Melbourne

The capital city of Victoria began to boom during the late 1800’s when it was flushed with the riches of the nearby gold fields. The city continued to grow and develop and today, nineteenth century Melbourne can be seen amongst many modern developments making it one of the Southern Hemisphere's greatest cities with everything to offer. A bustling city with a laid back atmosphere; tree lined avenues and open spaces; great shopping and endless restaurants; entertainment and culture.

Attractions

The city centre boasts many attractions to keep any visitor entertained. Notable buildings include the gothic St Paul’s Cathedral, Parliament House and the Old Treasury Building. The hub of the city, Flinders Street Station sits in contrast to ultra modern Federation Square arts complex across the road. For a great view over these sites and the rest of the city, head up the Rialto Tower to the Melbourne Observation Deck.

Melbourne is a centre for arts and culture, and worth a visit is Melbourne Museum, the South Bank Arts Precinct, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Art Gallery at Federation Square and the stunning Victorian Arts Centre, incorporating the Melbourne Concert Hall, State Theatre and Playhouse.

For sports fans a visit to the imposing MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) is a must, whether for a cricket tour of the grounds or to watch an Aussie Rules football game. A visit at certain times of the year may give opportunity to take in the Melbourne Cup racing, the Grand Prix at Albert Park or the Australian Open Tennis.

The Aquarium and Zoo are entertaining and a walk through the vast Botanical Gardens and a tram down to St Kilda beach are a must.

Shopping

The city boasts fashionable boutiques, vast shopping centres, department stores and unique arcades creating a shopper's paradise. Shop for designer fashion on Collins Street in the city or venture out into the suburbs and browse young funky designs on Chapel Street; pop into lavish boutiques on Toorak Road; pick up great deals on big labels in the factory outlets of Bridge Street and alternative original ethnic goods in Brunswick Street.

Nightlife and Eating Out

Eating out is a popular pastime in Melbourne and due to the influence of decades of immigration the choice of cuisine is wide and varied. All tastes are catered for with Italian, Greek, Chinese, Spanish, Thai and Japanese all found on the same street. Café culture is huge in Melbourne and cafés are filled with people sipping lattés at any time of the day.

Nightlife is lively with a host of pubs, bars, clubs, cinemas, theatres and live gigs any night of the week. Clubs are open late and people tend to go out later. As well as the city centre, the restaurants, bars and clubs of St Kilda and Chapel street are also popular nightspots.

Tourist Information

Melbourne Visitor Information CentreCorner Flinders Street and St Kilda RoadMelbourne, Victoria 3000, AustraliaPh +61 3 9658 9658Fax +61 3 9650 6168www.visitmelbourne.com

Airport

Melbourne Airport is located about 25 kms from the City Centre, under 30 minutes by car and services both domestic and international flights. Domestic flights run between Melbourne and all Australian capital cities, as well as to many other regional centres.