Melbourne

Melbourne is the second-largest city in Australia and is known to be Australia’s most cultured city — although some Sydney-siders would contest this. The city’s main attractions are museums, galleries and theatres, large green spaces and the Yarra River flowing across the urban centre. Melbourne has seen wave after wave of new arrivals with Italians, Greeks, Chinese and Vietnamese all adding ingredients to the cultural and culinary mix. And there are the sports-mad, of course. Each year, Melbourne plays host to some of the world’s major international sports events such as the Australian Open in tennis, and Formula 1 racing.

The city developed during the height of the Victorian gold rush in the late 1800s, which shows through the Victorian-era architecture in some neighbourhoods. However, developments over the years have also left their mark, recently with the new and modern Federation Square complex, and the Docklands re-development. Probably the most famous snapshot of Melbourne is the television series “Neighbours” recorded here and broadcast across the world for more than 20 years.

If you fancy a trip out of the city, Melbourne is also a great base for 1-2 day tours to, for example, the Grampians National Park, the Great Ocean Road with the Twelve Apostles, local wineries, or to observe the masses of penguins on Phillip Island coming home from a day at sea. Enjoy your stay in what many claim is the hippest city in the southern hemisphere.