in Melbourne CBD is considered to be trams, and beyond — buses and metro (underground and surface).
The entire city divided into two unequal zones. Zone-1 (center) shown in yellow, and zone-2 (outskirts) shown in blue. Tickets are purchased either particular zone (if the route lies within it), two, and the fare is the same for all types of public transport.

Also, there are 2-hour and all-day passes for sale. There are also travel cards ten trips, decade, for a month, and even for the entire year. Tickets cost $ 2 or more. They make their way through special turnstiles, and at individual stations, there is no way to get out if the card not punched.

Communication

There are no problems with a connection in Melbourne. You can always make a call from a bar, hotel, street phone booth, or post office. Local calls cost from $ 0.25 or higher, depending on the location of the outgoing call. It is most economical to call from local payphones.

The mobile network in Australia operates according to GSM communication standards with a frequency of 900 and 1800 MHz, so conversations in roaming are available to all visitors. However, the best option for tourists is to buy a SIM card for about $ 30. Calls, in this case, will cost 0.25–0.30 $ for 0.5 minutes.

There is also no problem with Internet access in Melbourne. The city is full of Internet cafes (from 4-5 $ per hour) and Wi-Fi points.

Security

In Melbourne, crime kept to a minimum. The only danger here may be snakes, spiders, and other poisonous animals. Therefore, it is better to always wear shoes, especially after sunset. We also recommend that you protect yourself from direct sunlight, which is most active from December to February. Don’t forget your hat and glasses.


It should also be remembered that in Melbourne, it is allowed to swim only in specially designated areas and be afraid not only of sharks but also of other marine life.

Real Estate

Since recently, average house prices in Melbourne have been steadily increasing ($593,000), catching up with Sydney, whose property is considered the most expensive in Australia. The most attractive and elite residential areas of Melbourne are the suburban neighborhoods of Canterbury, Kew, and Hawthorne.

Advice to tourist

Most of Australia, including cities such as Melbourne, is threatened by fires every summer. And often, fires occur due to human fault. Therefore, a cigarette butt thrown from a car window can lead to imprisonment. Also, state fire services have imposed a ban on the use of open fire in nature.

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