The results of the first vote are in and Melbourne has won as the final city the TJs will visit in Australia! They need your suggestions on cool places to go and things to do.

YAY!!!! So excited you're going to Melbourne. You won't regret it. Take a look at what I posted on the voting page for lots of ideas, both in Melbourne proper (St. Kilda, MCG for an Aussie Rules game, Royal Botanic Gardens, Southgate, Arts Center, Lygon Street, Chapel Street, Queen Victoria Market, the bathrooms at the Sofitel, etc.). But don't forget all the things to do on day trips outside of Melbourne (a drive on the Great Ocean Road, a trip to see the Penguin Parade on Philip Island, even a visit out to the Grampians -- but that's really far out).

Can't WAIT to see Melbourne again!

I had to skip Melbourne when I was in Australia because of time, but I really wish I could have seen the Melbourne Zoo. I know you've already been to two zoos in Australia, but if you get a chance you should see Melbourne Zoo. It is one of the top zoos in the world. All the new zoos are being set up like Melbourne.

I know you are going to find tons of cool stuff to do in Melbourne, but how often to you get to see something that is top in its field?

Melbourne is my favourite city in Australia!!

You might be there for the Melbourne Comedy festival 4/12 - 5/17 if you are you MUST see a show (the Great Debate, Tripod or any of the Aussie comedians). The first stop must be the Victoria Markets. Then Penguin Island (those guys are just too cute!). Don't forget a trip to the Dandenongs to feed the wild Rosellas and the steam train ride.

Play two-up at the casino, taste the pastries in St Kilda, and drive Great Ocean Road to see whats left of the twelve Apostles (only 8 left....) one fell down last year!

Melbourne has the beatiful trams and if you can get past the ever changing weather you will have a great time!

quote:

Originally posted by atlargeintheworld:
I had to skip Melbourne when I was in Australia because of time, but I really wish I could have seen the Melbourne Zoo. I know you've already been to two zoos in Australia, but if you get a chance you should see Melbourne Zoo. It is one of the top zoos in the world. All the new zoos are being set up like Melbourne.

I know you are going to find tons of cool stuff to do in Melbourne, but how often to you get to see something that is top in its field?

I also did the Melbourne Zoo on my second visit last summer. Honestly, I didn't think it was that special, and definitely not if you've only got a couple of days with bigger things to do (Great Ocean Road, etc.)

But if you want a truly unique animal experience, go down to Philip Island to see the penguin parade. And on the way down, there used to be a place called "The Giant Worm", where you could hold a wombat and feed kangaroos. Also on the way down to Philip Island is a koala conservatory where you can see them in their natural habitat. So you can combine all three in one day. I did this on a tour with a company called Autopia, which does pickups at hostels around Melbourne/St. Kilda. It went from about 1 pm - maybe 8 or 9 pm. (The penguins come to the shore after sunset, which is why the long night.)

Great stuff all! Any music or food tips for me in Melbourne?
Cheers!
Gabe

Food - go to Lygon Street. It's their version of Little Italy, blocks and blocks of outdoor cafes. And you can find relatively inexpensive option. While there, make sure to find a dessert shop called "Brunetti's" (www.brunetti.com.au). They have the most amazing cakes, pies, etc. (all available by the slice, or in single serve). My favorite is the white black forest cake. Unreal.

Music - so much. One place you absolutely have to go to is The Hotel Esplanade, or "The Espy" as the locals call it. (http://melbourne.citysearch.com.au/profile?id=30346639) It's in the suburb of St. Kilda, and they have many different rooms with different kinds of music. Depends on the night. It's also an important landmark that was fighting for survival. When I was there, friends told me it was almost torn down, and the compromise was that they're putting condos on top. Travesty! So check it out while you can....

Melbourne, I LOVE this city... it was my home for the best year of my life.
stay- I highly reccomend Toad Hall Hotel its a hotel/hostel thats cute quiet enough and had a really great crowd at it, also it has a beautiful back patio each room has its own bathrooms (THE CLEANEST BATHROOMS I EVER SAW AT A HOSTEL). and its right near vic market, like less than a block... avoid the mega hostels that are everywhere, theyre overwhelming dirty and extremely unhelpful... you get the idea
BARS- Uni Bars in carlton- good on weeknights (and always cheap), theres Pugg Mahones (the one on elgin is the college one the one in the city is more the backpacker crowd.... brunswick st in fitzroy is AWESOME for live music, check out the evelyn theyve always got something good going on. also down at st kilda theres the espy, the esplenade hotel, i found it an interesting place... the a little seedy at times. its a melbourne institution. also worth going to at least have a pint is young n jacksons. there was a brewery on russell st also that was pretty cool because you could see the actual vats they brewed it in n it had amazing IPA (if you want more info on bars, nights etc i can provide (or you can check out melbournepubs.com) the great thing about Melbourne is that the coolest pubs/clubs/bars are opening all the time in the randomest of places like down dark alleys where you'd never expect...
also chapel st in richmond has good places to go out, n eat.
FOOD theres soo much amazing food in melbourne
lygon is def good lots of italian, but it can be a little overwhelming sometimes, oh and for tony the oldest pizzeria in either melbourne (quite possibly all of australia) is on lygs. check out ye olde lolly shop (esp tiffany) its a tiny shop with candy EVERYWHERE its awesome (will add more later)
Things to check out:
The Aquarium is really cool if you've got a not so nice day.
The ACMI (Australian Center for the Moving Image) in federation square often has really interesting exhibits and its FREE
Melbourne Botanical Gardens is beautiful to walk around and chill in
Oh also if you want to chill theres a nice beach at brighton beach on the sandringham train line, all the pics with the colorful houses lining the beach are there. its also really really beautiful at sunset.
the comedy festival will be going on, if youre not too too set on who you want to see you can usually get cheap tickets at halftickets or something like that its right on swanson st. about a block from the fed square right near the cathedral and on the same side as it.
ALSO drive the Great Ocean Rd. its sooo cute n has all these adorable quaint little towns, n beautiful temperate rainforests.
okay thats it for now. sorry to overwhelm you.

quote:

Originally posted by allyb06:
Melbourne, I LOVE this city... it was my home for the best year of my life.
stay- I highly reccomend Toad Hall Hotel its a hotel/hostel thats cute quiet enough and had a really great crowd at it, also it has a beautiful back patio each room has its own bathrooms (THE CLEANEST BATHROOMS I EVER SAW AT A HOSTEL). and its right near vic market, like less than a block... avoid the mega hostels that are everywhere, theyre overwhelming dirty and extremely unhelpful... you get the idea

I actually stayed at Toad Hall the first time I went to Melbourne, and was very happy there. However, on the second visit last August, I went back, and it was completely different. Staff was not as helpful, and some of the facilities were run down. I actually shifted to the Hotel Y (www.hotely.com.au) which is about a block away and was much happier.

By the way, Toad Hall/Hotel Y are technically a couple of blocks outside the CBD, but easy for transportation. They are on a main tram line, and a couple of blocks away from the subway station. And they are also an easy walk to Lygon St.

aussie rules is a must, you will see a lot of wild kangaroos in the grampians, enjoy the free trolly around melbourne, great ocean road. but yes aussie rules is a must see.

Melbourne is my favorite city in Australia. You definately have to check out Victoria Market. It's one of the only places to get great bratwursts so early in the morning. I also suggest Federation Square. The architecture of the square is amazing. Another cool place is the Hall of Remembrance, it honors Australia Veterans of War. The Great Ocean Road is a must on any trip to Melbourne. As for where to say. I have also stayed at Toad Hall, like many other people who have commented on here. When I stayed in the summer of 03 it was a very nice place. Enjoy Melbourne, I wish I was there now

Couple more things about Queen Victoria Market:

1. It's not open every day, and has limited hours (from the website www.qvm.com.au/home.php):

Tuesday: 6am - 2pm
Thursday: 6am - 2pm
Friday: 6am - 6pm (General merchandise closes at 4pm)
Saturday: 6am - 3pm
Sunday: 9am - 4pm

Closed every Monday and Wednesday, Good Friday, Anzac Day, Melbourne Cup Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day

2. If you have any money for souveneirs, I found QVM to be cheaper than in most of the rest of the country (and Cairns to be most expensive). Not to mention that half of the booths last visit seemed to be selling Uggs!

Hola from Fort Collins!! For music you'd have to probably want to check out St. Kilda. You can go to the beach, hang out and then stick around for nightlife. Also, make sure to hit all of the great bakeries, truly amazing...Vic Market would be good for food and maybe even a little side work like Cairns. . .You all could also go on a winery tour through Victoria, all the cheap wine tasting you can get!! Good luck.

Thanks fol all of your suggestions!!! Tony and I are going to take a trip to see the great ocean road today!!!!

We'll let you know how it goes!

Tiff

quote:

Originally posted by tiffstake:
Thanks fol all of your suggestions!!! Tony and I are going to take a trip to see the great ocean road today!!!!

We'll let you know how it goes!

Tiff

Road trip!! YEEEEE HAAWW!

This sounds like a phenomenal trip, I can't wait. Let's get this party started right!

Awesome! Make sure you go as far as Loch Ard Gorge (just a little past the 12 Apostles). And also, along the way, try to stop at Angelsea. There's a golf course where kangaroos hang out.

quote:

Originally posted by gabe5takes:
Great stuff all! Any music or food tips for me in Melbourne?
Cheers!
Gabe

Gabe

If you get a chance check out this..... http://www.beat.com.au/home.php
It is the local street press... Has a daily guide of all the local live music!

Make sure you check out St Kilda for food!! They have some of the best cake shops and a great chicken shop called 'nando's'

have a great time mate!

Just read all of your blogs. SOOOO happy that you all have fallen in love with Melbourne as much as I have. Just like you said, I could totally see myself living in Melbourne (except the Aussie immigration policies are killer!!).

Sounds like you've all settled into St. Kilda, and you've seen things like the Espy (thanks for the shoutout Tony!) and Luna Park. The area is so full of character, everywhere you look. A couple of other things to look out for:

-- On Acland Street, above some of the retail shops, are some cool characters. You'll know 'em when you see 'em. Reminds me of Camden in London.

-- Look on the sidewalks for some pretty cool signs. I know there's one near the beginning of Acland Street by the tram stop. And another one may be by the Prince of Wales on Fitzroy St.

-- If you want decent American style PIZZA, go to NYPD New York Pizza Delia/Melbourne (47 Fitzroy Street). It's not too far off from New York style. They sell pizza by the slice, so it's a cheap meal too. I think they may only open at 4 pm, though.

-- Nearby to NYPD, find the restaurant Di Stasio (31 Fitzroy St) . Not to eat, but check out the doors. They're very cool.

Cheers,
Suz in NYC (who wishes she was in Melbourne TOO!)

As far as the nightlife in Melbourne goes, there are a lot of talented DJs in that area. And, as it turns out, there will be a big show there on April 24th with DJs Concord Dawn, Bailey, and Flight. This is actually a part of the Metalheadz 10th Anniversary Tour. Platform One's location is as follws: Vault 8 Banana Alley Flinders St, Melbourne. Definately something to check out if youre looking for a fun night.

quote:

Originally posted by gabe5takes:
Great stuff all! Any music or food tips for me in Melbourne?
Cheers!
Gabe

I don't know if youre a big AC/DC fan, but they have a street named after them in Melbourne called AC/DC Lane. It's not very impressive, just an alley with dumpsters, but if you like the band it's a cool landmark.
-Tim-