Melbourne Must See's
Welcome to my favourite city in Australia! I travelled across the world to see a bunch of my friends I had met while backpacking in Europe. Now look, there is so much you can do and see in Melbourne, so this is just my list of my favourite things I did!
Great Ocean Road
My first week in Australia my friend Max and I took a road trip down the Great Ocean Road. Ok first thing to know, the Great Ocean Road is really really long! We were driving for hours! It was stunning and we got out and looked around and took photos, but we decided to bail before getting to the Apostles. All of that being said it was stunning and even if you only do a small stretch. We drove up until Lorne and then we had a burger and a beer and got back on the road haha.
Shrine of Remembrance
I’ve seen a lot of war memorials from Washington to Ypres to London and more and I think the Shrine of Remembrance is one of my absolute favourites. It was originally built as a place of remembrance for those who lost their lives in WW1, but now functions as a memorial for any Australian who has served in any way. Its a really impressive pyramid like structure, which has a lot of Greek influence. You’ll learn a ton about Australian history in the shrine and get some of the best views of the city from the very top!
Walking Tour
I really didn’t know much about Australian history beyond Heath Ledger’s Ned Kelly, so I wanted to immerse myself in a full on tour! I did a three hour free walking tour which I highly suggest doing! It was so informational and my tour guide was so funny. We started at the library, then moved on to the old Melbourne gaol, Queen Victoria Market, Eureka Tower, Royal Exhibition Building, Flinders street station and so much more! I learned about the victorian architecture, aboriginal history, gold rush, street art and Batman! Not THAT Batman, but the man who found Melbourne! You will also see a ton of amazing street art, something Melbourne is known for - and im not just talking about cool graffiti, like full on stunning murals. Its about three hours so wear good walking shoes, but it was so completely worth it.
state Library
The State Library of Victoria is such a stunning building. Its the oldest library in Australia and actually one of the oldest public libraries in the world! The building itself is stunning with so much natural light pouring in from the ceiling. It also has a bunch of the letter and original armour worn by Ned Kelly and his gang during their standoff with the police.
Bathing Boxes
You’ve probably seen these on postcards! All along Brighton Beach are 82 different brightly coloured bathing boxes all with unique and funky designs on them. The boxes themselves were actually built over a century ago in the Victorian era for modesty and how people were expected to handle sea side bathing. The only thing that has changed has been their iconic paint jobs! My personal favourites are; the space invader, the fighting kangaroo and the red and blue ones!
Fairy Penguins
Many people will flock to Phillips Island to check out the little tiny penguins, but because of the popularity, not only does it cost money, but you are for sure more restricted. After some research I found out that there is also a small population of fairy penguins right in St Kilda and theres no fee! They normally pop up just after sunset and snuggled down into the rocks. They are so cute and small and blue! It was totally worth it. There are also great views of the water, great restaurants near by as well as Luna Park if you’re feeling up for a roller coaster ride!
Yarra Valley
Hands down the best wine region I’ve visited in the world! My friend Laura and I decided to have a wine tasting day so we hopped on the train and hit up a few wineries! My favourite one of the day was Giant Steps. We did a great tasting and the selection from that particular winery was delicious! Another favourite of the day was Yering Station. The vineyard has been open since 1838! Their cuvee’s were some of the best I’ve ever had. Beyond all the grapes and bubbles though, Yarra valley is so stunning! Just sitting and looking out over the miles and miles of vineyards and hills is worth the trip alone! Its a great day out.
Royal Arcade
So I love Victorian architecture and Melbourne is just bursting with it! Its in the CBD and there are so many little cute shops and cafes in it! Back in the day the single ladies of Melbourne would go promenade around the arcade hoping to snap up a husband. It has stunning black and white tiled floors, high arching windows and a super weird clock with carvings of mythical figured Gog and Magog on either side. If you are so inclined I would suggest going to the Hopetoun Tea Room for high tea! Its stunning and the cakes are delicious!
Bonus: Eat breakfast and drink coffee every day!
You know when you meet Australians travelling and they get all intense about coffee and avocado on toast? They’re not being dramatic, they really do have the best in the world! I’m not a coffee drinker at all and I had so many flat whites it was insane! Melbourne actually has the oldest coffee maker in all of Australia and there is contention between the Aussies and Kiwis over who invented the famous flat white, so I would definitely make a stop to Pellegrini’s while you’re there! I definitely also ate my body weight in breakfasts while I was there. My friend took me to this cafe called Down the Rabbit Hole which had one of the best avocado toasts I’d ever had in my life! There are no shortage of amazing breakfast and coffee places so aside from those two, just try them all!
This is honestly just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Melbourne! There are so many amazing neighborhoods to discover, day trips to go on and lots of different smashed avo on toast to eat! Do yourself a favour and give yourself as much time as you can when you’re there and explore!