I’ve had a wonderful opportunity to spend the last three months living and working in Melbourne. Melbourne started as an unknown place to me, going from “Where is that place and is it real?” to “I can imagine myself living here.” Before we jump into the best parts of the Melbourne experience, here is a recap of some statistics:
- Days in Melbourne – 97 (99 on the road)
- Pictures Taken – 9773 (average of 101 a day)
- Pictures Uploaded – 686
- Parmas Consumed – 3
- Australian phrases ingrained in my vocabulary – mate, heaps, adjective-as, flat white, how-ya-goin-all-right?
There were simply too many memorable Melbourne moments, including all the coffee, food, the endless number of activities, public transport, wineries, and Footy! Here is my attempt to give them justice.
The Best Parts of Melbourne
Coffee
Favorite: Flat White, One Sugar
Melbourne has had a large influx of Italian immigrants, and the Italians brought their best espresso machines with them when they arrived. There is an espresso machine in every shopfront imaginable (including bars, Japanese restaurants, and Subway fast food), and it seems as if every barista has gotten the training on how to properly prepare a latte, flat white, long black or espresso shot. The portions are not as large as Starbucks, but you could drink this deliciously smooth god-in-a-cup and have the boost you need for the day. As an additional perk, some coffee shops will put sugar in the coffee for you too!
Food
Favorites: Sakura Kaiten, Cellar Bar, Rockpool, Japanese Pancake Dessert House
Melbourne is a foodie city. While Indian food is lacking, there is no shortage of Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean or Western food. For each genre there is a spectrum of hole in the wall, moderately priced and fancy dining experiences!
- Want to be cheap and adventurous? Duck into an alley way to find great roll-your-own-sushi rolls at Kenzan, ramen at Ramen Ya, or laksa at Laksa Me (creative names aren’t a prerequisite to good food). For those who can’t eat like a rockstar every night, the Cellar Bar shares the kitchen and staff of a highly coveted chef, and Grill’d offers an obesely-sized Mighty Melbourne burger with thick-cut rosemary chips to match.
- Middle of the road? Perhaps a sushi train at Sakura Kaiten, where the best items on the menu, Fresh Fried Oysters with Cream Cheese or the Takoyaki, tease you as they float by on the track. If you’re out late for any number of reasons, the 24-hour Greek resto Stalactites with mass-produced-yet-perfect-lamb always beckons.
- If you have the money to splurge, make sure Rockpool is on your list, and don’t neglect to order the Duck Confit, or head to Claypots with four others and reserve a Chili Crab.
Lots of things to do!
Favorites: Yarra Valley, Great Ocean Road
Theres heaps of fun activities inside the city and if you need a break, just hop outside for the day.
- The Yarra Valley and its world-class wineries are only an hour drive from the city (you really need a designated driver).
- The National Gallery of Victoria has a great mix of contemporary and historical exhibits for free entry.
- For sports, there is Footy and Rugby during the winter, Cricket during the summer, and the rates for entry are a bargain compared to Hockey games at less than $30 for great seats. Don’t forget to get a Four’n'Twenty meat pie!
- On a hot day, venture to any beach and sunbake, admire the surfers, or get out there and surf, bodyboard or kite-surf.
- Get out to the Dadenongs if you want a taste of nature, mountains and epicly-sized trees (think “A Land Before Time”), and make sure you have time for afternoon tea and fantastic dessert.
- Drive along the Great Ocean Road (or take a tour) to enjoy kilometres of the Southern Ocean, and stop by a fish’n'chips shop in Apollo Bay.
- Head farther south and you’ll see the one thing you’ve never expected in Australia: Little Penguins. The price tag is steep but the cuteness is worth the price of admission. Just don’t run them over, okay?
Public transport
Favorites: 96 to St. Kilda Beach.
Melburnians have it pretty good, despite the fact that the trains and trams have a reputation of being below performance ratings (80% on time). The trains do run throughout the city, although not to any major shopping centres or hubs, only suburbs. The trams and street cars are also unique (jump on and jump off at the roads), although the whole ticketing and metcard system leaves something to be desired. If you’re in the city, the best way to get out safely is to take the 96 to St. Kilda Beach – you can’t get lost, because the tram line ends where the beach begins. Just remember to validate your metcard or face the wrath of the ticketing crazies.
Wineries
Favorites: Domaine Chandon and Greenpointe Brasserie
I enjoy wineries, but its not solely because there is wine. In addition to sampling a wide range of wine, a perfect winery includes education and delicious food bundled with scenery and good friends. I was lucky enough to have this experience twice! The Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley was my favourite place to go when at the Yarra Valley, as there was a free tour that guided you through the process from the grapes being shipped into the bladders to be pressed, all the way into the Riddling Hall where the bottles were rotated on a frequent basis to settle the yeast-induced bubbles. Then the attached dining hall, Greenpointe Brasserie, has a seasonal menu that always goes well with the Range Wine tasting, consisting of four types of sparkling wines. If the mussels with Chardonnay appear on the menu, you are obligated to order them. Combined with the free wine tastings and the mountains in the backdrop, this is heaven. See more in my Yarra Valley post!
Footy
Favorites: Essendon, and not cheering for Collingwood
Australian Rules Football (AFL) is better known as Footy, and is played during the Autumn and Winter seasons. The game is a bit tough to explain, and its a mix of American Football, Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, Basketball, and Rugby. Its definitely easier to understand when you watch a match in person or on television – general admission to standard games is only $30! Hopefully you’ll get the gist with these quick notes:
- The objective of the game is to get the most points. There are two teams of 16 each playing on a massive oval field.
- The object of desire is a football. You move the ball around the field by running and dribbling, punching or kicking the ball.
- It is full contact, yet the players do not wear any padding. It is illegal to tackle above the shoulders, yet using opponents to elevate (i.e. jump off a player’s shoulders) and catch a ball is perfectly fine.
- A player gets a mark when someone kicks the ball and the player catches it. A mark means that the player can’t be tackled, temporarily. If the player punches the ball or runs with it, he can be promptly tackled.
- There are four goal posts, and scoring is rewarded by kicking a ball through the poles. If the ball goes through the outside poles, you get one point and the game plays on from that same side. If the ball goes through the middle two posts, you get six points and the ball goes back to the middle.
I’ve only scratched the surface with the above, and I know I’m missing out on a lot more. I sincerely miss Australia. I will return, and when I do, you can bet I will do all of the above again.
