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48 Hours Melbourne: The Best of a City in Two Days Australia’s second city boasts plenty of first-class attributes, from its thriving arts scene to its tantalizing variety of ethnic cuisines. “Nature has done everything for Sydney, man nothing; man has done everything for Melbourne, nature nothing,” a visitor to the antipodes once noted. The glib witticism nevertheless captures an essential difference between Australia’s two largest cities. Melbourne may have grayer skies, and a muddy river in lieu of a glistening harbor, but no matter—nature’s withheld bounty has motivated Melbourne’s citizens to cultivate man-made pleasures. Hence the city’s reputation as Australia’s cultural capital. Theater, music, street sculpture, fashion, and other forms of artistic expression thrive here, alongside a cosmopolitan mix of cafés, restaurants, and pubs. Quip aside, nature has not completely ignored Melbourne. More than a quarter of the city luxuriates in verdant parks and colorful gardens. Though here again, the hand of man proves instrumental, for the jewel in the crown remains the 88-acre Royal Botanic Gardens, a splendid example of 19th-century English landscaping. Melbourne’s distinctive electric trams, stately Victorian buildings, and stylish civic touches (including wrought-iron public toilet enclosures) also evoke a European ambience. Immigrants, for their part, introduced continental pastimes: “Whereas promenading was once alien to Melbourne,” notes Paul Kouris, an Athens-born barrister and erstwhile inventor, “you now see people walking arm-in-arm along the riverfront.” Yet, this being Australia, the city’s sophistication is offset by a refreshingly relaxed attitude. Only “footy” (Aussie Rules football) and other sporting contests can reliably impassion your typical Melburnian. The annual Melbourne Cup horse race, held in November, even merits a statewide public holiday. FAST FACTS This multicultural city of almost three-and-a-half-million people is bisected by the Yarra River, near the point where it empties into the vast Port Phillip Bay, along Australia’s southeastern coast. Planners laid out the city on an easy-to-navigate grid. Most attractions can be reached on foot or by tram. Although Melbourne’s weather remains notoriously unpredictable, the climate rarely hits extremes: High temperatures average in the mid-50s (°F) in winter (June-Aug.) and in the upper 70s in summer (Dec.-Feb.). DON’T MISS Melbourne reveals its soul at street level. Pick up a self-guided heritage walking tour brochure, or join one of the many guided walking tours, with themes ranging from pubs to Aboriginal traditions. Learn more about Melbourne’s gold rush-fueled history at the Gold Treasury Museum and the Immigration Museum. World-class art hangs on the walls of the National Gallery of Victoria, which will spin off a separate center devoted to Australian art by next April. Check out underwater Australiana, in the form of sharks, coral, and other marine life, at the Melbourne Aquarium. First-time Australia visitors (and especially their kids) might also appreciate the animal and Aboriginal culture exhibits and interactive displays at the new Melbourne Museum. Gain insight into this city’s obsession at the Australian Gallery of Sport, housed within the country’s most hallowed sporting venue, the Melbourne Cricket Ground. WHERE THE LOCALS EAT Nowhere have Melbourne’s successive waves of immigrants exerted more influence than in the city’s kitchens. “You can dine out every night for a month without crossing the same cuisine twice,” says Guy Grossi, owner of the Grossi Florentino restaurant. Food hubs include Chinatown (Little Bourke Street in central Melbourne) and Little Italy (Lygon Street in the suburb of Carlton), as well as Fitzroy’s Brunswick Street, renowned for its wide range of “multi-culti” fare. Distinctive cafés dot streets and alleys throughout the city. Today’s celebrated Melbourne restaurants include the intimately elegant, Asian-influenced ezard at adelphi; the sleekly glamorous, post-classical-cuisine Circa; and the organic Zukini. For a unique Melbourne experience, hop aboard the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant, an elegant 1927-vintage tram that serves up an ever-changing backdrop with its kangaroo, steak, and regional seafood dishes. SHOPPING This city is, quite simply, a shopper’s dream. Melbourne’s gracious covered shopping arcades date from another era but sell up-to-the-minute goods, from urban streetwear to sophisticated clothing, accessories, and gifts. International designers draw shoppers to the rather ambitiously named “Paris End” of Collins Street; check out the imaginative fashions at the New Zealand-based Zambesi shop. Boutiques on South Yarra’s elegant Toorak Road and swanky Chapel Street (the latter includes Australian fashion icon Collette Dinnigan’s feminine creations) attract the well-heeled crowd. And don’t miss the sprawling Queen Victoria Market, a Melbourne institution where visitors searching for Aboriginal crafts and other gifts rub shoulders with locals loading up on produce and other necessities. LODGING In the past couple of years, the number of Melbourne hotel rooms has increased significantly. Notable newcomers include the boutique Hotel Lindrum, decorated in inviting, neutral colors; the large, luxurious Quay West Suites; and The Prince, comprising 40 modern-decor rooms in a landmark art-deco complex at the beachfront suburb of St. Kilda. The echoes of an earlier era resonate at The Windsor, Melbourne’s last remaining grand Victorian hotel. TRAVELWISE
Sightseeing, Culture, & Shopping Restaurants
Circa: 2 Acland St., St. Kilda; +61 (0)3 9536 1122.
Lodging
Hotel Lindrum: 26 Flinders St.; +61 (0)3 9668 1111; www.hotellindrum.com.au. U.S.$108-156.
Visitor Information Victoria Visitor Information Centre: Melbourne Town Hall, corner of Swanston and Little Collins Sts.; +61 (0)3 9658 9050; www.visitmelbourne.com. The information in this story was accurate at the time it was published, but we suggest you confirm all details before making travel plans.
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